School Newsletter - Term 1 Week 7 - 2023

Principal's News

Strategic Agenda: Quality Teaching & Learning with a precise focus on Reading

This week, our Head of Department for Curriculum, Miss Becker, and I had the pleasure of visiting most of our classrooms to have discussions with a select group of students about their English learning this term. These 60 students, our 2023 Marker Students, have been carefully selected by their teachers based on school-specific criteria, with a focus on First Nations students and those achieving from a C to a B or a B to an A in English. Through this termly process, we ask five consistent questions related to English of each student to track their learning progress throughout the year.

If this group of students can achieve their individual goals, we predict a collective bump of 2.85% in our whole school A-C English data (predicted increase to 85.56%) and an impressive 11% bump in our whole school B-A data (predicted increase to 52%). This would be a significant achievement, and we're excited to see what we can accomplish together.

Over the next few weeks, we will continue to meet with the remaining students and share our progress and achievements this year with everyone. We are proud of our Marker Students and grateful for the opportunity to support their growth and success in English.

Attendance Week 7

We have reached the pointy end of the term where classrooms start focussing on celebrating the students learning through assessment and we all become tired and start looking forward to a well earnt break. We all appreciate that students can find it difficult to come to school during these times. These pressures are part and parcel of daily life in any school, and it is important that the students continue to embrace these challenges and dig deep to attend daily. I am proud of how our staff support all children’s learning and work hard to ensure assessment is effectively managed and implemented ensuring our students feel supported and not overwhelmed. When a child misses an assessment, unfortunately, it can compound the impact of assessment over time.

As you can see below our school recorded a 93.3% attendance rate last week and interestingly our students are attending more during the middle of the week.

A regular long weekend for any student could see them collectively miss 20% of a school year – that’s almost a whole term of learning for your child.

QParents: 81% Parent/Family Uptake

Thank you to the 46 families who have signed up to Q Parents over the last fortnight. Thank you to our families who are spreading the word about how simple it is to use and what a positive impact it is having on their personal engagement with the school permission forms, payments, absence communication and school communication. With your help, we can achieve 90% uptake by the end of this term.

Parent Teacher Interviews – SOBS

The Term 1 Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Tuesday 21 March from 3:10pm to 7:00pm in the W Block Hall. This year our school with be utilising SOBS (Schools Online Booking System) and an electronic invitation to book your child’s Parent Teacher Interviews will be sent early next week. Please keep an eye out for this invitation in your email inbox. A text message will also be sent to our families when the invite has been sent as well.

Wishing our students the best of luck as they embark on various exciting endeavors in the upcoming weeks! We have our Junior and Senior Swimming Carnivals, where our swimmers will showcase their skills. Our Small Group Voices Choir will also be performing at the Empire Theatre next Friday for the opening night of The Boy From Oz. Additionally, our Year 3 and 5 students will commence 2023 NAPLAN testing, and we are confident that they will do well.

Lastly, we want to express our gratitude to Mrs Giles, who has served as the face and voice of Rangeville State School for the past 20 years. Thank you for the wonderful 20 years Ann. Today, she is retiring, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors. Thank you to all the families who have expressed their appreciation to her over the past two weeks. I dont think she has anymore tears to share. Mrs. Giles, your contribution to our school will always be remembered.

Calendar of Events

Guidance Officer News

Please see the attached article regarding manners, courtesy of our Guidance Officer, Melissa Pappin.

What's on in the Library this term?

What’s happening in the Library this term?

We would like to update you on the exciting events happening in our school library this term.

We are pleased to announce that Coding Club has been added to our Monday second lunchtime activities for students in years 3-6. This will be a great opportunity for your children to develop their computer skills and engage in exciting projects.

We are thrilled to introduce a new activity this term, Storytelling, on Tuesdays second break. This will be an excellent opportunity for students to develop their creativity, imagination, and public speaking skills. Additionally, we would like to extend an invitation to parents, carers, and grandparents who are willing to share a story with the Storytelling library group. If you have a favourite tale to tell, we would love to hear it! Please register your interest by emailing Mrs Williams at swill396@eq.edu.au. Let's inspire the love of storytelling and reading together.

