Newsletter Term 2 Week 7
From the Principal
Newsletter Week 7
As we near the end of term, we understand that this is an important time for students as they complete their remaining work to wrap things up. Teachers are now in the middle of compiling and finalising reports and talking with students about their assessments. This feedback process is very important as our students understand what they have done well over the term and what might become a focus for Semester 2.
Under 8s Day
Fun alert! On Friday May 23 we welcomed families with children from Pre-Prep to Year 2 for Under 8s Day. This gathering was aimed at celebrating curiosity, nurturing imagination, fostering play, and exploration, and enjoying the vibrant energy of our youngest students. The theme this year was 'Unleashing Scientific Thinking through Play'. What an amazing day we had. The weather was perfect and there were so many activities to enjoy. This is an exciting event on our school calendar, as it highlights and celebrates the ability of play to break down barriers and bring children together, as well as helping them to understand more about themselves and each other. Thank you to the staff that made this event possible and to the parents and carers that came on the day to support this great event and make it so memorable.
Some simple guidelines to remember when using the parking areas around our school
- Be patient – Afternoons are the busiest periods, be patient & allow students to cross safely.
- Be courteous – Choose to be courteous and kind. We’re impressed many afternoons each week when we see courteous behaviour from one driver to another.
- Park legally – Brisbane City Council regularly patrols the parking areas around our school and from time-to-time issues parking infringements for illegally parked vehicles.
- In Ardargie Street - the side closest to the school is a drop off/pick up zone except in marked car spaces - the other side for the road is for parking but please park legally and adhere to any relevant signage respecting our neighbours and their driveways.
- Our pickup zone staff are there to keep your children safe. If you choose not to use the pickup/drop off zone, please leave your car and come and collect your children so they can safely cross the road with you.
- Remember - the staff car park is for staff only. It should not be used for parking or for dropping off or picking up students.
Loose Parts Play
Children see possibilities in everything, and a loose parts play space allows them to create something incredible, all with just the power of their imagination.
The benefits of playing with loose parts include:
- Increased levels of creative and imaginative play
- Children play co-operatively and socialise more
- Children are physically more active
- Loose parts facilitate communication and negotiation skills
- Curriculum outcomes occur through informal play with loose parts
Keep your eyes on our Facebook page as we regularly share photos of children in our loose parts play space.
Meg McClure
From the Deputy Principal
Prep Enrolments for 2026 now open
Parents are invited to complete an enrolment form and collect an enrolment package from the front office. To help your child prepare for Prep in 2026 there are opportunities for our new students to join our get to know you and pre-prep sessions in Term 3 and Term 4. As well as our orientation day later in Term 4. This program is a great way of connecting and engaging with our school in preparation for next year.
We encourage you to enrol your child early, to ensure your place is guaranteed for 2026 and to give us a clear idea about the number of classes we can form. All enrolments will require an interview.
Roberta Matlock.
From the Head of Department - Curriculum
The Big Write!
A big shoutout to our incredible teachers—thanks to them, the Big Write is still going strong every Thursday. Each week the children are given creative prompt to spark their imaginations. Take a peek below to see some of the fantastic writing of our Prep and Year 1 children. There is also a piece from one of our Year 6 students.
Jillian Chittenden
Head of Department - Inclusion
Introducing Mrs Danielle Davies – Inclusion Teacher at Runcorn
At Runcorn State School, our students are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment for every child. A key member of this mission is Mrs Danielle Davies, one of our dedicated Learning Support Teachers.
Mrs Davies brings a wealth of experience to our school community, having taught in both state and private schools across various year levels, particularly Years 1 to 3. She has a long-standing connection with Runcorn and is now in her second year as part of our Inclusion Team.
In her role, Danielle works collaboratively with both students and teachers to identify individual learning needs, design tailored support plans and implement effective strategies that help students thrive. She works full-time, providing targeted support in reading and writing to small groups of students in Prep, Year 1, and Year 5.
We are proud to have Mrs Davies as part of our team, supporting our shared goal of ensuring every student reaches their full potential.
Julie Schooth
Norman's News
What a paw-sitively tail-wagging pawtnight it’s been at Runcorn! From splashing around and chasing bubbles during Under 8s Day to the fur-bulous fun of Jersey Day (so many pawsome outfits!), and all the barking-good moments in classrooms in between, it’s been absolutely fetching! I’m one lucky pup to be surrounded by such paws-itively amazing students who shower me with love, belly rubs, and heartwarming stories. A big woof of thanks to StarMonkey for the thoughtful, paw-sonalised gifts—your kindness truly makes my tail wag. I hope you all know how much I ruff my job!
