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Newsletter Term 2 Week 3

From the Principal

Students are in class settled and busy working. Over the last couple of weeks, I have visited several classes and watched the learning taking place. I am also grateful to have many students come to the office and share with me, the great work they are doing.

Anzac Day Parade and Service

What a fabulous morning at the Sunnybank RSL ANZAC Day march and service. Thanks Mrs Schooth and Mrs McNamara for coordinating and supporting the students who came to represent the school. It was lovely to have families bring their children to the march and stay on for the service. Thank you to our three school captains who represented our fabulous school so well, proudly laying wreaths at the service. Lest we forget.

Pick up and drop off zone

One of our biggest challenges as a school is the safety and efficiency of the Drop-Off and Pick-Up procedures for our students. We thank our families for their understanding and adoption of practices currently in place around the school – in particular, before and after school. Below are listed some reminders for our families at these busy times of the school day.

The school’s Drop-off and Pick-up Zone is only a 2-minute parking spot. Please be aware that the purpose of this zone is purely to: “Stop – Drop – Go”. Make sure your child has their bag ready so that they can get out of the car quickly. Stopping to get bags out of the boot, put jackets on and etc., slows the traffic down and adds to congestion.
During supervised times 3.00pm - 3.30pm, a staff member will direct children exiting the school to the cars.
It is important not to ‘cut in’ to a space you think is available but wait in the line for cars to move forward. We are aiming to make this a safe area for all families moving in and out of the school.
Please remember that the Drop and Go Zone is a two-minute zone. Any longer than this and you are likely to be asked by a staff member to move on and re-enter the Pick-up queue.
During supervised times, parents are asked to move off from the Drop-Off Zone straight away.
Please do not wait across driveways whilst in line or double park
Please remember, NO three point turns from the pick-up line. This is extremely dangerous and causes a halt to the collection process.

We are very conscious of the safety of the students and ask that families keep reminding their children that they need to be alert and be thinking of others at these times of the day.

Mother's Day

Sunday 14 May is Mother’s Day. We wish all our amazing mum’s, grandmas, aunties a fabulous and happy Mother’s Day. I know we all wish for happy kids on this day so I hope your wish comes true.

Respect our Neighbours

We are very fortunate to have neighbours that support our school. During holiday periods they report trespass for us and keep an eye out over our school. We need to be considerate of them too. They need to be able to move freely from their property at any time of the day. Please do not park or stop across driveways. This prevents residents from being able to come and go from their property. A neighbour has sent us a photo of a situation that is regularly occurring for them.

School Review

(Tuesday 16, Wednesday 17, Thursday 18 May)

Our School Review is scheduled for Term 2 Week 5 with an Executive Summary (3 pages), Whole School Report (18 pages) and Info gram Placemat expected to be released in the following 2-3 weeks after completion. We are eager to see the commendations and recommendations that come from this review.

Reviews give schools focused, independent feedback about how they are performing and where they can improve. Principals use the findings to work with their school community and assistant regional director or principal supervisor to develop clear actions to move the school forward. The review process is not used to compare schools, or to assess the performance of principals, teachers or other staff. This feedback informs region’s allocation of the differentiated support for each school. This support is tailored to a school’s context and needs.

I encourage you to be involved as this will influence the future journey of the school. Please contact the school office by email, admin@runcornss.eq.edu.au – use SUBJECT “School Review” so we can include you in our future planning . Parent feedback is an important part of every school review, so I encourage you to consider having your say.

We need your input!

We are seeking Community Feedback, to inform our future strategic planning, articulating what we value at Runcorn State School. We would love to hear what you and your child love about our school. We will send out surveys throughout the year to get feedback from as many families as possible. In the meantime feel free to email us at admin@runcornss.eq.edu.au

Tell us:

STARS - What you love about Runcorn State School
WISH - What you think we could improve

What parent information about learning would you like to see?

Poll is closed

Meg McClure

From the Deputy Principal

Respectful, Responsible and Safe Behaviour at Runcorn

Getting Along is central to our You Can Do It program at Runcorn. As self-managers we encourage children to complete the High 5 when others do and say things we don’t like:

Talk Friendly

If the problem persists

Talk Firmly
Ignore
Walk Away
Report to a teacher on duty so that they can help you to resolve the situation.