Furthermore, we are excited to welcome a guest speaker from our community who will be sharing stories from a First Nation perspective. All students are welcome to attend. It will be a quiet space for listening or silent reading. No computers or games will be allowed during this session.

Finally, we are considering a Lego building session on Thursdays second break. We believe that this will be a fun activity that will allow students to engage in creative play while developing their critical thinking skills.

Our popular Chess club continues to run on Wednesday first break. Students have been enjoying this activity for a while now and it's great to see them developing their strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

Did you know that Japanese Chess also happens in the Library? This is a super fun experience that students love, and we welcome everyone to join us! Japanese Chess is run by Mr Watson, and meets every Tuesday during second break. Whether your child is a seasoned player or just curious about the game, we encourage them to come and give it a try. They might even discover a new passion!

If you have any additional information or any fabulous ideas, please feel free to drop in and have a chat with us at the Library, or send an email to Mrs Williams at swill396@eq.edu.au. We are always looking for ways to improve our library activities and provide the best learning experience for your children.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing your children engage in these exciting activities.

Sport News

Whole School Cross Country Carnival Timetable

Please see attached our Whole School Cross Country Program, kindly provided by Mr Morris, our HPE Teacher. Thank you Mr Morris for your hard work and commitment to making this event a success.

Chess Championships

It was a great pleasure to take 17 Rangeville students to the Toowoomba Individual Chess Championships. They all competed valiantly, showed great sportsmanship and represented their school well. All players were independent on the day by finding their tables for each round and seemed to have a fun day. Our top players for the day came 13^th in the novice section and 14^th in the open section.  Mrs Cunningham.

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World Down Syndrome Day - Lots of Socks Campaign

We are excited to let you know that on Tuesday the 21st of March, we will be showing our support for World Down Syndrome Day by participating in the Lots of Socks campaign. This is a fun and meaningful way for our students to raise awareness about Down Syndrome and celebrate diversity and inclusion.

As a school, we encourage all students to participate in this wonderful activity by wearing their most colourful and fun socks to school on the day. There is no cost to participate, and all you need to do is to wear some different socks with your school shoes.

The Lots of Socks campaign is based on the idea that all types, shapes, and sizes of the same thing can be unique in their own way, and yet do the same thing. By wearing different socks, we hope to start a conversation about diversity, uniqueness, inclusion, and acceptance.

We believe that this is a great opportunity to teach our students about the importance of celebrating differences and promoting a culture of inclusivity. We encourage you to have a conversation with your child about the campaign and why it is important to support it.

We look forward to seeing all the amazing socks on Tuesday the 21st March 2023.

NAPLAN 2023 Timetable

13-17 March 2023

20 - 24 March 2023

Harmony Day Celebrations 2023

On Friday 17 March 2023, we will be celebrating Harmony Day at Rangeville State School. As orange is the colour to represent Harmony Day, all students from Prep - year 6 are encouraged to wear something orange to school that day. Students can also choose to wear traditional/cultural costumes to school if they have one. There is no cost to participate in this. As per tradition, there will be a special parade in the morning for all students.

For year 3 – 6 students, the school has made arrangements with professional cultural performers to present various cultural activities including traditional dances and musical performances. This is an excellent opportunity for your child to engage in and be part of this vibrant and colourful celebration. The cost per student in year 3 - 6 is $7.00.

Permission forms and invoices have been sent home via QParents. Paper copies are also available at the office should you require one.

