RSS Newsletter 2025 Issue 9
Principal Report
Term 3 has been an incredible season of learning, growth, and community spirit at Richmond State School. From the success of our Super Camp to the way students have supported one another through challenges, I could not be prouder of the resilience, kindness, and determination shown by our young people. Alongside this, our staff have continued to strengthen teaching and learning through collaboration, moderation, and high expectations – all of which make a real difference for our students.
Welcome to New Staff
We are excited to welcome several new faces to our school team.
- Demelza, Lindsay, and Michelle join us as new staff members and bring with them a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm.
- David Fickling will begin in Week 10 as our new Facilities Grounds Officer, and we are looking forward to the positive impact he will have on our grounds and facilities.
Please take a moment to say hello and make them feel welcome as they settle into our school community.
Super Camp Success
Our Years 5–10 Super Camp was an absolute highlight of the term. From stunning outdoor adventures to the team-building activities, it was a week filled with growth, laughter, and unforgettable memories. I was so proud of the way our students looked after one another, especially when sickness passed through camp. Their support for each other ensured that every student was able to experience success.
A special thank you to Miss Baartz, Chappy, and Mr Jeffery for their tireless supervision and encouragement of our students throughout the camp. Their dedication made the experience possible and ensured the wellbeing of all involved.
Strategic Focus: Moderation Work
Another key focus for Term 3 has been our ongoing assessment moderation work. Moderation means teachers across schools compare student work samples against achievement standards to ensure consistency and fairness in assessment. At Richmond, we have been moderating with our partner schools in Hughenden, Julia Creek, and Cloncurry.
This process strengthens teacher professional judgement, builds shared understanding of standards, and most importantly, ensures that our students are given fair and consistent opportunities to demonstrate their learning. It also means parents can have confidence that the grades their child receives truly reflect the expected standards.
Looking Ahead to Term 4
It’s hard to believe, but Term 4 is just around the corner – and it will be a big one! Some of the key highlights ahead include:
- Careers Week for high school students in Week 1, giving our young people a chance to explore future pathways and opportunities
- A Community Careers Fair on Saturday 11th October, connecting families, students, and the wider community with training and employment providers
- Healthy Harold visiting to engage students in fun and important health and wellbeing lessons
- Our Prep Transition Session, helping our newest learners get ready for school life
- Staff undertaking Reading Assessment Training, building our collective expertise to strengthen literacy outcomes across the school
- The 2026 School Leader process, beginning the journey for our future student leaders
- Awards Night, where we celebrate the many achievements of our students
- Graduation events for both Year 6 and Year 10 – important milestones in their school journeys
- Our always exciting Swimming Carnival
- And of course, the completion of the final units of teaching and learning for the year
It will be a busy, vibrant term, and I look forward to working alongside our staff, students, and families as we finish the year on a high.
Thank you for your continued support and for being such an integral part of our school community.
Warm regards,
Rebecca Flick
Principal
From the Deputy Principal Desk
As we approach the end of Term 3, it’s been wonderful to walk around the school and see students still giving their best effort — whether it’s finishing off assessments, showing leadership, or supporting one another in the playground.
It’s also been a term of resilience, with many students and staff pushing through illness or supporting others with flexibility and care. Thank you all for helping to maintain such a positive and encouraging environment.
🌴 Year 5–10 Konomie Island Camp
Our Year 5–10 students have returned from an unforgettable week at Konomie Island, packed with adventure, learning and teamwork.
Students experienced an incredible variety of activities including snorkelling, fishing, outrigging, canoeing, coral and plankton lessons, a treasure hunt, a nature walk at Mazie Bay, and a visit to the local museum. One of the highlights was gathering around the campfire, with Chappy Charlie leading songs under the stars.
The group stayed at the Konomie Island Environmental Education Centre, travelling over 1,000 kilometres one way to reach the island. The Konomie staff commented on how outstanding our students were — even saying they wished they had students like ours every week! This was a real credit to the way our students conducted themselves with respect, kindness, and responsibility.
A standout feature of the camp was the way students came together to support each other. Even when some became unwell, their friends showed genuine care and encouragement, while our Year 9 and 10 boys stepped up as leaders — helping staff and even cleaning up when others were sick. Special mention also goes to Miss Baartz and Miss Flick, who stayed up late into the night supporting unwell students with patience and compassion.
From spotting turtles, stingrays, and even whales, to snorkelling in crystal-clear waters and enjoying campfires under the stars, this camp created memories that our students will carry with them for years to come.
A heartfelt thank you to Miss Flick, Miss Baartz, and Chappy Charlie for supporting the students throughout the week, and to Megan Thorncroft for her organisation in making this wonderful camp possible.
🔍 Looking Ahead: Real-World Learning Opportunities
We’ve got three big opportunities coming up for our students and community — Work Experience, Careers Week, and the Richmond Regional Jobs & Community Expo. These events are designed to give our students more exposure to pathways, providers, and real-world experiences, which can be difficult to access in our region.
Work Experience (15–19 September, Week 10 Term 3):
Our Year 9 & 10 students will be completing placements with local businesses, Council, and other organisations. It’s a fantastic way for students to build confidence, explore interests, and learn what work looks like outside the classroom.