It is never appropriate to respond physically, to respond in a nasty, vindicative or threatening manner.

Eat Up Australia makes and delivers over 12,000 lunches directly to schools for vulnerable children. Missing out on lunch has a big impact on children, with hunger causing fatigue and poor concentration. With the help of supporters and volunteers, each week Eat Up makes and delivers over 12,000 lunches. From Week 7 our school will receive free freeze able sandwiches every three weeks. These can be accessed by students through the office and they can have as many as they need.

Roberta Matlock

From the Head of Department - Inclusion

GUIDANCE OFFICER WEEK

It’s Guidance Officer Week from 24 April to 5 May. Please meet our Guidance officer Kim Godson. Kim is at our school every second Wednesday (even weeks) & every Thursday. Kim currently works across our school and Kuraby Special School. Kim’s role is essentially one of a “helping professional.” She works with students, parents and staff to advocate and support students’ academic, social & emotional wellbeing needs and is often the liaison between external supports and our school.

Kim plays a very valuable role within our school and we thank her for all of the hard work, dedication and compassion she shows to our children and school community. Contact with Kim is organised through the school based inclusion team.

Jillian

Norman's News

It’s been a wonderful “pawtnight” for me as I completed my 100km challenge, walking with Mrs Schooth before school, after school and over the weekends, raising both funds and awareness for CANTEEN. We are pleased to announce that we received an amazing $645 in donations for this great charity which supports young people affected by cancer. We really hope that this money will assist young people in our community with life-changing support and specialist counselling. Thank you to the many teachers and staff at Runcorn who got behind us. Your “suppawt” is so appreciated.

Our days at school have also been filled with fun, adventure and learning. It was very special to be a part of the beautiful ANZAC service that was held at Runcorn and to see the students so respectfully remember our service men and women. I know that some students also attended the service held the following day at Sunnybank; I didn’t attend this as Mrs Schooth wasn’t sure how I might react to the big crowds and horses that were in the parade. I am glad that the students that went to this parade had better manners than I sometimes show!

Speaking of manners, I promise I will leave the tennis balls that I find in classrooms there for the next time I visit! I promise that I will no longer hide them in my mouth when we leave the room, only to be discovered by Mrs Schooth when we get back to our room! If you think that I may have forgotten this at any time, please let Mrs Schooth know so she can help me to remember my very important job.

Until next time, Big licks and tail wags,

Norman

From the Head of Department - Curriculum

Cultivating Curiosity

A large part of our Inquiry Learning here at Runcorn is growing, encouraging and cultivating curiosity. In classrooms we do this through a range of provocations, question stems and thinking routines. This gives the students an invitation to wonder, be curious and ask questions.

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing” – Albert Einstein

Here are some simple but effective ways you may start cultivating curiosity at home:

-drive away from the city on a clear night and star gaze
- dissect or pull something apart (a flower, an old telephone, a vegetable)
-play in a creek or walk along the beach
-create a famous artist inspired artwork
-cook a recipe from a place you’ve never visited
-go on a hike with binoculars and note down what you spot
-use a magnifying glass to explore the garden
-act out a book you’re reading together
-find the extra in the ordinary

Happy wondering,

Rachel La Sala

Music Matters

Save the date:

Save the date:

Week 5 May 15-18th- Karawatha Music Program (Year 4, 5 and 6) Evening concert Thursday
18th May at 6pm Runcorn State High School

Ms Mariel Hopper (mxhop2@eq.edu.au)

Environment Club News

The Environment Club has resumed paper and cardboard recycling. This usually happens on a Thursday or Friday. So far, the collection has been going well with most classes remembering to only put paper and cardboard in these bins. Just a reminder that tissues must not be placed in the Recycling Bins.

Collection of plastic bottles, poppers etc for the Containers for Change program will also resume. Year 5/6 students will place clear containers in both junior and senior eating areas each day. We raised $250 worth of much need funds for the school in 2022 and hoping to raise more in 2023. We now have the Wave of Change wheely bins in the school (pictured), and hoping all Runcorn State School families will access the green bins as well. We have also left the Runcorn State School Scheme ID if that is easier to use.