If you or someone you know would like to perform at our Harmony Day parade, kindly contact Mrs Tay on (07) 4617 7333 or email her at stay4@eq.edu.au

Free Dress Day

Raising Resilient Children - Free Parenting Seminar

Raising Resilient Children – find out more about cybersafety

Tuesday 2^nd May, 6:00 – 7:30PM, Rangeville State School – Resource Room

Many parents worry about what their kids are doing online but aren’t sure how to best protect them. We all do our best to supervise our children’s online activities, but there are also other steps we can take. That’s why we’re proud to be hosting a Triple P Seminar to help all parents give children useful skills and strategies to manage their emotions, overcome challenges, and handle situations such as unpleasant online interactions. Whatever stage of life your child is at or what challenges you are facing as a parent, the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program can help make raising kids easier, and help you guide them towards a happy and successful adulthood.

Triple P’s Raising Resilient Children Seminar offers tips on how to develop your child’s ability to cope with problems, now and in the future, in real-life and online.

HELP YOUR KIDS COPE WITH LIFE’S UPS AND DOWNS – INCLUDING ONLINE

• Problem-solve with your child, to help them stay safe and manage risks online
• Support your child’s ability to manage emotional ups and downs
• Manage screen time and set age-appropriate boundaries
• Know what actions to take if your child is being bullied online
• Help your child cope with stress and setbacks and stay positive

The seminar is fun and friendly and it’s FREE! It’ll help kids AND parents take the drama out of family life (and screen time) so everyone can deal with issues calmly and more confidently.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE FREE SEMINAR: https://www.triplep-parenting.net.au/qld-en/contact/find-a-session/2023-05-02/cyberbullying-seminar//111832/ to learn more and book your free spot.

Triple P is a world-renowned program (developed in Queensland!) that has already helped more than 4 million children and their families, and is currently offered free of charge to Queensland parents and carers of children up to 16 years. Triple P also offers other seminars, group workshops and one-on-one consultations, as well as Triple P Online, Teen Triple P Online, and Fear-Less Triple P Online (web-based courses you do in your own time, at your own pace). There are also a range of Stepping Stones Triple P programs, which are tailored specifically for parents of a child with a disability. New Fear-Less Triple P helps parents of anxious children and teenagers.

Help your Child or Teenager Prevent and Cope with Anxiety - Free Parenting Seminar

Help your child or teenager prevent and cope with anxiety

Wednesday 3^rd May, 6:00pm  – 8:00pm, Rangeville State School – Resource Room

Many parents are coming to realise that their child or teenager is anxious, but are unsure of the best way to help them. Often, the ways parents naturally react to having an anxious child can accidentally increase anxiety. That’s why we’re proud to be hosting a FREE Triple P Seminar to help all parents give children useful skills and strategies to prevent excessive worrying and build confidence. These are practical tips and techniques to help you build up your child’s ability to handle uncomfortable emotions in a healthy way. You’ll learn more about underlying causes of anxiety, and what works to reduce it.

The Fear-Less Triple P Seminar can help you:

• Understand more about anxiety (and how to reduce it)
• Look at different ways to respond to your child when they’re anxious
• Give them skills to cope with challenging situations and solve problems
• Teach them a range of strategies based on proven principles

Triple P – Positive Parenting Program can help make raising kids easier, and help you guide them towards a happy and successful adulthood. The seminar is fun and friendly and it’s FREE! Research shows that Fear-Less Triple P actually helps the whole family feel less stressed.

REGISTER NOW:  https://www.triplep-parenting.net.au/qld-en/contact/find-a-session/2023-05-03/fear-less-seminar//111833/ to learn more and book your free spot.

Triple P is a world-renowned program (developed in Queensland!) that has already helped more than 4 million children and their families, and is currently offered free of charge to Queensland parents and carers of children up to 16 years. Triple P also offers other seminars, group workshops and one-on-one consultations, as well as Triple P Online, Teen Triple P Online, and Fear-Less Triple P Online (web-based courses you do in your own time, at your own pace). There are also a range of Stepping Stones Triple P programs, which are tailored specifically for parents of a child with a disability. New Fear-Less Triple P helps parents of anxious children and teenagers.

Book Club and Issue 2

Book Club Issue 1 orders have been delivered on Tuesday along with Issue 2 catalogues. Thank you very much to Mrs Horncy who has taken on the delivery role this year. 

