School Newsletter - Term 2 Week 5 - 2023

Principal's News

This week, our Head of Department: Curriculum, Ms Becker and myself have had the pleasure of visiting all classrooms to talk with our pair of marker students about their learning in English this term. This termly process allows us to ask 5 consistent questions of each of our students all related to their English Learning and track these specific students learning across the entire year.  It was an absolute pleasure to work with each of these students and learn about their learning. Each child was so proud to celebrate their learning journey so far and it was extremely powerful to hear that each of them new what their learning focus was, what was their identified strengths and areas that they and their teacher will be working on to achieve their individual goals. The ownership of their learning and success is such a powerful tool to achieve success.

Toowoomba Eisteddfod Results

It was a huge weekend at the Eisteddfod for all our choir members with performances last Friday night and Sunday morning.  Thank you to all families for their assistance in preparation for this event.  We participated in the following events and achieved the following results:

Section 015 Primary School A GRADE CHOIR – 1st place 5/6 Voice Choir

Section 017 Primary School VOCAL ENSEMBLE (5 to 16 voices) – 3^rd place Small Group Choir

Section 022 Primary School Years P – 4 A GRADE JUNIOR CHOIR - Year 4 Choir

While Rangeville did not place in Section 022, we were in the top 3 choirs (with only 4 marks between all 3!) for the aggregate trophy awarded across all three sections which is a great reflection of how well all our choirs performed. 

Many thanks to all of our staff that assisted across the weekend including Mrs Brouwer, Mr Crowley, Miss Lingrend, Mrs Mohr, Mrs Smiddy, Chappy Sophie and Mr Henry.

Sports News

Congratulations to Eli Batts – Darling Downs Football who has been selected to represent Darling Downs School Sport for Football.

Congratulations to our 5 wonderful runners who ran the Darling Downs Cross Country in very wet, cold and muddy conditions this week. Their determination and resilience considering the conditions needs to be recognised.

Our students achieved the following very impressive results:

• Skyla M- 4th Place and selected in the DD team!
• Felix W- 7th Place and reserve for the DD team
• Larni W- 9th Place
• Georgia G- 8th Place
• Ryder W- 12th Place 

All the best to the students participating in the All Abilities Touch Gala day next Tuesday at the Kearney Springs Touch Fields.

Darling Downs Cross Country Trials

EPBL Update:

This term, we have been implementing some exciting and interesting student led activities and Staff Professional Development opportunities.

Student SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Survey

At the start of the term , we implemented a simple student survey that asked our students to rate their perception of school climate, adult support, and sense of belonging. This simple and informal measure has been used by our individual classroom teachers to reflect on feedback from students and reflect on areas for growth.

Trauma PD

Last week, two presenters from Child Safety and Regional Office worked with 21 of our teachers to build their understanding of the impacts of developmental, simple and complex trauma on our children. The teachers experienced a virtual reality experience and explored strategies to support brain development and children’s regulation abilities.

Student Absences

Thank you very much to our entire school community for their commitment to maximising learning at Rangeville. As always, Terms Two and Three provide us with the greatest of challenges in terms of balancing winter illnesses and maximising days at school. 

It is important that the school is aware of any infection or contagious diseases or conditions. For the safety of all, we must follow guidelines from Queensland Health when it comes to such infections or contagious conditions. We’re asking our parents and carers to let us know when these illnesses are present with your children.

Staff at Rangeville SS are able to provide guidance to parents and carers regarding certain illnesses, particularly with the length of time students must be excluded from school, but this can only happen if parents and carers share this detail. The diseases or conditions that require students to stay away from school are: chickenpox; conjunctivitis; COVID-19; diarrhoea; enterovirus; fungal infections (tinea, ringworm); rubella; hand, foot and mouth disease; Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, influenza, measles, meningitis, meningococcal, mumps, norovirus, scabies, school sores, shingles, streptococcal sore throat, tuberculosis, typhoid, whooping cough, worms. For such illnesses, days away from school are recorded as Attendance Not Required which means the student’s recorded attendance is not affected negatively for this time period.

To assist the school in remaining as safe as possible, we ask parents and carers to please advise the school (via your preferred method - QParents, phone call, email, in person) if the illness is contagious or infectious. When using QParents, an example would be to type “Illness – chickenpox”. We thank everyone for helping keep our school as safe as possible.

PREP ENROLMENTS 2024 AND BEYOND

Thanks to the 73 parents who have already completed our enrolment forms for their 2024 Prep child. This means, we already have 4 Prep classes almost filled and we are working hard to achieve our goal of 5 Prep classes. Our 2024 enrolment forms are now available on our website or via the office and Mrs Allen our enrolment officer can support you to begin the process of enrolment ASAP. Enrolment applications for Prep can be completed online by clicking on this link.

Interviews for our Prep Siblings and out of catchment students have also begun and we will be steadily working through this process.

