RSS Newsletter Issue 8 2024
Principal
2025 Planning
As experienced parents will be aware, schools receive their annual staffing allocations after the Day 8 procedure is finalised. For new parents, this means that the planning Richmond State School staff will undertake between now and the beginning of Term One about classes and teachers and different roles we have in schools must be considered with the possibility of change.
While we maintained enrolments this year to sustain a HOD-C and a Deputy Principal, the current anticipated enrolments we are working with means we will need to reconsider our structures. With current numbers, we’re anticipating a class structure that looks like:
- A Prep class
- A Year 1 class
- A Year 2 class
- Two Year 3/4 classes
- A 5/6 Class
- 7/8 and 9/10 splits for core subjects remain.
If you know that your student is moving to another school for the start of 2025, you can assist our planning processes and let us know your student’s plans. This way information about your student’s learning can be passed easily onto their new schools at the end of Term Four. Please email any anticipated changes in enrolments to admin@richmondss.eq.edu.au.
If you know of any students who are looking to enrol in our school for 2025, please see information in this newsletter on how to enrol for 2025 – including new Prep enrolments!
Deputy Principal
Science Week
The school theme for National Science Week in 2024 is Species Survival - More than just sustainability. The theme aims to highlight the importance of science and innovation in ensuring the survival and thriving of different species in an ever-changing world. Students at Richmond State School have been treated to a fantastic array of lunch time activities designed and prepared by Mr Theodore and Mrs Pattel with the help of many other staff. Highlights of the week have been the animal scat scavenger hunt with incredibly realistic animal poo simulated by coloured playdough infused with materials that closely mimicked the foods digested by a variety of animals. Another hit with students was the investigation of what animals eat by exploring the contents of the animal's stomach - undertaking the dissection of a dingo, crocodile and kookaburra. Students predicted they would find remnants of pigs, sheep, cows and birds, and these predictions were substantiated after the students plucked the said animals with tweezers from the animals' stomachs. Whilst the students predicted they might find a human body in the crocodile, this was not the case. Bugs, snakes and lizards were found in the stomach of the kookaburra. The students had a great time engaging in these scientific explorations and it is hoped this enthusiasm will continue into their classroom learning.
Red Cross Pillowcase Project
On Wednesday of Week 6 the Year 3/4 students joined in the nation-wide Pillowcase Workshop delivered by the Australian Red Cross. It was a wonderful opportunity to discuss how we can prepare to ensure we keep safe during emergencies, which is connected to our Health subject. After an engaging presentation, students were able to decorate a pillowcase that they were then able to take home and contained within it was a pamphlet on the pillowcase project and the Get ready! Booklet and Emergencies Happen: Protect What Matters Most which goes with the Your emergency RediPlan booklet. The Red Cross are commended for delivering this project and thanked by our school for making the presentation interactive and fun for our students.
Year 9/10 Work Experience
In the last week of Term 3, from Monday the 9th until Thursday the 12th of September, Year 9 and 10 students will be undertaking their work experience placements in a variety of settings in the Richmond area. Students are eagerly preparing for this opportunity in their Career Education class where they are also investigating their future education pathways that connect with areas of interest for future careers. In addition, students will complete preparatory work for the Senior Education Transition (SET) planning process. Year 10 students and parents will be meeting with me in coming weeks to discuss these plans in detail.
Tennis & Cricket Workshops
Tennis Australia - Junior Development Coach Jarron Kretschmann visited our school to run a tennis coaching workshop in Week 5. This was a great opportunity for students to try a new sport or to improve their skills in the game of tennis. Jarron has travelled from Western Australia where he runs the Sun City Tennis Academy. His work as a rural and remote tennis coach is extensive, servicing distant corners of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland. Feedback on his experience with our students has been very complimentary, noting the great work many students have already been doing with the local tennis organisation. Having the whole school participate has been a real treat, with all students thoroughly enjoying Jarron’s charismatic coaching and fun filled lessons.
In Week 6 we had Lachlan Ford from Queensland Cricket visit our school to run Cricket coaching workshops with our students in Prep to Year 6. Students worked on their catching, throwing and batting skills, as well as doing activities involving speed, accuracy and teamwork. The students thoroughly enjoyed their session and want to play more cricket! Coach Lachy was thoroughly impressed by the talent and the behaviour of our students.
Head of Department - Curriculum
Every Day Counts!
Every Child Matters, Every Day
Every Day Counts — is your child at school today?
Being at school every day counts. If your child is absent one day per week, this quickly adds up to two months of missed school in a year.
Every day counts is an initiative aiming to improve attendance at school. The initiative promotes four key messages:
- 1. All children should be enrolled at school and attend on every school day.
- 2. Schools should monitor, communicate and implement strategies to improve regular school attendance.
- 3. Truanting can place a student in unsafe situations and impact on their future employability and life choices.
- 4. Attendance at school is the responsibility of everyone in the community.
Student Achievements
Student awards week 4, 5 & 6
TFD
TFD Talk with Mrs S
This term, the 9/10 TFD students are embarking on a European culinary escapade. They have, or will have undertaken to cook and taste traditional dishes from Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Greece, Netherlands and/or Switzerland.
They will produce a European Banquet item working independently, collaboratively and safely using a standardised recipe. Their European-themed lunch or dinner item needs to be suitable to be sold to Richmond State School staff and high school students. The combined meal will be sufficient to cater for orders received by staff and high school students with appropriately sized taste portions and packaging.
