Newsletter Term 1 Week 3
From the Principal
Thank you to all the families who prepared their children so well for the school year with all of the necessary stationery and resources required to start a successful year of schooling. We appreciate you working with us so that your child can make the most of their time here. Runcorn State School has high expectations for our students wearing their uniform correctly and proudly, to show that they are part of our wonderful school community. Being part of such a strong community is a great start. You can help by:
- Ensuring your child to attend school every day - because every day counts
- Supporting your child to wear the full and correct school uniform
- Becoming involved in our school community - our community is as strong as your contribution. A great way to be a part of our community is to join the Parents and Citizens (P&C) Association
Thank you for supporting us at our hidden gem of a school.
Student Leader Induction
The new Student Leaders for 2025 received their badges at the Leaders' Induction Ceremony last week. Congratulations and well done to these students on your selection. Thank you to the families and friends that were able to join us for the ceremony and afternoon tea that followed.
Chin Wag and a Snag
Thank you to the families that came and supported our chin wag and a snag. What a fabulous community afternoon. Families were able to have an informal chat with their teachers and download or pickup their year level newsletter. We all enjoyed the sausages provided by the school and were glad for the cold drinks the P & C had.
Meg McClure
From the Deputy Principal
Runcorn State High School Student Leader Induction
It was lovely to be invited to RSHS recent leader induction. I was honoured to be able to present the Junior school leaders with their certificates and the experience of seeing previous Runcorn students on stage receiving leadership badges was heart-warming. It was also wonderful to have many previous students come up to me and say hello.
Playgrounds and Nature Play areas
It is wonderful to see students on our playground equipment and enjoying the interactive natural elements of the nature play space. We would like to remind parents that these play spaces are unsupervised before 8.45am and at the end of the school day, from 3.00pm onwards. It should be noted that community members, parents or guardians cannot provide supervision at these times, even for their own child/children, unless a request to use school facilities has been submitted and approved. This is because Jabiru (Before and After School Care) providers have access to our play spaces at this time, supervising the registered students only. We thank you for your cooperation.
Roberta Matlock.
From the Head of Department - Curriculum
The Big Write at Runcorn
Every Thursday, all students at Runcorn participate in The Big Write, an exciting initiative designed to help students sharpen their writing skills. Introduced in 2021, this weekly activity provides an opportunity for students to practice The Big 5 writing skills and receive valuable feedback from their teachers. Each week, students are given a common writing prompt or stimulus and are given at least 20 minutes to create a piece of writing.The Big 5 Writing Skills
- PLAN
Organize your ideas and stick to your plan!- INTERESTING VOCABULARY
Use a variety of level 1, 2, and 3 words to engage your audience.- RANGE OF SENTENCES
Use a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences to vary your writing.- PUNCTUATION TO ENHANCE MEANING
Choose the right punctuation marks to clarify and enhance your meaning.- EDIT TO IMPROVE
Review your work to ensure it makes sense, aligns with your plan, and includes correct spelling and punctuation.Stay tuned for some amazing writing from our students in the coming weeks!
Below are our schoolwide prompts from weeks 2 & 3.
Jillian Chittenden
Head of Department - Inclusion
Understanding Learning Differences
A specific learning disability is marked by ongoing challenges in mastering a key academic skill. These difficulties are unexpected and not the result of a more general learning issue, such as an intellectual disability.
The most common of these specific learning disabilities that can impact a student’s academic performance include:-
Dyslexia: A learning disorder that affects reading, writing, spelling, and speaking, often causing issues with language processing. People with dyslexia may experience letter reversals, changes in word order, and difficulty tracking text from left to right. They might also struggle with abstract concepts, including jokes or puns.
Dysgraphia: Affects writing, spelling, and handwriting. Students with dysgraphia may find it difficult to express their thoughts in writing, even if they are strong verbal communicators.
Dyscalculia: Affects math skills, particularly in calculations and memorization. Those with dyscalculia often find number processing especially challenging.
The key difference between individuals with a specific learning disability and those without is the time it takes to learn certain academic skills. Students with learning differences often need more time and repetition to master these skills. However, once they have gained an understanding, they may perform just as well, or even better, than their peers. While they might face challenges in some areas, individuals with learning disabilities often excel in other subjects.
At Runcorn, our teachers and teacher aides are dedicated to supporting the diverse learning needs of all our students. Our goal is to tailor our approach to each student, helping them achieve success based on their individual abilities.
Julie Schooth
Norman's News
I would like to say a big thank you to all of the students in 4K who wrote me such wonderful letters this week. I’ve been wagging my tail non-stop, feeling so loved and appreciated. I could never have imagined that so many of you would take the time to write to me and ask such thoughtful questions. You made my day with a visit to your classroom, and I wanted to take a moment to answer a few of those questions you asked and share a little about what I’ve been up to!
1. What’s your favourite part of your job? Great question! My favourite part of being a therapy dog is definitely the cuddles. I love when students stop by to pet me or when I get to sit with you during a quiet moment. It always makes my tail wag to know I can make you smile.
2. What do you like to do in your free time? When I’m not working, I love going for walks with Mrs Schooth, my best friend Harvey and sometimes Mrs McNamara and her dog, too. I’m also a big fan of napping – especially on soft beds or on the lounge (but don’t tell Mrs Schooth)! After all, a therapy dog needs to be well-rested to do their best work!
3. Do you like treats? Oh yes, I do! I definitely do my best work when I can tell that a treat is coming my way. My favourite snack is probably chicken, but I do also like sausage and all the vegetables that are packed into Mrs Schooth’s treat bag. They’re paws-itively delicious!
4. How do you feel about school? I love school! There’s always so much to see, smell, and do. Most of all, I love getting to help everyone feel better. Whether it’s a stressful test day or just a need for some comfort, being here makes me feel like I’m making a difference.