We are also accepting enrolment applications for our Years One – Year Six children for 2024 and beyond as well.

P&C Day

On P&C Day, 19 May, we celebrate our P&C Volunteers and thank them for their support and the hard work they do in OUR school community. Rangeville State School is extremely fortunate to have a vibrant and talented P&C, who work tirelessly to ensure that our students, staff and community are supported and our school programs, facilities and 3 P&C Businesses are continually improved. Thank you to our amazing P&C who continue to make a significant and lasting contribution to our school and community.

The Rangeville P&C Vision: Providing opportunity and support for the greater Rangeville community.

Calendar of Events

Guidance Officer News

Please see the attached article regarding 'Reflections on mothers and motherhood', courtesy of our Guidance Officer, Melissa Pappin.

Book Fair

Music News

Mr Henry will provide an Eisteddfod update in the next newsletter.

Sport News

### IMPORTANT INFORMATION - The RSS Junior Athletics Carnival for 5-8 year old students has been rescheduled for the end of Term 3. This decision has been endorsed by the P&C ###

Monday 22 May: 1500m Events for 9-12 year olds.
The top 15 placegetters from our Cross Country carnival are invited to race in this event. Students that were absent for this and students interested in taking part can also nominate to Mr Morris to do this event.

Monday 29 May: Discus Event for 9-12 year olds.
All students will participate in this event. Students must have completed and returned the Discus consent form as this event is classified as a HIGH RISK activity. These have been sent home with students in years 3, 4, 5 and 6. If you have not completed a consent form for your child, please see form attached or collect one from the office. Completed forms can be handed in at the office or emailed direct to aalle208@eq.edu.au  No Form = No Trial.

Wednesday 14 June: Day 1 Interhouse Athletics Carnival for 9-12 Years

• 9 & 10 year olds will complete the 4 event rotations from 8:50-12.10pm.
• High Jump
• Long Jump
• Shot Put
• 800m

• 11 & 12 year olds will complete the 4 event rotations from 12.20-2:55pm
• High Jump
• Long Jump
• Shot Put
• 800m

Thursday 15 June: Day 2 Interhouse Athletics Carnival for 9-12 Years

• 9-12 Years will compete in the following events from 8:50-2:55pm.
• 200m- Heats & Finals
• Sprints (80m-9 Years, 100m - 10, 11 & 12 Years) Heats & Finals
• Relays- 
• Age Groups Relays - 9 Years, 10 Years, 11 Years & 12 Years (STAFF VS PARENT VS STUDENT Relay if time permitts)
• New event - All Age Relay: 1 team per house. 1 boy and 1 girl from each age group will compete in this event. 8 students per team. First runner - 9 Years Girl will start at the Finish line and run to the 80m start line and hand the baton over to the 9 year old boy runner who then runs the baton back to the finish line to hand it over to the 10 years girl runner. This pattern continues until the last runner which will be the 12 years boy whom receives the baton at the 100m start and then runs through to the finish line.

Upcoming: Information Sessions for Parents – PBL (Behaviour)

We are excited to announce upcoming information sessions on key aspects of PBL (Positive Behaviour for Learning), which is an essential part of our curriculum at Rangeville State School. These free sessions will be held twice a term, on Tuesday afternoons in week 5 and 9, from 2:15-2:45pm (see dates below).

Our focus during these sessions is to share the principles of each topic based on research, show how the school implement these practices, reflect on ways this can be adapted to home, and allow for question-and-answer time. 

Please email Nelson McGrath nemcg0@eq.edu.au if you are interested in attending any of the sessions or if you have any further questions. 

We look forward to seeing you at these sessions, and thank you for your ongoing support.

ICAS 2023

Welcome to the 2023 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) We are delighted to inform you that Rangeville will again be participating in the ICAS competition. 

What is ICAS? 

ICAS is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee and Digital Technologies. 

Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals. 

We encourage you to consider entering your child into ICAS this year.  

Learn more about ICAS here https://www.icasassessments.com/products-icas

Subject availability/Year levels table

DATES -sitting windows for ICAS assessments

An entry fee is charged for each competition entered.

If you would like your child to sit the ICAS assessments this year payment is made easier with an online Parent Payment System.

Further information regarding this system will be given to parents as the payment dates draw closer.

ICAS Results and Certificates 

As the dates get closer, we will notify you of the dates that we run ICAS at the school and when your child’s ICAS results are ready. Once we have received your child’s ICAS certificate, we will send it home with your child.

If you require further information or assistance, please leave a message at the office and I will respond to your inquiry.

Judy Keightley

ICAS Co-ordinator

What's on in the Library this term?

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

• Coding Club - Monday's second break playtime for students in years 3-6. This is a great opportunity for your children to develop their computer skills and engage in exciting projects.
• Storytelling - Tuesday's second break playtime. 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.
• Japanese Chess - Tuesday's second break playtime. This is a super fun experience that students love, and we welcome everyone to join us! Japanese Chess is run by Mr Watson. 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!
• Chess Club - Wednesday's during first break playtime. 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.
• Lego Building - Thursday's second break playtime. We believe that this will be a fun activity that will allow students to engage in creative play while developing their critical thinking skills.
  

