Newsletter Term 4 Week 5
From the Principal
What an amazing year we have had at Runcorn State School. It has been wonderful to celebrate our learning with you all through our three-way conversations, Facebook and our newsletters. Our staff understand their students and community, and successfully enact the curriculum. Teachers at Runcorn are amazing and work extremely hard for your children and our community. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful staff for their continual commitment to our Runcorn Community.
Adopt-a-Cop
We had a surprise visit from our adopt-a-cop Constable Moh and his partner Constable Casey at first break on Thursday last week. Students had lots of questions for our visitors and there were many high fives given out. The adopt-a-cop program is a fabulous way to build positive relationships between police, students, staff and members of our school community. Keep your eyes out for Constable Moh at upcoming events.
Congratulations
Our school would like to give a huge congratulations to Matthew from PB who achieved third place in the 2022 Brisbane individual Chess age championships for the 2017 age group. Amazing effort Matthew!
Tree Trimming and Removal
We are so fortunate to have a diverse range of vegetation on our school site. We especially love our trees. They provide much needed shade and are a proud part of our school’s history. We want to do everything we can to look after them. During March this year we commissioned an arborist to undertake an audit of our school trees. This is to ensure that we meet our “Duty of Care” for anyone using our site and to provide us with information on how to reduce risk and create a safer environment for our students, staff and visitors. The audit also means that our trees are being assessed by someone with skills and knowledge.
The audit provided us with information on each tree. Many of our trees are healthy and need no additional treatment at this time. Some required a plan to preserve them or remove them. To preserve our trees the removal of unhealthy leaves, dead branches and pruning takes place as this encourages new growth which improves the overall health of the tree. The removal of a tree may need to happen if the tree is dead or too diseased or damaged to heal. The wood in a dead, damaged or diseased tree is not replenished with nutrients or moisture from the roots, so the wood can become brittle and susceptible to breakage which can cause injuries due to falling branches or limbs. The plan we were provided with by the arborists categorised our trees from high risk to low risk.
Our school is listed as site of historical significance and has a vegetation protection order under the Natural Assets Local Law 2003 (NALL) with Brisbane City Council (BCC). Permission is needed from Brisbane City Council under both of these orders before any action can be undertaken regarding tree preservation or removal. In April we started the process of enacting the arborists recommendations. Agreeance to proceed was sought through the P & C and School Council. We submitted our application to carry out works on protected vegetation in June and followed this with an application for a heritage exemption certificate in July. Our regional infrastructure manager gave approval to proceed in early August. After receiving permission to proceed, via a heritage exemption certificate, we were able to finalise our application to carry out works on protected vegetation through the environmental management team of BCC who oversee the NALL law. Permission to proceed was granted in October.
At this stage we are only enacting the recommendation on the high to medium/high risk trees for which permission was sought. Work began in our playground area during the last week so that we can finally install our new shade cloths. Work will continue over the next couple of months.
Are you leaving Runcorn State School at the end of 2022?
Please let us know if you are leaving our school as we are in the process of making classes for 2023 and organising staffing. You can let us know by replying to the email sent out this week or by phoning the office on 07 3323 8777.
Meg McClure
From the Deputy Principal
2023 School Stationery Lists
2023 School Stationery Lists have been sent home. Please consider ordering now.
Four Essential Life Skills to Help your Child Succeed at School and in Life
Young people today are faced with a complicated world and unique challenges that could not have been imagined even decades ago. But there are four essential skills you can help your child develop to help them succeed at school and in life. I will share two in this newsletter and the final two in our next newsletter.
Grit - Research has found that a key characteristic of success is not IQ or talent or how you look. It’s grit. Grit is having passion and perseverance to achieve goals no matter how long it takes. Grit is when you stick at something even when it’s hard. People who succeed are those who stick at things no matter how boring or frustrating they are. For children who struggle at school, the knowledge that it’s not their IQ that will determine their success – but their own grit – can be a powerful motivator. Support your child to nurture their spark as this can give them a goal to strive for and help them develop their grit as they pursue something they truly enjoy. Remind your child that success takes time so remember to celebrate the wins along the way.
Self-control - Self-control is the ability to make yourself do things you know you should do, even when you don’t want to. Self-control has been shown to be a greater indicator of academic success than a student’s IQ and students who practice self-control do better at school and are happier. School and homework are good opportunities for your child to learn self-discipline. Praise them for showing great self-control when they do something they don’t want to do. For example, if your child stays home and does their homework, recognise their effort. You could say, ‘I know you wanted to be out having fun today but you showed great self-control by studying and I hope your hard work pays off.’
