RSS Newsletter Issue 7 2024

Principal

Reporting learning progress 

Parent Teacher Interviews and Report cards are the main ways teachers communicate with parents about student progress in each learning area. By following Report Cards with the opportunity to discuss next steps in learning, and explore some of the feedback provided, teachers and parents can work together to move students forward in their learning. 

As you would have read on the front of the report cards last semester, we use a 5-point scale to report level of achievement. It is important to remember that the Australian Curriculum IS standards based and the expected “on track” result is a C.  I know that when talking with teachers about the assessment tasks, the assessable standards are the achievement standard at the ‘C’ level. This means that evidence at the ‘C’ demonstrates the understandings and skills of achievement standard aspects relevant to the task, which is a huge accomplishment for independent demonstration of knowledge and skills. 

The celebration of that is important; when we recognise that over 85% of students are achieving a C or better in Mathematics and over 90% of students are achieving a C or better in English. The work that students demonstrate for those ‘C’ level expectations are key for being able to demonstrate the discernible differences of the increasing complexity and sophistication of aspects of the task targeted at the ‘A’ and ‘B’ levels.  

Teachers consider the task, what is taught in the unit and appropriately aligned curriculum elements before considering the evidence at the higher levels. Evidence at the ‘A’ standard typically demonstrates sophisticated selection and application of understandings and skills in ways appropriate to the purpose and context of the task. Evidence at the ‘B’ standard typically connects and applies understandings and skills relevant to the context and purpose of the task.  Task-specific standard descriptors for ‘A’ and ‘B’ describe the quality in a student response above the standard. 

For students who are working below the achievement standard, teachers are still able to track and celebrate growth. Students have been known to complete multiple tasks demonstrating skills and knowledge below the ‘C’ standard, and still demonstrate tremendous effort and growth in that learning area.  Evidence at the ‘D’ standard typically demonstrates components of the understandings and/or skills and some connections with the context and/or purpose of the task.  Evidence at the ‘E’ standard typically builds towards components of the task’s understandings and/or skills.  Shifts in understanding and knowledge can be vast when people are working with teachers to fill learning gaps, develop new skills and stamina, or shift the quality of their communication from verbal to written. We know how much effort it can take to compose a quality response, using the technical language taught and to spell accurately; while remembering the conventions of written language and managing a pencil or a keyboard and fatigue! 

I encourage you to celebrate your student’s achievement and progress during Semester 1, and to speak with their teacher/s regarding next steps to continue their growth.  

School Opinion Survey 

Parents, staff and students will have started receiving their invitations for the annual School Opinion Survey. Participation is by invitation only. Invitations will be sent over a number of days in the week beginning Monday 15 July. Please be aware that the survey invitation email uses the subject line: School Opinion Survey for parents/caregivers, 2024; parents/caregivers should check junk email folders if it can’t be found. The survey will close on 16 August. 

GENERAL INFORMATION  

• Timing. SOS will open on Monday, 22 July, and close on Friday, 16 August. However, participants will be able to commence the survey when they receive emailed invitations.  

• Distribution. SOS will be distributed directly to students and parents using OneSchool emails and to staff using payroll emails.  

• Access. All invitations will contain a link with a unique user ID and password as part of that link. The survey can be accessed by simply clicking on the link. Respondents will only be able to complete the survey once.  

• Confidentiality. SOS continues to be an anonymous survey. Personal information such as email address is used for distribution purposes only. These are separated from a person’s responses and deleted, prior to the responses being loaded into a database. 

• Participation. All students in years 5, 6, and 8 will be invited via email. Staff will provide students with the time to complete these surveys. Families with one or more enrolled children will receive one invitation to complete the survey. The parent/caregiver to receive the invitation is selected based on information and email addresses in OneSchool.   

Lions Vision Screening. 

Earlier this term, information regarding the Lions Vision Screening was sent and emailed home. This is a great opportunity for students who are not already seeing optometrists to have a speedy check of their vision; and work out whether an optometrist appointment might be necessary to help with learning.  

The testing takes just a few minutes to perform. There is no physical contact made with the child and no eye drops are administered. This is an opportunity to check for visual acuity, colour vision and depth perception, and screen for some of the most common eye and vision issues. More information about the assessments is in the letter and brochure that was sent home in Week One. 

We are looking forward to having members from the Tully, Whitsunday and Townsville Castle Hill Lions clubs visiting on the 9th of August for this service. I know that the coordinator is looking forward to returning to Richmond State School soon. Please make sure that consent letters are returned by the 2nd of August. 