The Due Date for Issue 2 is 20 March 2023.

With International Women's Day in March, it is time to celebrate the strength and resilience of women everywhere. And what better way to do that than with books about some of the most inspiring female characters and books with strong female leads?

QParents

QParents  is a secure, online portal that has been created by the Department of Education to provide parents of Queensland state school students with 24-hour access to their child's information. The portal allows you to securely access information about your child and communicate directly with your child's school.

QParents provides secure, online access to student information such as:

• attendance details
• consent forms
• payment of invoices
• payment history
• behaviour
• report cards and assessment dates
• upcoming events
• timetables
• student photo

In addition to the information provided, it's important to note that the QParents portal only sends invoices to the parent/carer who is responsible for 100% of the student's school fees. This means that if there are multiple parents or carers who share responsibility for fees, only one of them will receive the invoice through the portal. It's important for parents and carers to communicate and coordinate payment arrangements if they are sharing the responsibility for fees. 

We encourage you to register for QParents. To do this, simply express your interest by emailing mllew16@eq.edu.au or by phoning 4617 733 and Mrs Llewellyn will email you an invitation to register (which includes your log-in code) and your childs unique EQID. Please see the attached factsheet for more information.

Rangeville State School P&C Association

Next Meeting

The Annual General Meeting is being held on Tuesday 14th March at 6:00pm in the Resource Room.

Membership forms can be downloaded from our website www.rsspandc.com.au or by emailing secretary@rangevillestateschoolpandc.onmicrosoft.com.

We are looking for dedicated parents to serve in leadership roles as Executive Members for 2023. All executive positions are open and nomination forms can be found on our website or obtained by emailing us at the address mentioned above. Join us in shaping the future of our school community and consider submitting your nomination today!

A special welcome goes out to our new families. At Rangeville State School, our P&C is active and engaged. We would love the opportunity to meet you and discuss the various ways you can get involved and how we can support you and your family in your school journey.

As we plan for a fantastic year ahead, we welcome your ideas, feedback, and support. For more information about our activities and helpful resources for families, visit our P&C website at www.rsspandc.com.au.

P&C is Cashless

The P&C wishes to thank all families for supporting us in going cashless. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the P&C Executive directly via email.

Contact details  

P&C Committee:

president@rangevillestateschoolpandc.onmicrosoft.com

treasurer@rangevillestateschoolpandc.onmicrosoft.com

vicepresident2@rangevillestateschoolpandc.onmicrosoft.com

secretary@rangevillestateschoolpandc.onmicrosoft.com

vicepresident1@rangevillestateschoolpandc.onmicrosoft.com

Phone P&C  and Ops office: 07 4617 7354 

New P&C Logo

We are excited to announce that we are revamping our P&C logo, and we can't wait to share our progress with you. To give you a sneak peek at what we have in store, we have included the proposed designs below. We highly value your input and opinion, which is why we are giving you the opportunity to vote for your favorite design. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we encourage you to share your thoughts with us via our Facebook page or by email. We look forward to hearing from you and working together to create a brand new logo!

P&C Facebook page - Rangeville State School P&C

Did you know that we have a Facebook page? We would love you to follow us so that you can hear all about what's happening around Rangeville State School.

https://www.facebook.com/rangevillepc

Fundraising News - Create a Plate

Each class has been given a set of plate templates, which will allow students to unleash their creativity and design their very own personalised plate. Whether done in the classroom as a group activity or at home, we encourage all students to take part in this fun and engaging activity.

All plate templates must be returned to the school office by 17 March. Additionally, orders for the plates must be placed via Flexischools by the same date. 

For those who are interested in having their child design a clock or have already placed an order, please check with your class teacher or visit the office to collect the clock template. Clock templates must also be returned to the office by 17 March.

We are confident that this fundraiser will be a resounding success, thanks to the creativity and enthusiasm of our students, as well as the unwavering support of our parent community. All proceeds from this event will go towards supporting various school programs and activities, so your contribution will make a meaningful difference.

