Last Monday, Rochedale SS hosted a staff and parent session with Dr Justin Coulson.  Justin was an entertaining speaker with strategies and tips on ways to build a resilient child.  He spoke to staff about supporting students with ADHD in the classroom.

All Rochedale families are welcome to sign up to a free 12 month Happy Families membership, please see below for further information.

On Tuesday and Wednesday last week, 1258 principals and school leaders from across the state gathered in Brisbane, to attend the 2022 State Principals’ Conference.

At the conference, the Minister for Education announced the draft education strategy Equity and Excellence: realising the potential of every student, and sought advice from Principals, in order to inform the government’s next steps.The strategy reflects our focus on three areas to achieve equity and excellence:

• educational achievement: because knowing each student’s learning progression is essential to making sure they are on track for positive educational outcomes
• wellbeing and engagement: because being healthy, confident and resilient is a foundation for engaging in learning
• culture and inclusion: because the diversity of our staff, students and school communities is our greatest strength.

The Department of Education is engaging in further consultation to finalise the strategy, I’ll share more information when the strategy is published.

Teaching and Learning  Professional Learning Teams
Every week, Teaching Teams or Specialists are released for three hours to work together with the Leadership Team to focus on teaching and learning.

During the Professional Learning Team (PLT) session, teachers examine data, identify strategies to extend or support student learning and engage in professional learning on IB, pedagogy and inclusion. The current round of PLTs is focusing on the Australian Curriculum: English and planning.

Professor John Hattie’s research shows that the single variable that has the largest effect on student success is teachers working together to maximise their impact. Leading Australian researcher Ben Jensen reported after his inquiry into high performing education systems that: “While these systems are quite different, the key to all of them is that collaborative professional learning (teachers working with other teachers to improve curriculum, instruction, school climate, etc.) is built into the daily lives of teachers and school leaders.”

Student Achievement
Congratulations to John T, Year 6, for performing at QCASS competition on 9 October, at St Rita's College.  He entered in two categories section 11 Australian Works (open to players of all levels) and section 6 (AMEB Grades 5 and 6 Saxophone).

John received second place in the Australian Works section, playing "The Listener" by Lachlan Davidson.

He received first place in section 6, playing "L'Espagnole" by Pierre Max Dubois.

Cross Country On Thursday last week, we had our Cross Country, students from prep to year 6 ran the event. Thank you to Mr Chris Brown for organising the event and to all staff and parents who supported the event.

World Teachers’ Day Friday 28 October

Australia will celebrate and thank the teaching profession on World Teachers’ Day on Friday 28 October 2022.  

This year we celebrate WTD with the theme Teaching through every moment.

Every year on the last Friday in October, Queenslanders are encouraged to acknowledge and celebrate our teachers for the positive impact they have on communities and students’ lives.The P and C has generously offered to provide lunch to cleebrate our teachers and promote wellbeing.  This will be done on Friday 21 October as Year 4 Teachers will be on Camp next week.

Classes for 2023
We are beginning to make plans for 2023 classes. If you are not intending on returning to Rochedale State School next year can you please email the office to advise aross184@eq.edu.au 

School resumes on Monday 23 January 2023 for all children from Prep to Year 6. All state schools are staffed on the Day 8 Enrolment data collection at the start of the school year. Whether we form straight classes or multi-age classes is dependent on enrolment numbers on Day 8 – 2 February 2023. Parents are reminded that class composition, teacher year level allocations and class placements are all subject to adjustment post Day 8.

For audit purposes, it is vital we have correct enrolment numbers at the commencement of the 2023 school year. If you will be returning later than the school start date, please also indicate your intended date of return and reason such as visiting family overseas. You will be requested to complete an acceptable evidence form, please email Jane Jeffrey  jjeff157@eq.edu.au  

Please note that classes and teachers can change depending on enrolment numbers.
The Leadership Team, support staff and class teachers will work together to place students in a class for next year. Staff have deep knowledge of students, their needs and which students they should not be placed with for next year.

The aim is to construct well-balanced classes in which students can work and perform to their full potential. Due consideration is given to the students’ academic needs and their social/emotional needs when placement is decided. Your trust in our decision-making, your acknowledgement of the time and care that goes into this process and your respect for the competence and dedication of every member of our staff team are greatly appreciated.

Should parents wish to have input to the process they are asked to email their ‘request for consideration’ to the relevant Deputy Principal. Please note requests from previous years are not kept on file or considered as circumstances often change.

Please note we will not take requests for particular teachers and friends.  A new class and a new teacher is an opportunity for children to make new friends and to have new learning experiences.