Careers Week (7–10 October, Week 1 Term 4):
Held at Richmond State School, Careers Week will serve as a lead-in to the Jobs Expo. External providers will run sessions and workshops for our high school students, with several visiting schools also attending. We’re working hard behind the scenes to make this week a valuable and inspiring experience for all involved.
Richmond Regional Jobs & Community Expo (Saturday 11 October, Richmond Turf Club):
A large-scale community event, led by local police and partners. This day is open to all ages, and will include career stalls, demonstrations, and family-friendly activities. It’s a great chance for families to connect with future opportunities and industries.
Regards,
Scott Jeffery
Deputy Principal
Awards
Student awards are given to students who have followed the 4 school rules and gone above expectations to develop their learning skills.
Congratulations to all of our Award Winners in Weeks 7, 8 and 9.
Important Notices
Sufficient Lunches
Please ensure your child/ren have enough food to cover both breaks. There is an increasing number of students requesting extra food for second break. The school maintains a supply of emergency food items that may not frequently align with individual preferences.
Labelling Student Clothing
We encourage families to write student names on their uniforms and winter wear, as we have a number of clothing items being put in the Lost Property.
Our Lost Property box is overflowing with clothing, hats and lunch containers. If your child/ren are missing items, please come in and check the lost property as we will be taking the items to Red Cross at the end of Term 2.
Hats
Due to the increase in headlice cases at the school, we will not be offering spare hats to students that have forgotten to bring their own hat. All students have been provided with at least one free hat from the P&C, and families that have been here since the introduction of our new uniform would have also received a hat during the transition which the P&C also provided.
Uniforms
The school's Uniform Policy has been developed and endorsed in consultation with the P&C. Whilst we are reviewing the policy for 2026, it is expected that all students adhere to this policy. If you would like to be part of the 2026 Uniform Policy consultation, please keep an eye out for the P&C Meeting & Agenda notices so you can contribute to this process.
Illness
We are seeing an increasing number of students absent due to illness. It is extremely important to maintain correct hand washing and hygiene procedures Included in this newsletter is the timeout poster which includes information about exclusion times to help stop the spread of illness. If you child/ren are not well enough to be engaging in student learning activities due to feeling unwell or presenting with symptoms such as fever, persistent cough or a continuous running nose, please keep them home.
Save The Date
Graduations
- Year 10 Graduation Thursday 20th November
- Year 6 Graduation Thursday 4th December
- Awards Night Thursday the 27th November
- Melbourne Cup half day holiday 4th November
- Swimming Carnival 28th November.
Konomie Island Super Camp
We were all very excited to be on our way on Monday 2:30 pm was our scheduled departure time, we were on time for the departure.
Our first stop was Charters Towers for our dinner. A big thank you to SU Chaplaincy for providing a delicious BBQ dinner for everyone! Steak burgers and mini pancakes were very delicious.
Back on the bus…next stop Clermont. For a driver change and onward to Yeppoon we went.
We arrived safely in Yeppoon, an hour ahead of schedule. We are waking up and getting ready for breakfast. After we had breakfast, we waited patiently at the marina for departure to the island.
Our first day on Konomie Island was a big success! Students and staff settled in well, enjoyed some fun teamwork games, and cooled off with a swim in the afternoon. Everyone is now tired after a busy day and are all in bed ready for tomorrow’s adventures.
Our second day was a great day! The morning has been filled with fishing and snorkelling and there’s still more snorkelling to come this afternoon.
We had a fantastic time out on the water, spotting turtles, stingrays, fish, and coral. On the way back, we were incredibly lucky to see a mother and baby whale – a very special moment for everyone. We even had a birthday celebration, making the day extra special.
Our last full day on Konomie Island was packed with adventure! Outrigging, Fishing, Swimming and a Treasure Hunt, ending the day with a fire with Damper. What a wonderful way to spend our final full day.
Our last day on the island! This morning, we enjoyed a nature walk and learnt about the history of Konomie Island, finishing with a visit to the museum. A great way to round out an amazing camp before we make our way home.
Island Life
Sport
Athletics
on the 23rd and 24th August, we had a group of students travel away and represent either Mid-West School Sport or Richmond Athletics Club at the Longreach Outback Sunset Carnival. Students showcased their talents across both the track and field coming away with many podium finishes and PB’s for the weekend. A massive congratulations to all of our students for their efforts in their events.
Library
Richmond State School library will be the venue for our final book fair for 2025. This fair will be a
Buy One Get One Free Bookfair.
If you have never attended one before here is how they work - buy a book worth $10, get up to $10 to spend on books. There will be no posters or novelty items.
The fair will run for the first week of Term 4. Everyone is welcome to come along, if you cannot make it before or after school, please contact Julie to arrange a time.
P&C Update
Notice of P&C Meeting
The RSS P&C invites all members of our school community to attend our upcoming P&C Meeting.
During this meeting, we will be calling for nominations for the position of P&C President and conducting a vote to elect the new President.
📅 Date: 15th September 2025
🕒 Time: 5:10pm
📍 Location: RSS Library
Your participation is important to ensure our school community continues to be represented with strong leadership. We encourage all parents, carers, and interested community members to attend and take part in this process.
We look forward to seeing you there.
ZOOM Link will be advertised soon.
2025 School Calendar
Tuckshop