Please note, the Lions Vision Screening is different to the Prep Vision Screening offered by QLD Health. Lions Vision Screening is open to ALL students, whilst the Prep Vision Screening is only available for students in Prep. 

eSafety Message 

Have you thought about how schools and communities work together to educate children? With the social learning that is happening around the globe about AI and Deepfakes, knowing how to be eSafe benefits everyone. 

Helping students and adults learn about being safe online, or eSafe, is part of the lifelong learning that we need to work in our digital world. But, keeping young people safe, especially in online environments can be tricky. Part of teaching kids to be eSafe happens in our classrooms – teaching students about online safety strategies and the lifelong behaviours that will keep them safe when working digitally. It also is how we help connect parents with accurate information and strategies to support this learning at home.  

This spotlight section provides information to parents about webinars, links, documents and resources that can help start tricky conversations with kids about being eSafe. Keep an eye out on this spotlight space for links and more! 

If you’re wanting to find out more about being safe online; or having conversations with parents or kids (young and old!) take a look at https://www.esafety.gov.au . The Office of the eSafety Commissioner has some great resources.  

Deputy Principal

School Extra Curricular Events 

Semester 2 has commenced with a string of exciting extracurricular events on the school calendar. Monday of week 2 saw Greg and Andrea Huglin from Noosa Film Academy return to our school to conduct their fantastic film workshop. Students in year 7 to 10 learnt to shoot short dramatic films on location as they alternated between the key roles of Director, Camera Operator, Script Supervisor, Actor, Sound Operator and Editor. Culminating in the special event screening that same evening, parents and guests were treated to a viewing of the film students produced on the day. Greg and Andrea commented on how lovely it was to work with such caring and committed teachers and wanted to pass on their thanks to all the students for being so respectful, helpful and willing to step outside of their comfort zones to create an entertaining and professional film. 

In week 2 on Friday, year 5-7 students and staff attended an excursion to Hughenden State School to participate in their NAIDOC week celebrations. Our students were thrilled with the experience that included sand art, ochre painting, boomerang throwing, womera(spear throwing) and traditional dance. Furthermore, Hughenden Sate School staff made special mention of the exemplary behaviour Richmond State School students demonstrated. 

In coming weeks, we are further excited to say we have more visiting specialist bringing sporting opportunities to Richmond State School students with a Tennis Workshop on Monday of week 5 and a Cricket Workshop on Monday of week 6. These events are planned for all students to participate in and will be at no cost.  

Parent Teacher Interviews 

Thank you to parents and staff that engaged in the interviews held during week 3 of this term. The use of the Schoolzine session keeper app has streamlined the process for making bookings but like all things does take some practice to do well. If anyone does have feedback about the interview process or was unable to make an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact the school. Communication both to and from the school is vital to the success of our students. 

NAIDOC -Hughenden

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Head of Department - Curriculum

Parent Curriculum Overviews 

Parent Curriculum Overviews for Term 3 were sent home at the beginning of Week 3. The Curriculum Overviews and Assessment Calendar are one of the ways that teachers let you know what your child is learning in each learning area for the term and when their assessments are due. If you know that your child will be away during assessment, please communicate this with their teacher so that they are able to provide every opportunity for your child to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding for the term.  
A reminder that it is not advised to organise holidays or unnecessary days off during the school term. At Richmond State School we encourage all students to maximise their learning time, and this starts with attending school every day. During the term, students are learning and practicing the knowledge and skills they need to learn according to the curriculum, and the assessment period is an opportunity for teachers to collect evidence on what students have learned. This helps us to not only celebrate achievements and growth, but also to plan goals for students’ next steps and provide support or extension where needed. 

We know that occasionally students will be absent from school for unavoidable reasons, such as medical appointments, but these absences should not be the norm. 

We welcome any feedback you may have on how we can improve the Parent Curriculum Overviews and Assessment Calendars.   

Enrol now for 2025! 

Are you moving to the Richmond area, or know someone who is? Do you have a child ready for Prep? 

We are SO excited to welcome future students to Richmond State School, including our next cohort of Prep students in 2025. We have already started visiting the Richmond Early Education Centre to make connections with our future students and are planning transition sessions for Term 4.  

You can enrol your child now for Prep or school at Richmond State School in 2025. Call 4768 6333, email admin@richmondss.eq.edu.au or visit the school office for more information.  

Wondering if your child is eligible to start Prep in 2025? To be eligible for Prep, children must be aged 5 years by 30 June in the year they start Prep. If your child was born between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020, they are eligible to commence Prep in 2025.  