We are also working towards re-establishing the Heritage Garden beds once the construction of the seating is completed. We would like to be able to start producing salad for the Tuckshop and would appreciate any donations of seedlings (not seeds). Lettuce and tomato seedlings are the most frequently used items in the Tuckshop.

Above is some information you may share with your family about where plastic ends up. Sadly, the recycling of soft plastics has been paused, but hope in the future this will return. In the meantime, there may be other ways to recycle or reduce the plastic we use. We just need to be THINKERS!!

Looking forward to working alongside everyone to make a difference to the thinking around the Environment and Sustainability within Runcorn State School.

The Environment Club

Mrs McNamara and Mrs Anglim

jmcna155@eq.edu.au sangl1@eq.edu.au

From the Administration Office

Student Resource Scheme (SRS)

The SRS provides students with cost-effective resources. It was unanimously agreed at the P&C Meeting on 20 November 2022 that the cost of the SRS Scheme for 2023 will be a flat fee of $40.00 per student with no family discount as per departmental guidelines. This is a reduction of $20.00 from the 2022 SRS fee. Forms and invoices will be sent to parents at the commencement of the 2023 school year.

A reminder also, that from 2021, the Participant Agreement Form that Parents/Caregivers sign are valid for the duration of your child's enrolment at Runcorn State School unless Parents/Caregivers inform the school otherwise by completing a new Participation Form.

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.

DID YOU KNOW?..... that using BPoint is a convenient and secure way to pay for your child's school invoices. BPoint is a user-friendly online payment platform that enables you to pay your school invoices quickly and easily, without having to worry about sending cash or cheques through the mail or visiting the school in person. It can also be done by phoning the school on 3323 8777, choosing Option 2 which will redirect you to the BPoint payment platform.

By using BPoint, you can make payments from the comfort of your home or office at any time, day or night. You can also track your payment history and receive email receipts for each transaction, making it easier to keep track of your expenses.

BPoint offers a secure and reliable payment system, ensuring that your personal and financial information is protected. It also helps reduce administrative costs for the school, which ultimately benefits the entire school community.

We strongly recommend giving BPoint a try for your next school invoice payment. It's an efficient and hassle-free way to pay your school fees.

We have also included some easy to follow instructions. If you still require further assistance with the process please contact our friendly Admin team!

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 4109, when prompted. Happy reading.

Anzac Day - Sunnybank RSL

ANZAC DAY STREET PARADE AND COMMUNITY SERVICE HELD AT SUNNYBANK RSL

It was a privilege and an honour to join the staff and twenty students who took part in the ANZAC Day March and Service which was held at the Sunnybank RSL on 25^th April 2023. For many of us this day has family and national significance, and it is a day which connects us to our community. During the service I reflected on how lucky we are to have such wonderful opportunities and freedom in Australia. I felt very grateful to our Runcorn staff, students and their families who also shared their appreciation and respect for all who have served, and who are currently serving, in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. Lest we Forget.

P&C News

P&C Meetings

P&C meetings will now be held every Monday in Weeks 2 and 7 of each term. This was discussed and voted in favour of at our last meeting. We hope this consistency will enable any parents, carers or community members who wish to attend meetings the opportunity to easily schedule these dates in their calendars. The next P&C General Meeting will be held in Week 7, Monday, 29^th May at 6:30pm in the Resource Centre/Library.

The Executive position of President is still open for nominations. If anyone is interested in joining the committee in the President role please contact Angela, rsspccom@outlook.com, to discuss further.

Mother’s Day Stall

Next Thursday, May 11^th, we will be holding our annual Mother’s Day stall. Gifts range from $1 - $10, and all students will have the opportunity to attend the stall to purchase gifts for their Mum,

We are NOW seeking volunteers to help with the running of the stall on the day.

If you can help during any of these times please contact Angela, rsspccom@outlook.com

Session 1 – 9:00 am – 11 am
Session 2 – 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Session 3 – 2 pm – 3 pm

Jobs include helping students with their selections, especially in our younger grades, wrapping gifts, cash handling and replenishing stock.