Requests should outline your child’s learning needs and the considerations that you believe would assist your child to be successful at school in 2023. Closing date for this correspondence is Monday 24 October, request for consideration will not be accepted after this date.

Shuffle Up Day will be held on Friday 2 December, students are placed into the class group and teacher for 2023.

Workplace Health and Safety

Emergency response drills 

An evacuation drill was held on Tuesday 11 October, we completed the drill 9 minutes.  Evacuation  procedures have been reviewed and are in the process of being updated.

Schools have an obligation to provide a safe environment for students, staff, volunteers and visitors.

Rochedale State School practices emergency response drills, evacuation / lockdown, at least once a term.This routine prepares our staff, students and community in the event of an emergency situation so that panic and fear is reduced in a real emergency situation.

Please note: If you’re on site and a drill occurs, you will be required to participate in the drill and follow instructions as per the  teacher or nearest staff member’s instructions.  

Each emergency drill is timed, documented, reported and reviewed by the WHS team and modified accordingly. You’ll read about our completed drills in the principal’s section of the school newsletter after a drill has occurred. 

Have a  wonderful week.
Melissa

Fostering Self-regulation and Emotional Control

(a framework written and created by Leah M. Kuypers, 2011)

What is self-regulation?

Self-regulation can go by many names, such as, self-control, self-management, ‘anger control’ and ‘impulse control”. In the school setting, we talk about self-regulation in terms of a student’s ability to adjust their level of alertness to regulate sensory needs, emotions, and impulses to meet the demands of the environment, to behave in a socially appropriate way and be ready to learn.

What are the Zones of Regulation?

The Zones is a conceptual framework, designed by Occupational Therapist Leah M. Kuypers, used to teach students to self-regulate.  Several of our teachers are specifically implementing the Zones of Regulation within their classroom.  This may be for one or two students (as prescribed by an Occupational Therapist) as part of their personalised learning plan or as a whole class, depending on the age and needs within the classroom.  

The Zones of Regulation categorises states of alertness and emotions into four coloured zones:

The Zones framework focuses on teaching students how to recognise and manage their ‘Zone’.

Triggers and Tools

The Zones of Regulation framework assists students to identify ‘triggers’ or things that happen which make students feel worried, upset or frustrated and put them in the Yellow or Red zone. It then gives them tools to use for the body, to move into the ‘green zone’ and into a ready state for learning.

The Zones tools menu includes: Carry a weighted item; Read; Jump (off ground or trampoline); Bounce; Run; Push; Pull; Swing; Hug (use of body sock); Listen to music; Walk; Star jumps; Deep breaths; Fidget ball squeeze (stress ball) and many more.  These tools are varied and adapted for a school setting and can also be adapted to suit the home setting.

All classroom teachers, from Prep to Year 6, put many adjustments into their programs throughout the day to ensure all students are given opportunity to regulate their body to ensure a ‘ready state of learning’.  This includes regular movement in the classroom or specific movement activities that refocus students.  Movement programs, recommended by our Education Queensland Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist such as, ‘School Moves’ or ‘Move to Learn’ are also used in some classrooms. 

“Heavy work” based activities are also another way to achieve this regulation and are also used in many classrooms.  At school this could possibly be: popcorn push-ups on the student’s chair, giving the student a weighted item (e.g. a few books) to carry to a different location or wiping writing off the classroom whiteboard.  Each of these activities assist to regulate the body and reset into a ‘ready state for learning’. 

The Engine Room at Rochedale State School

Our Engine room is a space in the school created to provide a safe place for students to access specialised equipment to use to “get their body ready for learning”.  It is referred to as the Engine Room in reference to an Occupational Therapy based program called the “the Alert Program” or “How does your Engine Run” a predecessor of “The Zones of Regulation program”.  Specialised equipment for the Engine Room has been purchased on advice given by an Education Queensland Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist as well as individual students’ private Occupational Therapists. 

The Engine Room is open and in use before school, and at end of morning tea and lunch, for identified students with a specific program.   If these students need to engage in self-regulation activities during class time, the majority of the time classroom specific tools are used to ensure inclusivity and limited disruption to learning.  

For more information about the Zones of Regulation- you can visit their website:

http://www.zonesofregulation.com/learn-more-about-the-zones.html

Jessica Rigby

Deputy Principal Year 3 / Head of Inclusion  

Our much-anticipated Scholastic Book Fair opens next Tuesday October 25 and will run until the following Monday October 31.

At Rochedale, every child, every night, reads! Captain Read It, our friend from Planet Vocab, regularly visits our school to share his love of reading and its many benefits. Reading is not only fun for children, it also expands their vocabulary, boosts creativity, improves writing skills, develops analytical thinking skills, and enhances memory. These are just a few of the many benefits of reading.

