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Newsletter Term 2 Week 5

From the Principal

Our class teachers are well and truly into teaching our Term 2 units of work based on the Australian Curriculum and contextualised for our Runcorn students. The curriculum covered at Runcorn gives our students genuine opportunities to engage and connect with good quality learning each and every day. This term is an exciting term for our school and we look forward to once again developing strong partnerships with you to ensure your child experiences positive growth in their education. There are many school events held this term so keep abreast through the school newsletter each fortnight or through the school and P & C Facebook pages.

School Review

This week we had the Education Improvement Branch visit our school. The review team spoke to students, staff, community members and external organisations that we partner with. It was affirming to the staff that we are doing the right work for our students to ensure that every child is able to access the curriculum and reach their true learning potential. The recommendations offered by the review team will assist in building our next 4 Year Strategic Plan. When we receive the recommendations, we will be working with the staff, students and the community to ensure that the right work is included in that plan.

Under 8's Day

We look forward to celebrating early childhood with the Under 8s Day next Friday May 26. The Theme is: “Play – You, Me & our Communities”. We invite parents of the early years to come and be part of the fun.

Staffing Changes

Ms Lambert has gone on maternity leave. We wish her all the best as she welcomes the new addition to her family. Ms Lambert will not be replaced. Mr Kraynik has accepted a new position and will finish at the end of week 5. We have been able to source an experienced PE teacher to join our team. Unfortunately, he cannot start until the beginning of week 10. In the interim a relief teacher/teachers will be filling this role.

Facilities

We have some long-awaited facilities projects stating this term. B block is having some structural work undertaken. As such the school will have to temporarily close parts of B block during the construction time. The work will take approximately 3 weeks. During this time the area will be fenced off. This will mean that students that arrive before 8:15am will need to wait in the area between the resource centre and science room.

C Block is getting a full external paint. The area will be fenced in different sections as the painting progresses. Some minor changes to entrances and exits to classrooms will need to occur to work around fenced areas. This work will not impact students accessing their classrooms.

We need your input!

What is the easiest way for you to give us input into our next 4 year plan?

Poll is closed

Meg McClure

From the Deputy Principal

National Sorry Day 26 May

National Sorry Day is a day of remembrance and acknowledgment of the Stolen Generations, those who were forcibly removed from their families and communities. First Nations children were separated from their families and forced to adopt a non-Indigenous culture, forbidden from talking in Language, practising culture, caring for country or using the names given to them by their parents.

We will be commemorating Sorry Day during our Monday Parade on Monday 22 May. Our Under 8’s Day on Friday 26 May will focus strongly on Sorry Day by incorporating First Nations themed creative arts and activities.

Reconciliation Week 27 May - 3 June

During our Monday Parade on Monday 29 May we will learn about shared histories, cultures and achievements and explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia during National Reconciliation Week 27 May – 3 June

Prep 2024

All families interested in enrolling children into our 2024 Prep are very welcome to attend our 2024 Prep tour on Thursday 25 May from 9.30am - 10.00am and our 2024 Prep Information session from 3.30-4.30pm on Thursday 25 May. Please RSVP to the office 3323 8777

Please let your friends and family know.

Roberta Matlock

From the Head of Department - Inclusion

Meet one of the Inclusion Team Teachers!

At Runcorn our students are lucky to be well supported by our Inclusion Team. Julie Schooth is one of our Inclusion Teachers. Julie has been at Runcorn State School for fourteen years. She has worked as a classroom teacher and over the past 3 and a half years has worked in the Inclusion space. She currently works five days per week supporting staff and students across a variety of year levels to primarily address the literacy needs of our students. Julie is also the handler for Norman, who adds another dimension to her role in supporting students, families and staff with social and emotional wellbeing.

Jillian

Norman's News

I hope all of the Runcorn mothers enjoyed some “pawpering” on Mother’s Day. There were certainly many enthusiastic students leaving the Mother’s Day Stall proudly holding their purchases and my tail was wagging in excitement knowing that those considered purchases would make their way to you and the special mother figures in our students lives. A big “bark out” to those parents who volunteered on the stall to make this “shopping” experience possible for all. A big “bark out” also to my mum, Emma, who lives in NSW and who we still keep in contact with two years after I left her to join the Runcorn family.

I have had another wonderful week of “suppawting” students and staff. My time with the Prep students during their outdoor learning time on Wednesday was “pawticularly” fun, with students busily learning about living things and “planting” some flowers. I’m sure I could have been a great help digging those flowers back up, but I was sensibly redirected to listening to some fabulous reading instead!