Below is an infographic for school readiness – is your child ready for school? Are there some things they need to practice before starting Prep?  

Administration of Medication

With the cooler weather approaching, it is a great time to review the process for medication being administered at school. 

If your child needs to take medication at school, please provide the office staff with:

• a completed and signed Consent to administer medication form;
• the medication in its original container; and
• medical authorisation (e.g. the pharmacy label, or a letter from the doctor, or a completed and signed health action plan).

Please remember that any medication must be brought into the Administration Office. If you have any queries, please contact the office.

Asthma and Anaphylaxis Plans

Recently we completed a review of student Asthma & Anaphylaxis Plans within the school. Some key points to remember regarding Emergency Action Plans

• Plans expire every year
• Plans must be completed by your GP
• Medication must be in date and have the doctors label attached
• Medication must be in its original box/container
• 'Consent to Administer Medication Form' is required for us to administer

If you are unsure of any of the above, we encourage you to contact the Administration Office on 47 686 333 to see if your child's plan & medication is current.

Student Achievements

Week 2 Award Winners

Week 3 Award Winners

Battle of the Classes

Senior Shirts

PBL-Positive Behaviour for Learning

Dear Parents and Carers,

Over the past two weeks, our students and staff have been busy revisiting and updating their classroom expectations. Each class's expectations are aligned with the Richmond State School Behaviour Expectations to ensure consistent language and standards across the school.
Additionally, staff and students have been working together to update the PBL Reward Menus for Term Three. Teachers will be sharing this document with you shortly. As students reach their identified goals, they can earn rewards from the Happy Voucher Rewards Menu. Some examples of potential rewards include icy-poles, milkshakes, special pencils, and stationery. When a student earns a reward, their achievement is recorded, and they receive a certificate to take home and share with their family.
As a whole school, we are working towards a collective goal of reaching 50,000 Happy Vouchers by the end of the term. If we achieve this goal, students will be rewarded with a Free Dress Day on Friday of Week 10. Please remember that appropriate, sun-safe clothing must be worn.
Thank you for your continued support.

Warm regards,
Scott Marshall

PBL-Master classes

We are thrilled to announce that our Master Classes will be running again during the final two days of this term (12–13 September 2024), and we are inviting you to nominate a Master Class that you wish to run. This is an extraordinary opportunity for you to share your unique skills and passions with our students. We encourage you to think creatively and "outside the box" when selecting and nominating your Master Class.

Whether you are a parent, carer, or a valued community member, we welcome your participation. To ensure clarity and organisation, please provide the following information for your proposed activity:

1. Your Full Name:
2. Name of the Activity: This is the name that will be communicated to the community and students.
3. The Days Available: Specify the days you are available to run the class: Thursday, Friday, or both.
4. Short Description: Provide a brief overview of what the activity entails.
5. Preferred Workspace: Specify the location or type of space required for your activity.
6. Preferred Year Level of Students: Indicate the suitable year levels for the activity.
7. Potential Resources: List any materials or resources that need to be purchased.

This initiative offers our students a chance to engage in new and exciting experiences that they might not encounter in their regular curriculum. Your involvement will help us create a vibrant and diverse learning environment.

Examples of Master Classes:

• Roping
• Leather Work
• Digital Coding
• Musical Instruments
• Trade-based Activity
• Boxing

We can tailor class sizes to suit your activity and preferences.

Please submit your nominations by Friday, 9 August 2024, to ensure we have ample time to confirm activities, organise resources, and schedule the classes.

Please ensure you meet the requirement of providing a Blue Card for working with children when considering applying. If unsure of the process, please contact the school’s administration or access the Blue Card website for more information.

Thank you for your continued support and for contributing to the enrichment of our students' educational journey.

Kind regards,

Scott Marshall

From the classrooms

YEAR FIVE students have commenced their  journey into learning another language other than English. The students logged on for their first on-line Japanese lesson on Wednesday. Lessons are facilitated through the School of Charters Towers Distance Education. In the first week, the students learned about the three-ways Japanese language is written. If you have a year five student, ask them to show you how to write a letter they learned about.

Kind Regards,

 Mrs Bethea Pattel

Last Term Year 5 Science students explored the solar system and space travel.

As part of the final piece of learning students were required to construct a spacecraft for their "eggstronaut" for its journey and landing in space. Students were given only three items to build their space craft: Sticky tape, an A3 sheet of tissue paper and A4 sheet of paper.