Students will develop a criterion for success when designing the European lunch item and judge the suitability of the chosen dish. They will create design ideas of increasing complexity for the European lunch item and justify their decisions.
Some of the culinary delights experienced have been Lemon Ricotta Pasta, Chicken Pesto Pasta, Bacon and Mushroom Risotto and Tiramisu from Italy; Pork Ragout with Braised Caraway Cabbage, German Meatballs and Sauerkraut and Reibekuchen (German Potato Pancakes) from Germany; Crème Brulé, Chicken, mushroom and asparagus filled crepes, Bacon, egg and cheese filled crepes and very delectable strawberry, cream and chocolate sauce dessert crepes from France.
We have learned (from experience) the essential requirement of FULLY reading and understanding the recipe and equitable delegation of duties to ensure the success of the completed dish.
All in all, the students have produced delicious, nutritious food that they have shared in a family type setting and are to be commended on their diligence, enthusiasm and willingness to try new and unfamiliar foods.
I look forward to sharing more news from our budding Chefs.
Cheryle S.
Making a Crepe
Cricket Blast -Mount Isa
HOWZAT!!! Our Year 5/6s travelled to Mt Isa for the Primary Schools Blast Cup Competiton - they spent the day playing cricket against other schools from all over the Northwest. Big shout out to Mr Evans for all his organisation, and Mrs Pattel for providing this opportunity for our students. We'd also like to thank Richmond Shire Council for the bus hire and Sunset State School in Mt Isa for hosting us for the night.
Science week
Science Week at Richmond State School kicked off. Monday the Prep to Year 2 students who were asked to consider the question - what does this animal eat? Students were able to explore the contents of the animal's stomach - undertaking the dissection of a dingo, crocodile and kookaburra. The students predicted they would find remnants of pigs, sheep, cows and birds, and these predictions were substantiated after the students plucked the said animals with tweezers from the animals' stomachs. Whilst the students predicted they might find a human body in the crocodile; this was not the case. Bugs, snakes and lizards were found in the stomach of the kookaburra. The students had a great time exploring the contents of the animals. The theme of 2024 National Science Week is 'Species Survival – More Than Just Sustainability'.
Disclaimer - No real animals were harmed in the interest of student learning
We had more Science Week fun on Wednesday, as Poo-fessors Nugget & Borrie led the Year 3-6 students on a scavenger hunt...or should we say a 'SCATvenger hunt'! Students had to hunt around the school for 7 different types of animal scat, then analyse the samples and read a cryptic clue to figure out the answers to 'What's in my poo?' and 'Who am I?'.
Disclaimer - These 'scat samples' were created in the interest of student learning and did not come from real animals.
More than just Sustainability
Cricket
Another cracker day at Richmond SS! Monday week 6, we had Lachlan Ford from QLD Cricket at our school to do workshops with our students in Prep - Year 6. Students worked on their catching, throwing and batting skills, as well as doing activities involving speed, accuracy and teamwork. The students thoroughly enjoyed their session and want to play more cricket!
Cricket QLD Workshop
Beach 2 Bush
Today we were fortunate to have Sally, Lachlan & Lauren from Surf Lifesaving QLD at our school to deliver the Beach 2 Bush water safety program. The Beach to Bush program offers students in regional areas an introduction to surf lifesaving and the vital water safety skills required to stay safe in an aquatic environment. The presentation is designed to increase awareness of the risks associated with the surf and show children how to minimise these risks. Students were engaged and involved with the presentation and learnt about the different coloured flags at the beach, how to signal for help, the difference between a lifeguard and surf rescue and the equipment they use. The most important message of all - swim between the red and yellow flags!
Bush 2 Beach
Tennis
Monday Week 5 Tennis Australia - Junior Development Coach Jarron Kretschmann visited our school to run a tennis coaching workshop. This was a great opportunity for students to try a new sport or to improve their skills in the game of tennis. Jarron has travelled from Western Australia where he runs the Sun City Tennis Academy. His work as a rural and remote tennis coach is extensive, servicing distant corners of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland. Feedback on his experience with our students has been very complimentary, noting the great work many students have already being doing with the local tennis organisation. Having the whole school participate has been a real treat, with all students thoroughly enjoying Jarron’s charismatic coaching and fun-filled lessons.
Tennis
Time Out for Illness
Parents and Citizens- Fathers Day
Father's Day is fast approaching...
Do you want an Un-REEL Father's Day present... well there is no De-BAIT this will make his day. Join P and C for a craft session and create your own Fishing lure!
Click the link below to hook yourself a lure!
https://richmondstateschoolpc.rezdy.com/660015/richmond-state-school-p-c-father-s-day-fundraiser?_gl=1*13mski9*_gcl_au*OTQ1NTU0NjEyLjE3MjM0MzE5Mjc.*_ga*MTI1OTI1MzkzMy4xNjgzMjQ2NDMy*_ga_J7SXS0R0D6*MTcyMzQzMTkwNi4xMjQuMS4xNzIzNDMyMjE2LjU5LjAuMA
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, Daily activities, Costume Parade - Friday, come dressed as your favourite book Character, we encourage homemade costumes and would love it if you can bring the book 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 recieved 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.
Attached Consent Form
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 Tacher.
Bell Times