In my small group work I have also been having fun playing a new game with some Year 1 students. The challenge in this game is to spell the word using the 4 cubes which have letters on them. By using our duck hands we have to visualise the soundpics and then find them on the cube and put them in the right order to make the word. It is lots of fun! For anyone looking for educational game suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact Mrs Schooth on jscho128@eq.edu.au for a few of her recent favourites!

Until next time, Big licks and tail wags,

Norman

From the Head of Department - Curriculum

National Simultaneous Storytime

Next week Runcorn State School will be participating in National Simultaneous Storytime, joining hundreds of schools, libraries and early education centres in sharing the same book at the same time. This year the chosen story is “The Speedy Sloth´ by Rebecca Young and Heath McKenzie. We will all be stopping to read together at 10:50am, Wednesday 24 May. You may want to check your bookshelves at home and participate too!

Rachel La Sala

The Year 4 Moreton Bay Excursion

As part of their current Science Unit, the students of Year 4 recently investigated the open ocean and mangrove ecosystems of Moreton Bay. They have written some of their thoughts and findings below.

The best thing that I saw on the Moreton Bay Excursion was the Majestic Mangrove Kingfisher because of its magical blue wings. I was stunned when I saw it swooping for crabs. I felt hypnotized. (Isabelle)

The biggest surprise for me was when we were walking on the boardwalk. I saw the biggest red crab I have ever seen just sitting still on a log stuck in the mud. I enjoyed looking at it because it was a gargantuan crab and it was the most interesting thing I saw on the excursion. The most mysterious question is - how do the substantial crabs fit into the miniscule holes? (Lorenzo)

I’ll always remember the minute creatures called Plankton that live in salt water. I’ll remember Plankton because they’re extraordinary and hard to find but most sea creatures start life as Plankton. Even crabs start life as Plankton.

At Quandamooka, the best thing I saw were tiny crabs. The crabs were countless and very tiny. I like looking at crabs because they have many talents like climbing walls or digging. It is super unusual for sea creatures to dig, unlike crabs. Crabs can dig and do lots of other things while fish swim and eat food. (Oliver)

On the excursion, the best thing I saw was lots of crabs. They were all different and I saw gold, silver, purple, blue and orange crabs. I liked the crabs because most of them are different just like people and it is good to be different. (Blake)

“We did crab spotting and more other things like looking for birds, learning about new interesting trees, and types of trees. But the best bit of all was how amazing that we were lucky to explore.” – Avni 4R

“Learning rating: ★★★★☆ because I like how I went on the boat for the first time. I don’t really go on boats.
Fun rating: ★★★★★ because we saw lots of boats and we waved to them.” –Sofia 4R

“Fun fact: the mud has been stopped by the roots of trees. We had binoculars so we could spot birds and other creatures. We spotted a crab, a slug and a bird.” –Enoch 4R

Japanese News

In week 3, Year 4 students had a wonderful opportunity to welcome Japanese Tea master Hosho Tomoko and her assistant Emiko to our school to see and experience Japanese Tea ceremony. We have had these special guests for about 4 years, and now it is our annual event for Year 4 students!

One student from each class got to be a guest to be invited to the Tatami mats. Others joined in the whole process by bowing and tasting green tea and Kompeitou (sugar sweet).

Music Matters

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

Health Happenings

Year 1 students have been visited by our friends from Ascent footwear and Athlete's Foot who taught the children a very clever way to tie their shoelaces! It was an interactive and fun-filled session which guided the students through the nine steps of tying their shoe laces until they can master the task and independently tie their own. The children are to be commended on their patience and persistence. The video can be found via the below link if students would like to continue practising at home. https://youtu.be/9CK2tVgPmTg

Athlete’s Foot will donate $5 towards sporting equipment for our school for each pair of shoes sold if Runcorn State School is mentioned.

Sheridan Stirling

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.

Dear Runcorn Community,

The Environment Club has continued paper and cardboard recycling. This has been happening 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 is also going well. Year 5/6 students place clear containers in both junior and senior eating areas each day. The large Wave of Change wheely bin is filling up and we are waiting for a replacement. So pleased that Runcorn State School families are accessing the green bins as well. The Runcorn State School Scheme ID is below, if that is easier to use. All funds raised goes towards resources for the school.