The "eggstronauts" were given two space missions

Mission One:
Landing on the ground outside of the 5/6P classroom

In all of the 18 eggstronauts on that mission, 10 landed on earth safely.

Mission Two:
"Crash-land" back to earth after being launched from the top floor of the High School building. 

Out of the 10 remaining eggstronauts from Mission One, we had 3 arrive safely back to earth.

Congratulations to the astronauts who created these space shuttles Luca, Jesse and Ellie. We would like to give a special thankyou to Sally for supplying the eggs to support student learning.

Extraordinary Eggstronauhts

Noosa Film Academy

Richmond SS Workshop Student Feedback

17 students 100% rated workshop as excellent or good.

Students were asked 'what did you like best or find most useful about the presentation and any suggestions for future workshops' and their responses are as follows:

• I like the clapperboard because it is loud.
• I like best that we could try different jobs and help. Have fun trying the Clapper board and trying the acting.
• I can use what I've learned today to film better for anything, TikTok/Promotion/Advertising events in the future.
• Everything, it’s amazing.
• I am extremely grateful for today and I am inspired from your hard work.
• What I liked best is that we were included in everything.
• Just doing something different
• The scene where Xavier threw the fake gold.
• The thing I found best was making and editing the film as well as using the slate.
• I liked the improv part the best because I could go with my own words, and I didn’t have to follow a script.
• Different scenes and activities and learning how to act.
• I really liked doing it as a group and the experience.
• I liked the clapper board job.
• Comedy but different props.

Lights, Camera, Action

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Book Week- Reading is Magic

'Reading Is Magic' is the theme for this year's Book Week. Reading can take you to magical places like Narnia Hogwarts, Hobbiton, The Magic School bus or your own backyard.  Reading can take you to all the magic we have on our planet and beyond. Every page of a book is a magical journey into the unknown.

Magic is not just fairies, spells and strange things that happen, it's the opening of a cocoon to reveal the magical transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly, it's the sun rising every morning. Every time you open a book to read you learn about the magic in everything around us. Join us to explore the magic inside a book.

Exciting things will happen during Book Week, activities daily, Costume Parade Friday, come dressed as your favourite book Character, we encourage homemade costumes and love if you can bring the book in that your costume is inspired by, there will be prizes as well.

Premiers Reading Challenge

Dear parents/carers,

I am delighted to invite all Richmond State School students to join in the 2024 Premiers Reading Challenge.
The Premiers Reading Challenge is not a competition but a way to encourage students to develop a love of reading for life. Students are encouraged to select a range of fiction and non-fiction books suited to their reading ability and record books read during the reading period, between 7th May to 23rd August. The Premiers Reading Challenge is the perfect opportunity for parents to foster a love of reading at home just as much as we do here at Richmond State School.
You will or may have already received a reader record form and a consent form informing you about how the school and the Department of Education (department) will use, record and disclose your child’s personal information and material.

To complete the challenge:
✓ Prep to Year 2 must read or experience at least 20 books
✓ Years 3 and 4 must read at least 20 books
✓ Years 5 to 9 must read at least 15 books

Experiencing books can include shared reading, listening to stories, or reading picture books. The aim for the 2024 challenge is to encourage students to make time to read. Last year saw more than 110,000 children from around the state participate.

Every student who completes the challenge and returns the completed record reader form and consent form, will receive a Certificate of Achievement signed by the Premier. I look forward to seeing as many of our students as possible take part in the 2024 Premier’s Reading Challenge.

For your child to successfully complete the reading challenge the attached consent form must be completed by a parent or guardian and returned with the students reading log by the 26th of August.

For suggested books or for more information about the Premiers Reading Challenge, please visit:https://readingchallenge.education.qld.gov.au/resources/book-lists

 Mrs Hayley Ybema 

RSS Prep Teacher

Fruit Break

Tuckshop

P&C Information

Employment

Richmond State School currently has two permanent cleaning positions vacant. Below is the link to apply if you are interested.
https://smartjobs.qld.gov.au/jobs/QLD-NQR579566-24P

Cleaner - Richmond State School | Northwest Qld |Richmond State School are seeking 2 people to join their Cleaning Team. As Cleaners work split shifts morning and afternoon. We have two permanent part-time positions available: 1x 10 hours/week; and 1x 17.75 hours/week. The successful applicants will work directly with our experienced cleaner to provide a clean and inviting environment for students, staff and visitors to the school. This position is a split shift with a morning and afternoon roster ensuring the sufficient time to complete cleaning duties to a high standard across the whole school.smartjobs.qld.gov.au