Until next time,
Big licks and tail wags,
Norman
Music Matters
Save the date:
Term 2 Week 9 Monday June 16 - Junior Band on Parade
Term 2 Week 10 Monday June 23 – Senior Band on Parade
Term 3 Week 1 Monday July 14 - Nexus Arts whole school NAIDOC Incursion from 2.00pm
Instrumental Music
Our Strings and Band students are getting to the pointy end of the term, with assessment right around the corner! Students, please make sure you are practicing every day so you are ready for your assessment.
I had the privilege to attend the recent Karawatha concert and was blown away by the talent and dedication of our students and our Instrumental Music teachers. It was such a great opportunity for everyone involved.
Well done everyone on a wonderful culminating concert.
Classroom Music
Prep
We have been learning about beat and rhythm, and the difference between these two concepts.
“The beat stays the same, it does not change, the beat is steady”. We have learned to walk the beat and tap the beat (on our bodies and on beat charts).
“Rhythm is the syllables; rhythm is the pattern of the words”. We are learning that some beats have one sound (taa) and some beats have two sounds (ti ti). We can echo clap short rhythm patterns and read and write rhythms using stick notation.
Mrs Alison Murray (amurr51@eq.edu.au)
My New Gallery
Sports News
Welcome to another busy fortnight in the sporting world at Runcorn State School!
We have continued to prepare for the upcoming sports carnival - Thursday June 19 and Friday June 20.
Last week saw trials for high jump during the Years 3 to 6 PE lesson, and this week has moved to shotput. Qualifying distances/heights are displayed during the lesson, as this allows students to be aware of the distance/height they are trying to achieve.
In the gross/fine motor lessons for Prep to Year 3, the ball game focus has built upon students' knowledge/skills of over-under, tunnel ball and captain ball. Three ball games are now being played during lessons in preparation for the Junior Sports Carnival, which is Tuesday, 24 June – the final Friday of this term.
Students are comprehending the techniques associated with each discipline.
Below is the program for the field events which will be on Thursday 19 June.
Below is the program for the track events which will be on Friday 20 June.
Fun events like the Runcorn Rapid 6 will only be conducted should we have time after the main events are completed. Senior Sports Carnivals are designed to select the athletics team that we will then use to represent Runcorn State School at next term’s Eastern Taipans Track and Field Carnival. Track events are the first and second place competitors nominated (except for the 800m which this year, needs to be timed) whereas in field events, competitors must reach a certain height or distance to qualify for the trials ee the below minimum qualifying heights for our field events.
Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions.
Have a great fortnight!
Mr Brady
lbrad101@eq.edu.au
Resource Centre News
Today is the last day to join us in the Resource Centre for our fantastic school Book Fair.
There are books for every kind of reader including a great selection of fiction and non-fiction titles plus plenty of engaging graphic novels. Don’t miss out on our fun-packed art, craft and science activity packs!
Remember every purchase supports our school Resource Centre.
At the Resource Centre: Monday 2 to Thursday 5 June
- 3.10pm to 3.40pm
- Card payments only – no cash
Online ordering: Sunday 1 to Sunday 8 June
- www.thebookwarehouse.com.au
- Bookfair ID: #117699
Health Happenings
Our emphasis at Runcorn State School this fortnight are upon the Resilience Key and Communicator Learning Asset.
Resilience at Runcorn State School looks like:
- Students bouncing back from daily challenges
- Students adopting a growth mindset and thinking positively
- Students working independently and/or together to solve problems
- Students using strategies to help keep them calm and focussed
Effective Communicators at Runcorn State School are:
- Confident
- Responsive
- Respectful
Staff across Runcorn State School will be actively looking for students displaying communication and resilience skills. Over the next fortnight, one student per class will be awarded with an assembly award to acknowledge their dedication to consistently displaying these skills.
Sheridan Stirling
sstir16@eq.edu.au
From the Administration Office
Attendance
Runcorn State School's Admin team are available between 8.00am and 3.30pm each school day. You can contact us on 3323 8777 if you have any queries. Student absence texts can be sent to 0429 928 611 or a voice message can be left on 3323 8777 and press option 1.
If students arrive to school from 9.00 am onwards, they are to present to the office to collect a late slip. This ensures that our rolls are marked correctly and prevents parents from receiving incorrect absence texts.
Reminder that EVERY day counts in a child's education.
QParents
Runcorn State School would like to remind you that we are a cashless school and as such, the best way to help us help you, is to sign up for the QParents App.