This year Book fair will open for 3 sessions a day. Starting lunchtime Tuesday October 25 and finishing up after school Monday October 31.

Before School- 8:15-8:40am
Lunch Time- 1:15-1:40pm
After School- 2:50-3:30pm

We are going cashless this year. We will email instructions about the payment options – eftpos will be available and a voucher system (for those unable to attend with their child). 

A flyer will come home this week with a preview of some of the 250+ titles we will have available.

Rochedale will also be running a colouring competition for Book Fair.  The lucky winner will receive a voucher to spend at Book Fair. The colouring competition page can be collected on Monday October 24 at the office and library. Students can submit their colouring page on the day the fair opens.

Rochedale I’m sure you will get behind this fantastic event to support your child’s love of reading while raising funds for our classrooms and Library.

We hope to see you there!

This week we will begin the selection process to select our 2023 school leaders.  Rochedale State School has a proud tradition of student leadership and our selection process has been refined over time to ensure that fitting candidates are selected to represent our school.  Currently, the following formal leadership positions are awarded;

2 X School Captains
2 x Vice School Captains
2 X Warratah Sports Captains, 2 X Jacaranda Sports Captains, 2 X Banksia Sports Captains
2 Music Captains

Rochedale is a co-educational school and as such, while every effort will be made to ensure that both genders are considered in the selection of our formal student leadership positions, it should be noted that 2023 leaders will be appointed by merit.  Both boys and girls are encouraged to seek leadership opportunities and our wider student body deserve a range of peer leadership models. 

Examples of the characteristics we are looking for in our school leaders:

• Exemplifies the Learner Profile
• Role model for other students
• Continual high level of good behaviour in class and playground
• Always in correct school uniform
• Confident public speaker
• Responsible, reliable and able to work independently
• Uses time effectively and appropriately
• Good attendance record and commitment to school activities
• Possessing initiative and the ability to inspire others
• Interacts with various children across the student body 

Our selection procedure is deliberately designed to be rigorous to ensure nominee’s exhibit the independence and responsibility necessary to fulfil the positions they are applying for. For your information, below is an outline of the timelines and procedure that will be used this year (please note the dates published may be subject to change). 

Have a great week
Tome Grimson 
Deputy 5/6 

 ​2023 Prep Enrolments are now open!

Enrolments for Prep 2023 are now open for children born between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018. Children must be five (5) by 30 June in the year they enrol. Applications for enrolment will only be accepted for students within the school catchment area (or siblings of a current 2022 student). Unfortunately, we won’t be offering any out of catchment places for 2023. For further information, please contact our school Enrolments Officer, Mrs Amanda Ross on PH: 3340 8333 or

E: enrolments@rochedalss.eq.edu.au

The following invoices are due for payment as follows. 

PLEASE NOTE 

Due dates for incursions/excursions are final.  No late payments or permission forms will be accepted after the due date.  

Students who have not returned the permission or made payment by the due date, will not be able to participate in the activity.

If you have not received an invoice please contact the office. All payments are to be made by our preferred method of BPoint online.

ABSENCE LINE 3340 8388 or

text 0427 890 693 (24 hours)

*******IT IS NOW A REQUIREMENT THAT ALL STUDENT ABSENCES BE REPORTED ON THE DAY OF THE ABSENCE TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE*******

If your student is absent and the school has not been notified of the reason, a text message will be sent to parents by 9.30am requesting a reason for the absence. If you receive a text, please reply and explain your child's absence to avoid reeceiving a follow up phone call from the school office.

To report a student absence:

Please call the absence line on 3340 8388 or text our SMS line on 0427 890 693.  These lines are both open 24 hours a day. You can also use the SMS line to report a planned late arrival to school eg; doctor's appointment. 

When recording an absence on either our phone line or SMS line, please state the following:

1. Your name
2. Student's name
3. Student's class
4. Reason for absence

Please speak clearly and slowly and help us with spelling of names when calling the phone line.

Office Hours

The school office is open each day from 8am to 4pm. 

Student State School Consent

It is the school’s usual practice to take photographs or record images of students and occasionally to publish limited personal information and student materials for the purpose of celebrating student achievement and promoting the school and more broadly celebrating Queensland education. Consent to use your child's name, photograph, voice/video recording or year level is requested at time of enrolment via the "State School Consent Form". If you wish to make changes to consent for your child please request a new State School Consent Form from the school office. 

Facility Hirers

Please find attached the current list of the community groups that hire our school facilities.