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.

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

Our next P&C Meeting is on Tuesday 13^th June  in the Resource Room starting at 6:30pm. 

If you are interested in joining the P&C Team, membership forms are available from the website www.rsspandc.com.au or email us at secretary@rangevillestateschoolpandc.onmicrosoft.com and one will be forwarded to you. 

We have a very active and involved P&C here at Rangeville State School. We would love to meet you and have a chat about the many different ways you can be involved and how we can assist you.

See our P&C website www.rsspandc.com.au for more details around our businesses and helpful information for families.  

Contact details:

Website: www.rsspandc.com.au
Email: pandc@rangevilless.eq.edu.au
Phone P&C Ops Office:  07 4617 7354

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

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

Volunteers

Calling all volunteers! Our school is constantly in need of dedicated individuals who can lend a hand with various tasks, from organising fundraising events to sorting lost property. If you're interested in getting involved and making a difference, we encourage you to reach out to us via our Facebook page, email, or by calling the office. We appreciate all the support and contributions we've received thus far and want to thank everyone who has helped our school and P&C thrive.

Chaplaincy News

Tuckshop News

We would like to thank all our volunteers that turn up to assist at the Tuck shop each week. We are looking for volunteers for 2023, so please let us know if you are interested.  

For those who are new to Flexischools and need help navigating the system, please click the link below 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.

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

Self Help Skills

In recent weeks, we have witnessed a delightful trend among the children at our service. At various times, they have eagerly embraced opportunities to contribute to our kitchen tasks, whether it be assisting with the preparation of afternoon tea fruit trays, baking, kitchen cleanup duties, or organising and operating the dishwasher. Additionally, we have encouraged their involvement in shaping our weekly menus, allowing them to draft the plans and gather suggestions. This process has been accompanied by enlightening discussions about nutrition guidelines and the importance of healthy eating.

We have been fortunate enough to have some older children involved in the shopping process, collaborating with Bec to determine quantities and referring to recipes to ensure all necessary items are included in the list. These activities along with children preparing their own breakfast,  help to provide valuable lessons in practical life skills across different age groups, fostering independence and self-sufficiency.

It is heartening to observe the children's increased engagement in various aspects of our service. Not only have they shown enthusiasm for the enjoyable activities, but they have also taken a keen interest in the behind-the-scenes operations. Some of the children have even taken on the responsibility of working closely with educators to document daily write-ups and significant program moments. This process involves explaining the activities, aligning them with our framework outcomes, selecting relevant photos, and tagging the participating children. 

Mother’s Day

We had many different set out activities for Mother’s Day gift creating last week so many creations and cards were made with so much love. We hope all mother figures enjoyed the day on Sunday.

Vacation Care

The vacation care program is in the process of being finalised and will be distributed to parents by week 8. Please don’t do bookings for vacation care (26^th June – 7^th July) until they open as we won’t be able to put them into the xplor system until after we send out all the information. Keep an eye out in week 8 for the email with all the vacation care information. Please see the ROSHC office for any concerns or questions.  

Absentees

If you have a booking at the service and your child goes home early from school, is absent or not coming for either BSC or ASC please let us know via your xplor app (preferred option) or email roshc@rangevilless.eq.edu.au as soon as possible.

Lost Property

As the winter season approaches, we often come across an abundance of abandoned jumpers and warm clothes. If your child has misplaced any personal items, we kindly request that you check their classrooms or visit our 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.

Currently, our Lost and Found area is populated with a considerable number of lunchboxes and water bottles. If your child happens to be missing any of these items, we encourage you to take a moment to search for them there. For more valuable items such as glasses and watches, you can visit the administration office, where we hold these items securely.

We encourage you to clearly label your child's items with their name and class. This simple measure greatly aids in identifying lost items. Please note that at the end of each term, any remaining unclaimed items will be collected and removed.

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.

News from the Community

Please note that although the following notices may be included in the school’s Newsletter, they are published in good faith and do not necessarily have the school’s endorsement.

Toowoomba State High School Enrolment Information Evening

Toowoomba State High School Enrolments for Year 7 2024 are now open!

All students from all locations are welcome to apply after the removal of our enrolment management plan. Enrolment forms are available on our website or at the school office.

To find out more, come to our enrolment information evening on Tuesday 23rd May 2023 5:30pm – 7:00pm in our Performing Arts Centre

• Chat with our Principal & Leadership staff
• Explore our specialist programs including our Performing Arts Academy, Mountain Bike Academy, Innovation Centre and Sport offerings
• Enrol early to secure your place at our wonderful, smaller boutique school
• Enjoy finger food, light refreshments and entertainment