QParents is a secure online portal created by the Department of Education for parents of Queensland state school students, providing 24-hour access to their child's information. It allows parents to access various student data and administrative functions, such as enrolment history, report cards and you can even advise us if your child is sick without having to make a call.
Having QParents means you can also pay invoices or check up on any outstanding fees directly ensuring excursions or incursions are paid in time for your child to attend.
We strongly encourage you to start using QParents and you can download the app or visit the QParents website.
There are so many uses for QParents so please take a look and download the app today.
https://qparents.qld.edu.au/#/registration/account-owner/invitation/
P & C Association
Updates from Monday’s P&C general meeting
- P&C funds were used to send some staff for a teachers’ seminar this week so be able to commence the process of implementing ‘The Resilience Project’ in our school for the benefit of all students
- Congratulations Quan on your new role as Fence Coordinator
- We will be getting some chilled water bubblers
- Results are in for the preferred P&C meeting time poll – most votes received were for 3.15pm, so this will come into effect for all meetings from Term 3
- Discussion commenced regarding the possibility of handing over control of the P&C Businesses (Tuckshop and Uniform Shop) to the school – see further information below
- Watch this space – a disco is coming in Term 3
Outsourcing as an option for both the Tuckshop and Uniform Shop
With the resignation of our Tuckshop Convenor, and not enough volunteers, and various other reasons we are looking into the option of handing over control of the P&C businesses (Tuckshop and Uniform Shop) to the school. If the school takes control of these businesses, the leadership team have advised that they will commence a process that will take an estimated 6 months to outsource these businesses following Department of Education processes.
We invite people in the school community to attend one or both of the following meetings.
Our upcoming P&C Special Meetings will be as follows:
- Monday 9 June 4.00pm – formal and structured presentation of information
- Monday 16 June 4.00pm – for attending members to vote whether the P&C hands over the Tuckshop and Uniform Shop to the school. There will be separate votes relating to each business.
All community members are welcome to attend. Please note that only Runcorn State School P&C members will be able to vote and must be present at the meeting to do so. If you would like to become a P&C member for 2025 please email rsspcsecretary@outlook.com
Under 8s Day and Jersey Day Summary
A massive thank you to:
- Sally and Yumiko who ran whole-school Tuckshop meal deals 2 weeks in a row for Under 8s Day and Jersey Day
- Our Tuckshop volunteers Jenny, Ayako, Evelyn, and Leanne for supporting our Tuckshop staff
- Andrew and Jenny who also ran the bake sale on Under 8s Day, the year 6 stall helpers, and all our wonderful bakers (Julie, Katriana, Jenny, Paula, Frankie, and Seina
- Coach Jack at Remar Tennis Academy for your generous donation of two talented face painters for Under 8s Day
Highlights:
- 209 Jersey Day meal deal orders – our highest number of tuckshop orders for 2025!
- 174 Under 8s Day burrito meal deal orders the week before. Funds raised from both the meal deals went back into supporting Tuckshop operations
- The Under 8s Day bake sale raised a fantastic $514 for our science incursions and excursions
- The Jersey Day gold coin donations totalled $180.50
Thank you to Cr Kim Marx!
Thank you to Cr Kim Marx (Runcorn Ward of Brisbane City Council) for your grant of $824 that went towards our Election Day BBQ costs!
Correction from the last newsletter
Apologies for the error with the recorded volunteer hours that were shared during National Volunteer Week. These are the correct statistics for 2025 up until (and not including) Under 8s Day.
- 53 volunteers
- Contributing 35 hours of time (not 35)
- Across 10 events
Since then, we now have over 300 volunteer hours recorded, and this doesn’t even include time that our P&C committee spend in their respective roles. Once again, a massive thank you to our volunteers. Without your time, efforts, and commitment we wouldn’t achieve what we do to raise funds and community spirit.
Can you do ‘Just One Thing’ to make our school better?
As a community, each of us can make a small volunteer contribution if we can all do ‘Just One Thing’ to help achieve great outcomes for our school. Many hands make light work! Please take a few minutes to complete the following questionnaire:
Alternative hyperlink: 'Just One Thing' volunteer questionnaire
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
P&C Meetings
Thank you to all those who responded to our P&C meeting time poll. Our next P&C General Meeting will be held on Monday 21 July at 3.15pm. This is your chance to stay informed, have your say, and be part of the decisions that help shape our school community.