Roberta Matlock
From the Head of Department - Curriculum
The Language of Inquiry
As we grow and strength our Inquiry Stance here at Runcorn it is important to acknowledge the importance of language and the power of our words. As we cultivate curiosity and wonder we use language that frames our learning as a question to be answered. This language is used across the school by students and staff alike. It also helps connect previous learning with new discoveries to create a deeper, more authentic understanding of concepts.
Music Matters
Save the Date - Term 4:
- Tuesday November 22nd- Academic and Music Awards Parade, 9:15am start
- Wednesday November 23rd- End of Year Concert- Sunnybank SHS
End of Year Concert
On November 23rd we are holding our End of Year Concert at Sunnybank State High School. This is a whole school evening concert where each year level will perform 2 songs for the school community. The focus of Classroom Music this Term is to prepare repertoire for this concert so it is encouraged that all students attend.
To help us with numbers please book your tickets through Schoolzine following this link. Please note there is a 6-ticket limit per family.
https://runcornss.schoolzineplus.com/event/235
The P&C will be raffling off hampers on the evening and there will be food and drink available for purchase from 5pm. It will be a fabulous evening and a fun way to close off our year!
Music and Academic Awards Ceremony
On Tuesday 22nd November we are holding a combined Music and Academic Awards ceremony starting at 9:30am. The Year 6 Instrumental Music and Choir medals will be handed out at this event and there will be performances from our Senior Ensembles and Choir. Parents are welcome to attend.
Year 3 and 4 Strings Afternoon Concert
On Tuesday 22nd November at 3:20pm our Year 3 and 4 Strings students will be performing an afternoon concert for their Parents and Carers. This will be held in the Music Room. We look forward to seeing everyone there.
Instrument Returns
All Band and Strings students are to return their loaned school instruments to Mr Schilling and Mr Biedermann after their Week 8 lessons.
2023 Instrumental Music Recruitment
Selections for Instrumental Music (Band and Strings) students for 2023 are currently being allocated. Students who have been successful in learning to play an instrument next year will be advised later in the term.
Ms Mariel Hopper - mxhop2@eq.edu.au
From the Administration Office
Incursion/Excursion/Camp Payments
Runcorn State School is now a cashless school. Thank you for continuing to pay for your children's incursions/excursions/camp payments via our preferred methods:- BPoint and EFTPOS. If you require any assistance paying via BPoint, please contact the school office. Unfortunately we are unable to accept payments over the phone.
Newsletters
Don't forget that you can always collect a hard copy of the current newsletter from the office. You can also view/download it from our website: https://runcornss.schoolzineplus.com/enews?nid=23 You can also download the Schoolzine App from your App Store. Once downloaded, search for Runcorn State School and use password is 4109, when prompted. Happy reading.
Environment Club
The Environment Club has started collecting paper and cardboard from classrooms this term. Year 4 and 5 students will collect and empty the paper waste on Thursdays into a special yellow bin for waste pick up on Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IP0Ch1Va44&t=20s
Above is a video about paper recycling. It could be a discussion starter to help your children understand why the new bin is in the classrooms. There are plenty of other types of videos available that are worth a look. Just head to Youtube.
The collection of plastic bottles, poppers etc for the Containers for Change program is going well. Year 5 students are making sure that the clear containers are in both eating areas. We have raised $100 worth of much needed funds for the school. Any community member keen to contribute to this project can deposit their glass, plastic and cans in the TOMRA Reverse Vending Machine near Macgregor State Primary School (pictured) or at the Return-It Centre at 137 Ingram Road, Acacia Ridge (using the Scheme ID number below).
Sports equipment has been ordered using the Wonder Bread Bags points Runcorn State School collected. Looking forward to the delivery of these items soon.
Lastly, the Heritage Garden is growing fabulously with lettuces and tomatoes being picked for the Tuckshop. Very much aware that the plants are a little squished under the nets but we have successfully prevented the possums feasting on our vegetables. Ideas are being floated around about how we can grow some of the taller plants. Please email suggestions to the P & C Association (rsspcsecretary@outlook.com) or Mrs McNamara (jmcna155@eq.edu.au) or Ms Daglish (mdagl3@eq.edu.au). Again, thank you for all your support with these ventures.