Fundraising News - Easter Raffle

The Easter Raffle will feature a hamper full of delightful Easter treats, and we need your help to make it happen.

We are calling on all parents to donate chocolates and Easter gifts that we can use to create the ultimate Easter hamper. Donations can be dropped off at ROSHC or the School Office, and a labelled box is available in each area. We kindly ask that all donations be made before the end of term so that we can start creating the hamper.

Tickets for the Easter Raffle are available via Flexischools and close on Monday 27 March. We appreciate your continued support, and we believe this is a fantastic opportunity to come together as a community and celebrate the spirit of Easter while raising funds for our school.

Thank you for your generosity, and we look forward to creating a fantastic hamper for the raffle!

Show this digital card for the P&C to get great rewards and in turn help raise funds for our community! 

Volunteers

The P&C extends a warm welcome and sincere thanks to all of our wonderful new volunteers! If you're new to the school and eager to make a difference, we'd love to connect with you and show you all the exciting ways you can get involved.  If you're curious about volunteering opportunities, don't hesitate to drop us an email at the address listed above. We look forward to hearing from you!

Tuckshop News

Calling all volunteers! The school community would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers who assist in the Tuckshop. We are seeking new volunteers to join our team. If you are interested in lending a hand, please reach out to us.  For those who are new to Flexischools and need help navigating the system, please click the link provided for further instructions.

Flexischools Instructions

Uniform Shop

2023 Operating Hours

If you are interested in volunteering in the uniform shop, please contact us via the P&C Facebook page or phone Nicky on (07) 4617 7333.

Lost Property

Do you recognise any items pictured below? We have a designated Lost and Found area located on the verandah near the Uniform Shop. This is where we collect and store items that have been left behind in classrooms, playgrounds and other areas of the school.

If your child has lost something, please encourage them to check the Lost and Found area as soon as possible. For more valuable items such as glasses and watches, you can visit the administration office, where we hold these items securely.

To ensure the quick and easy return of lost items, we encourage you to please label them clearly with your child's name. This makes it much easier for us to identify the owner and return the item to them promptly. 

Rangeville State School P&C Association Outside School Hours Care (ROSHC)

At ROSHC we have made some recent changes to our afternoon routines in response to the increase in numbers. Our focus has been on reducing large groups of children in limited areas, which allows for clearer supervision, different opportunities for activities, and more space to play, create, and learn.

As a result, your children will now be coming from different areas in the afternoon, including the rainforest area, oval and climbing frame area at the back of the hall, in the hall, and the room. 

While we have been running a new routine, we have also simplified our expectations to be more in line with the school. This can now be seen as Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be Active. We have been discussing these expectations with the children, helping them to remember and understand what each one looks like, and encouraging them to use them during their play.

You can see our expectations displayed as large suns on the door as you enter the room. Additionally, your children have contributed their ideas on what each expectation looks like, which you can find in the rays of the suns.

Vacation Care

We have been busy getting the program for vacation care finalised for it to be emailed to all families on Friday 17^th March. Please keep an eye out for it in your emails as bookings will be open as soon as it is sent. Places are expected to fill quickly so be sure to get your bookings in as soon as possible. When requesting vacation care bookings, please remember your request is not finalised until you confirm it in the ‘shopping cart’. You will see on the program that there are days that require extra items to be brought in by the children and permission forms will need to be signed. Please ensure you check each day.

Public holiday’s fall in the middle of these upcoming holidays so the dates for vacation care will be Monday 3^rd to Thursday 6^th April for the first week and Tuesday 11^th to Friday 14^th April for the second week. Please be advised that the service will not operate on any public holiday throughout the year. If your permanent bookings fall on a public holiday they will be cancelled and not charged to your account.  

Have your details changed?

Please email admin@rangevilless.eq.edu.au or phone 4617 7333 to let us know if your contact details (email address, mobile number or home address), family circumstances, work place or emergency contacts have recently changed so that we can update your details.