Everyone is welcome, and we would love to see as many parents and caregivers there as possible. Whether you’re a regular or it’s your first meeting, come along, get involved, and help us make a difference for our children. If you have any questions, please contact Nadera at rsspcsecretary@outlook.com.
Our general meetings usually occur on the Monday afternoons in weeks 2 and 7 of each school term and going forward from Term 3 will be held at the time of 3.15pm based on feedback.
For your reference, here are the results of the preferred P&C meeting time poll:
3.15pm - 15 Votes 42.86%
4.00pm - 1 Vote 2.86%
5.00pm - 3 Votes 8.57%
6.00pm - 6 Votes 17.14%
6.30pm - 10 Votes 28.57%
Thank you to our school administration team who managed this poll.
Become a P&C member!
It is FREE to join as a member of the Runcorn State School Parents and Citizens Association (P&C).
You can pick up a form from the school office, or request a copy of the form by contacting Nadera (Secretary) at rsspcsecretary@outlook.com, who can also answer any questions you may have about becoming a member of the P&C.
Benefits of joining the P&C:
- Get to know your school community better - meet more people and make new friends
- Feel a stronger sense of belonging to the school community
- Be informed of what happens at school, including any changes
- Keep up-to-date with the various school-related events and activities
- Vote at P&C meetings about school-related decisions (including spending of P&C funds) to improve our students’ schooling experience
- Receive the minutes/notes after each P&C meeting
- Receive the reports and reminders before each meeting
- Share your talents, skills, ideas, and expertise to help achieve positive outcomes for your school
- Get involved as little or as much as you like – being a member does not automatically mean you have to volunteer or have extra jobs to do
- See our students benefit from our efforts
Membership is essential if you want to be involved in any P&C decisions during the year, including how the money we all raise is spent.
Uniform Shop
Get ready for the Athletics days coming up
In preparation for our school’s athletics days this month, we have a half-price sale on sports shirts (house colours) – now only $10! Grab yours today and show your team spirit!
Make sure to have your child dressed in their house colours:
- Acacia – Yellow
- Grevillea – Red
- Banksia – Green
Second-hand uniforms
Are your children outgrowing their uniforms? Any good condition pre-loved uniforms can be dropped at the uniform shop during opening hours. These uniforms provide an affordable option to some families, and help generate revenue for our P&C, which goes back to funding resources for our school.
Winter sale on now!
We're excited to offer some amazing discounts on essential winter items. Don't miss out on getting your bargains today.
- Jacket: Now only $50 (was $55) - Limited sizes 16 and 18 available
- V-neck Jumper: Only $25 (was $30) Limited stock, so grab yours while you can
- Knit Sweater: Just $35 (was $40) Limited sizes available
- Trackpants: Now just $20 (was $25) Stock is limited, so get them before they're gone
Whether your kids need to stay warm for school or for weekend adventures, we have everything you need at great prices.
Hurry, these items are only available while stocks last!
Thank you for supporting the Runcorn State School P&C Association by purchasing through the Uniform Shop.
Tuckshop
Contact: Sally - tuckshop@runcornss.eq.edu.au
Opening hours: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (8.30am to 1.45pm)
How to order:
- Via Flexischools (see image below), or
- Over-the-counter purchases can only be made Wednesday to Friday where students can bring cash.
Birthday orders: Don’t forget that cupcakes and ice blocks (Zooper Doopers) can be ordered via Flexischools. Please note that these are only available Wednesday to Friday, and all birthday orders must be placed at least two days prior.
Volunteers Needed in the Tuckshop.
You don’t need cooking or kitchen experience to help in the Tuckshop. Under the guidance of our friendly Tuckshop Convenor Sally, you can help in one or more of the following ways:
- Putting sticker labels on bags
- Sorting bags into categories (Hot Food, Sandwiches etc.)
- Filling drink orders
- Preparing and heating up food
- Making salads and sandwiches
- Peeling apples (and even using the slinky machine)
- Baking
- Placing hot food items (e.g. potato gems, chicken nuggets) in bags, ready to pack into orders
- Placing hot meals (e.g. lasagne, spaghetti, fried rice, pizzas) into bags, ready for sorting into delivery boxes
- Placing orders into class tuckshop delivery boxes
- Washing up
It’s an excellent way to help out in your community by providing an important service to students and staff. To volunteer: email tuckshop@runcornss.eq.edu.au with your preferred days and times that you can assist.
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Community News
Jabiru offers before and after school care and vacation care at Runcorn State School. Our team includes a range of friendly people who are into craft, sport and outdoor exploration, so there’s something for everyone at Jabiru Runcorn.