Please remind students that Environment Club is open to all year levels and will be held:
Tuesday lunchtime 11:30am – Ms Daglish
Thank you so much to the Runcorn community for the support with collecting of bread/wrap bags. Families can continue to recycle plastics at any REDCYCLE outside most supermarkets. Also a big thank you for encouraging students to use the Containers for Change tubs. Now we are hoping to make a difference to paper waste throughout the school.
Miss Jodie’s Fishy Problem
They're used for just a few moments, then tossed. They are difficult to recycle, so they end up clogging landfills and, in the ocean, – sadly ironic given their shape. These tiny fish are a symbol of our wasteful, single-use economy.
Be a researcher and design a way to provide soy sauce with sushi without it being fishy.
The big problem with the little soy sauce fish
The iconic soy sauce fish packets used with sushi are loved around the world for their cuteness and convenience, but they are an environmental disaster that needs to be stopped.
Miss Jodie would like a better way of delivering soy sauce for Sushi Tuckshop Day without ruining the planet. Can you help? Miss Jodie is happy to even add an incentive of 2 x free sushi rolls to the clever-cookie that proposes the best solution.
Runcorn Reading Club
Runcorn Reading Club
When: Wednesday morning before school 8:15am
Where: outside 2IH classroom, D Block
The Runcorn State School little library book exchange trolley is out and available for all students to enjoy during reading club. It is loaded with beautiful books donated by Runcorn families.
How it works:
Take a book - If children see a book they’d like to read they can take it with them to read at home or in class. Once they have finished with it they can return it to the trolley.
Give a book - if children would like to keep the book. They can bring one from home to leave on the trolley in it’s place. Happy Reading!
Mrs Irons
Norman's News
This past fortnight I was “prawvilidged” to be a “pawt” of the learning that was happening in 3C! The students brainstormed with me things that were “impawtant” using their 5 senses and the students went on to create some incredible poems. I obligingly sat for as long as I could while they thought about what they could see and smell, but was pleased I could also demonstrate some sounds I make, how I feel, and the things I like to taste.
I hope you enjoy a few of my favourite poems as much as I loved being a part of their creation!
The Poem About Norman (by Joanne)
I can see:
Black, fluffy, furry little Norman,
Silently sitting on a soft seat.
Happily hanging his tongue out,
And cleverly helping students about.
I can hear:
Norman moaning and barking,
For the ball.
As his leash rattled,
And he jaw-snapped the ball.
I can feel:
Soft pads on his huge paws,
While he shakes my hand on stage.
His curly fur and rough tongue,
As he plays at school today.
I can smell:
Norman’s soapy shampoo,
As he takes a bath.
His stinky sardines in the kitchen,
Ready for his tea in the noon.
I can taste:
Norman’s crunchy carrots in his mouth,
As he crunched them all about!
His sizzling sausages on the stove,
As Mrs Schooth dressed him in clothes!
All About Norman (by Isabella)
I can see:
Black, fuzzy, furry Norman sitting silently,
Happily hanging his tongue out with a beautiful black spot – waggle waggle.
Shaking hands on parade for all the lucky people,
Helping students read and learn all day long.
I can hear:
A leash rattling – rattle, rattle.
Loud barking – woof, woof.
A loud snap of a jaw,
Moaning for yummy food.
I can smell:
Smelly soapy shampoo rolling down his back,
Beautiful roses sprayed on hair.
Stinky sardines in soft fur,
BBQ chicken breath – yummy in my tummy.
I can taste:
Juicy, crunchy carrot – crunch, crunch.
Fantastic frankfurts in my mouth.
Chumy chewy cheese chomping in my mouth.
Sizzling sausages – sizzle, sizzle.
I can feel:
Big, black nose that is super duper wet,
Soft, black fur falling from the shaver.
P&C News
NATURE PLAY CELEBRATION PICNIC – November 18, 3pm
We invite all families to come and enjoy a picnic on the oval on November 18 from 3pm – 5pm. This is to celebrate the opening of our new nature play area. Bring your picnic rug and afternoon tea. More information to come!
FINAL P&C MEETING - 21 November 2022
Our final P&C meeting for the year will be held in Girrawheen Place on 21st November at the special time of 3.15pm.