Thank you again for all your wonderful letters and for making me feel like a valued part of the school family. I look forward to more snuggles, walks, and tail-wagging moments with all of you.
Until next time,
Big licks and tail wags,
Norman
Music Matters
Save the date:
Anzac Day Ceremony Term 2 Week 1 24 April – Band and Choir
Karawatha Music Program Term 2 Week 5- 19-22 May – All Band and Strings students
Senior Choir – Wednesday 8am
Senior Choir began this week for students in years 4 – 6. We have had a large sign-up again this year which is very exciting! Anyone who missed the first rehearsal can still join us next week.
Senior Choir members will soon be asked if they can commit to attending the Singfest excursion in Term 3, as the school is required to purchase tickets up front. Information about this will go out shortly so please keep an eye out for this.
As with Band and Strings there will be NO parent helpers or siblings of students at choir rehearsals. Siblings of students must be either in the care of their parent or the OSHC Jabiru program as it is not permissible or safe for them to be on school grounds unsupervised.
Do not send your children to rehearsal prior to start time as supervision cannot be guaranteed.
Instrumental Music
Thank you to the Instrumental Music community for being so organised with paperwork and payment of levies, it’s a great start to the program and we are excited about the amazing music we will be creating this year!
Rehearsals for Ensembles start next week:
There will be NO parent helpers or siblings of students at rehearsals. Siblings of students must be either in the care of their parent or the OSHC Jabiru program as it is not permissible or safe for them to be on school grounds unsupervised.
Do not send your children to rehearsal prior to start time as supervision cannot be guaranteed.
Mrs Alison Murray (amurr51@eq.edu.au)
Sports News
What a fast paced start to the year we have had at Runcorn!
We started the school year with our senior school swimming carnival and once again I was impressed with not just the ‘Can Do’ attitude displayed by all the competitors, but the supportive environment the students created with their cheers for all ability swimmers. I was very proud to present the age champions with their medals at this past Monday’s parade.
From the carnival, 6 swimmers were selected to represent Runcorn at the Eastern Taipans District Swimming Carnival which was held yesterday (Wednesday, 12th). The students displayed the Runcorn ‘you can do it’ attitude at the carnival and had an enjoyable, but also competitive, day competing against not just other Eastern Taipans schools, but schools from Southern Scorpions as well. I will find out by the end of the week if any of our 6 superstars have made the Eastern Taipans district team to compete at the Metropolitan West Trials on the 26th of this month.
I would also like to remind all parents/carers of the clothing requirements for each swimming lesson. I have been borrowing out a lot of caps but unfortunately I will have to stop this next week so please make sure your child has the correct swimming equipment prior to their lesson.
As always, any questions, please ask.
Mr Brady
lbrad101@eq.edu.au
Health Happenings
Our assembly awards focus this fortnight is the Getting Along Key and the Collaborator Learning Asset.
Getting Along at Runcorn State School looks like:
- Students working cooperatively with each other in and out of the classroom
- Students solving/resolving problems in a calm and friendly manner
- Students making responsible choices
- Students being friendly and patient to those around them
- Students listening while others are speaking
- Students helping those in need
Effective Collaborators at Runcorn State School are:
- Empathic
- Compassionate
- Reliable
Staff across Runcorn State School will be actively looking for students displaying skills of getting along and collaboration. Congratulations to all students who have been acknowledged so far! Getting along and collaboration makes Runcorn State School a better place to learn and grow.
Sheridan Stirling
sstir16@eq.edu.au
From the Administration Office
Outstanding Permission Forms
If you have any of the below outstanding forms can you please return to the office as a matter of urgency
- Year 4 Online Services Consent Form
- Student Resource Scheme
An invitation to QParents has been sent to all new families this week. Please check your emails for your invitation code. A letter has also been sent home advising of you child's EQ ID. If you require any assistance with setting up your QParent account, please contact the office.
Student Resource Scheme
We would like to thank all of our families for supporting our Student Resource Scheme. The monies raised helps purchase learning materials used in each of our classrooms and specialist lessons. Your assistance enhances our student's learning outcomes.
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.
First Aid Processes
If children are injured or become ill at school they will receive treatment within the classroom or in the Health Room. Parents/Carers will be contacted if necessary. Please note that staff must give Parents and Carers a courtesy contact home for all head related injuries (no matter how minor).
When a student is considered too unwell to remain at school, parents will be contacted to collect their student in a timely manner. If a student's condition deteriorates while waiting to be collected an ambulance may be called if deemed necessary.
If a student presents to the health room with a suspected allergic reaction, parents/carers will be contacted. As per Education Queensland policy, if a student requires an EpiPen to be administered parents will be notified. An ambulance must be called and the student will be transported to hospital for further treatment. Children with known allergies will have their own school based EpiPen. We also hold a school EpiPen for any unforseen emergencies.
Medication must be prescribed by a doctor or dentist and may only be administered to students by school staff. The medication must be taken to the school office in its prescription container and administered according to the doctor’s instructions.
Non prescribed oral medication such as Panadol and cough mixtures can only be administered by school staff with a pharmacy label and medical authorisation. Education Queensland prohibits students from carrying their own medication to school and requires Parents/Carers to deliver the prescribed medication to the office and collect after school or before weekends as needed. A school register of all medicines administered is kept.
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 Association
Thank you to all our volunteer parents who have been supporting the school this year.
Uniform Shop
Our online ordering platform is https://runcorn-state-school-parents-citizens-association.square.site
Our Uniform Shop is open:
Tuesday mornings from 9.00am to 10.00am
Thursday afternoons from 3.00pm to 3.30pm
You can order uniforms in person or through our online ordering platform.
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.