We now re-established the Heritage Garden beds by planting tomato and lettuce seedlings kindly donated by Bunnings, Underwood. The 5/6M and Prep C students lovingly planted these seedlings during Buddies last Tuesday and will work together to water and tend to them. Hopefully, we will start supplying salad for the Tuckshop. Lettuce and tomato seedlings are the most frequently used items in the Tuckshop.

Ever heard of GREENWASHING?

Be Inquirers and investigate this concept with your class or families. Another space where we 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

The Runcorn administration office team would like to thank our wonderful students for always demonstrating such a great community spirit. We would like to share with you in each newsletter some of our students who have recently shone the Runcorn Spirit. These following students are this fortnights Runcorn Success Stars.

Stella from year 4 has been recognised for being an organised self - manager and Alvin from year 6 has been recognised for his outstanding research on energy transformations and energy chains.

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.

P&C News

Next P&C Meeting

The P&C Association is still seeking to fill the position of President. If anyone is interested in joining the committee in the President role please contact Angela, rsspccom@outlook.com, to discuss further. The next general meeting is on Monday, 29^th May at 6:30 pm in the Resource Centre/Library. Some Agenda items that will be discussed are PCYC fee structure, events calendar, Parent Representatives, and fundraising goals. We look forward to seeing you there.

Mother’s Day Stall

We hope all those who celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday had a beautiful day. The Mother’s Day stall was a huge success and we thank the community for supporting it. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers on the day and to those who helped with the organisation in the lead up. A special thank you to Renae and Sandra who made amazing donations to the stall. We raised approximately $1100 for resources for our school.

State of Origin Loose Change Challenge

Get excited and start collecting your loose change for our Class Vs Class Loose Change Challenge. Classes will go head to head to see who will be crowned the highest earners in the school. The winning class will receive a class PIZZA PARTY and the runner up class will celebrate with a ice block bucket. The Challenge starts May, 31^st and runs until June, 21^st. Class bottles will be located in Girrawheen Place every morning from the start of the challenge. More information will be sent home soon.

Tuckshop Assistant Wanted

Have you got an interest in food preparation and excellent culinary skills? Are you self-motivated and work well with others?

We are looking for a casual Tuckshop Assistant. Hours are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 8:30 – 11:30 am.

Position Description available.

For further information or to submit a resume and cover letter, please contact, Angela, rsspccom@outlook.com.

TUCKSHOP

Operating Hours

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

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

Will it be BLUE or MAROON? To coincide with the Loose Change Challenge the Tuckshop will be offering a State of Origin Meal Deal in Week 10. More info to come……

Can you help the Environment Club and Tuckshop?

The Environment Club is aiming to re-establish the garden beds in the Heritage Garden. They are looking for any donations of salad seedlings (not seeds) like lettuce or tomatoes. 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.

Thank you to Bunnings Underwood for their kind donation of seedlings that students have already planted in our Heritage Garden pods.

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

The Thriving Kids and Parents Schools Project - FREE seminars for parents/carers

The pandemic has had a significant impact on children’s social and emotional development, resulting in increased levels of anxiety and significant challenges in developing healthy peer relationships. The Thriving Kids and Parents Schools Project (TKPSP) – Seminar Series is a post-COVID-19 initiative that aims to strengthen partnerships between schools and families by offering three FREE, highly relevant Triple P – Positive Parenting seminars for parents. The Commonwealth-funded project also includes a complementary brief teacher webinar session, and a summary of the strategies for teachers/school staff.

The interactive, online seminar package for parents includes:

Power of Positive Parenting (Triple P Seminar) Practical strategies to support children’s social and emotional development and to guide their behaviour.
Helping Your Child to Manage Anxiety (Fear-Less Triple P Seminar) Skills and strategies to support children manage their emotions and overcome challenges.
Keeping Your Child Safe from Bullying (Resilience Triple P Seminar) How to maintain good communication with the children, develop positive relationships, and address conflict and bullying.

The project team are excited to announce that the first seminar package has been well received by schools across Queensland and places for the first series of seminars are filling quickly. We are now in the process of offering this excellent opportunity to more QLD schools. Currently there are only places remaining for 40 schools.

When you register for the project you will receive:

Promotional materials to be distributed within your school network
Access to the complementary teacher resources

Your role as the school representative will involve promoting the TKPSP to parents/carers in your school community. You can register your interest via the following link: https://uqpsych.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6DSg5OyUuOW75mC

For more information, please see the project website.