At this meeting the Student Resource Scheme (SRS) for 2023 will be discussed. All Parents and Carers are welcome to attend.
END OF YEAR CONCERT RAFFLES
Each year at our end of year concert, the P&C have a “mega” raffle where you can purchase tickets to win a wonderful hamper full of goodies. These hampers are put together by the P&C but are reliant on the kind donations of our school community to make them spectacular!
There is one raffle basket for each class and all classes have chosen their own theme. It is hoped that students will contribute an item (or more if you wish!) which compliments the class theme and will add to the excitement of the raffle. All donations need to be added to your classroom basket by the 18th of November. We will be seeking volunteers to help wrap these baskets at the start of Week 8 (21/11) so please keep an eye out for this call out because ‘many hands make light work’.
We would also like to thank Pinot and Picasso at Browns Plains for their kind donation of a voucher, valued at $118, to be raffled at our End of Year Concert.
TUCKSHOP
Operating Hours
- Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (8:15am - 1:45pm)
- Monday and Tuesday (over the counter sales only, 11:15 – 11:45)
We would love to welcome some more volunteers at the Tuckshop. Please contact, Jodie or Angela at tuckshop@runcornss.eq.edu.au if you are available.
Jobs include putting order stickers on bags, food preparation, baking, packing orders. No experience is necessary. Everyone welcome.
Sushi is back! This is only available on Thursdays and numbers are limited. We recommend ordering early so you don’t miss out. Orders must be placed via Flexischools.
Did you know you can order for your child's Term 4 birthday? Don’t forget Cupcakes and Ice Block Buckets are available to order via Flexischools. Get in early and secure your spot so you don’t miss out. (Cupcakes only available Wednesday-Friday).
Friday 4/11/22 is Tuckshop Day, and we recognise the hard work, dedication, and contributions our Tuckshop staff and volunteers make to our school community. We thank you for your commitment in providing a tasty, healthy, and convenient service for students and staff.
UNIFORM AND STATIONERY SHOP
Operating Hours
Monday 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Tuesday 8:15 am – 8:45 am
We wish to advise the Runcorn School Community that the price of uniforms will be increasing as of the 19th November 2022. Due to production cost increases, our supplier has now increased their costs. We have a very small profit margin on uniform items and can no longer absorb these cost increases. The Parents and Citizens Association is very mindful of the cost-of-living pressures our families are facing and ensure the community that the increases have been kept as affordable as possible.
The new price list will be made available prior to the increase and any stock sold before the 19th will be charged at the current price (This applies to in stock items ONLY).
To beat the price increase, get ready for 2023. It is now a great time to update your uniforms for next year. You can visit during opening hours, or alternatively, you can email orders to rssuniform@outlook.com. These orders will be fulfilled and delivered to your child’s classroom as soon as possible. Order forms are available from the website Uniform shop (eq.edu.au)
A small amount of new and used stationary items are also available for purchase. Prices are extremely competitive and it’s a great opportunity to refill empty pencil cases for the remainder of the year or grab a bargain for next year.
As the year is drawing to an end, if you have any uniforms or stationary items in good condition that you would like to donate, please send them in with you child. Please let us know at rssuniform@outlook.com so we can arrange collection from your child’s classroom, or they can be dropped to the Uniform Shop during opening hours.
2023 PREP UNIFORM ORDERS
Special opening times
The Uniform Shop will be open the following times for 2023 Prep students only:
Pre-Prep Session 3 - 04/11/22 – 8:30 am – 9:00 am
Prep Orientation – 18/11/22 – 8:15 am – 9:00 am
Prep uniforms can also be purchased at our regular opening times of Monday, 2:00pm – 2:30pm and Tuesday, 8:15am – 8:45am or via email to rssuniform@outlook.com.
Year Level Facebook Groups. Press on the link to join now.
Prep - RSS - Prep 2022 | Facebook
Year 1 – RSS - Grade 1 2022 | Facebook
Year 2 - RSS - Grade 2 2022 | Facebook
Year 3 – RSS - Grade 3 2022 | Facebook
Year 4 - RSS - Grade 4 2022 | Facebook
Year 5 – RSS - Grade 5 2022 | Facebook
Year 6 – RSS - Grade 6 2022 | Facebook
Prep 2023 - RSS - Prep 2023 | Facebook
TO KEEP UP TO DATE – FIND US ON FACEBOOK at Runcorn State School P&C Association | Facebook
Community News