TUCKSHOP

Operating Hours

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (8:30am - 1:45pm)
Monday and Tuesday (over the counter sales only, 11:15 – 11:45)

If you have one or two hours free in the morning to volunteer, we would love to hear from you. Please come and see Jodie or Etsu in the Tuckshop or contact tuckshop@runcornss.eq.edu.au

Can you help the Environment Club and Tuckshop?

The Environment Club is aiming to reestablish the garden beds in the Heritage Garden. They are looking for any donations of salad seedlings (not seeds) like lettuce or tomatos. The produce the students grow is harvested and supplied to the Tuckshop which means students are consuming the freshest produce. If you would like to help by donating some seedlings please contact Mrs McNamara at jmcna155@eq.edu.au or Angela, rsspccom@outlook.com.

Order for your Term 2 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). All birthday orders must be placed two days prior.

UNIFORM AND STATIONERY SHOP

Operating Hours
Monday 2:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Tuesday 8:15 am – 8:45 am

Can’t get in during opening hours? Orders can be emailed to rssuniform@outlook.com and we will deliver your order to your child’s classroom as soon as we can. Order forms are available from the website Uniform shop (eq.edu.au)

Thank you to those community members who have reached out to Volunteer already. If you would like to Volunteer, please contact rssuniform@outlook.com or rsspccom@outlook.com. With more volunteers we will be able to offer extended opening hours.

Year Level Facebook Groups. Press on the link to join now!

TO KEEP UP TO DATE ON ALL THINGS P&C – FIND US ON FACEBOOK at Runcorn State School P&C Association | Facebook

Community News

Fire Ants

Fire ants are one of the world’s most invasive pests and they have the potential to devastate our environment, economy and the outdoor way of life we know and love. To stop the spread of fire ants, the Department of Education is collaborating with the National Fire Ant Eradication Program to manage fire ants across schools within South East Queensland. This important work will help protect our schools and community from the dangers posed by fire ants.

An initial pilot program has treated 46 schools across the Logan, Ipswich, Somerset and Gold Coast City local government areas (Metropolitan and South East education regions). This will expand over the coming years to include additional schools. The treatment consists of applying two rounds of an insect growth regulator which sterilises the fire ant queen and prevents new ants from maturing into adults. These types of products are widely used in mosquito control programs, cockroach treatment and pet flea collars and when used according to instructions, are not harmful to humans, pets or wildlife.

The first round of treatment occurred in early 2023 and round two is being completed during April and May. The fire ant bait is being applied by experienced pest management technicians.

The school treatment program supports efforts to eradicate fire ants within South East Queensland by suppressing the fire ant population in areas until eradication treatment takes place. Under the Biosecurity Act 2014 all Queenslanders have an obligation to manage biosecurity risks. The Department of Education is meeting its obligations by managing fire ants on land it owns or manages.

The National Fire Ant Eradication Program is also running a range of community projects to provide residents in selected suburbs with free fire ant bait to treat their yards to support eradication goals. For the latest information on community projects or for more information about fire ants visit: https://www.fireants.org.au

U6 MUSTER INFORMATION:

Under 6 "HAVE A GO" Muster
CALLING ALL NEW PLAYERS to come along and HAVE A GO!
The perfect introduction to Rugby.

WHEN: Friday May 5th and Friday 12th
WHO: Boys and Girls Under 6 (born 2018-2017), must have turned 5 to participate
TIME: 5:30pm till 6:15pm
WHAT TO BRING: Wear comfortable training gear, joggers/boots, warm jacket or hoody in case and water bottle.
COST: Free

LIL'DRAGON INFORMATION

Join us for our Little Dragons program kicking off Friday 12th May. A great program for 4-5 year old boys and girls to have fun while developing their rugby skills!

Date: Starting Friday 12th May
WHO: Boys and Girls born 2018 - 2019
TIME: 5:30pm till 6:30pm
COST: $125 per player, includes training shirt and end of season break up event

Secure your place now, by registering on Rugby Xplorer or come into the Sunnybank Rugby Club if you require assistance!

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