School Newsletter - Term 1 Week 1 - 2024

Principal's Celebration

Welcome to 2024 at Rangeville State School. Welcome to our new families who are joining the Rangeville Family for the first time this year. The start of school this year has been extremely smooth for all, and we thank our families for their efforts in ensuring each and every child has the resources to ensure success in 2024. We are so proud of each of our students and their achievements, and we are looking forward to working together as they Learn, Achieve and Grow, every day in 2024.

Student Numbers

Today we entered our student enrolment numbers of 706 students. These numbers will see the current class structure remain in place without any disruption. If there are any required changes to our current class structure families will be notified on Friday 3rd of February.

Communication

Rangeville State School has various communication modes that are utilised to communicate to parents and families. These include our fortnightly school newsletter, school calendar, school website, school email, school text messages, school notes, school phone calls and the P&C Facebook page.

Our 2024 School Calendar is our acuate communication tool for upcoming events. These should have been received by our eldest in the family students during the last two days. The dates and events are locked in and unless things occur outside of our control will remain scheduled as advertised.

Our fortnightly Schoolzine E-Newsletter is distributed to families provides accurate details on past and upcoming events.

Our Electronic Sign advertises our weekly and future events and celebration.

The P&C Facebook is run by volunteers who are part of our P&C committee. This is a fast mechanism for updating and advertising information for families at short notice related to school and P&C matters.

QParents is our departmental, user-friendly portal accessible to our families via app or web browser, providing parents with secure online access to information about their child’s schooling. It provides parents with access to information about:

• Attendance details
• Report Cards and assessments
• Invoices and payment history

QParents is also moving this year to becoming an electronic platform for allowing families to provide electronic permission for certain excursions and school-based activities. It is strongly recommended that families join QParents for ease and convenience.

The school will also email or text families using the contact details of the main parent/caregiver listed on the enrolment form. Texts and emails are sent to families communicating important information or updates on excursions at short notice.

We are very proud of our home-school relationships and work hard to maintain effective and positive relations with all to ensure the best possible education can be achieved for all of our children. Your class teacher is the first point of contact for any questions, concerns or issues regarding your child. If you wish to raise any concern that may require time to address, please arrange a mutually convenient appointment with your class teacher. Appointments can be arranged through the office or face to face with your teacher.

Social Media, please be mindful, that staff members' social media platforms are private. If families have a concern or question that pertains to their child or a school matter, please contact your teacher via the school office or at their classroom. Please refrain from messaging them via their private social media platforms.

Phones & Smartwatches Away All Day

This year our State Government and Education Department has introduced the very positive policy of Phones and Smartwatches Away All Day Policy.

This policy requires all students in State Schools to:

• If students choose to bring their phone to school, they must switch it off and keep it in the office during school hours.
• Smartwatches and other devices can be worn, however, notifications must be switched off.
• This includes during lessons and break times, as well as during other school activities.

At Rangeville our expectations are as follows:

• Every morning when students enter the school grounds, they will be required to switch their phone off and leave it at the OFFICE. The office will be collecting phones from 8:15am. Students are allowed to turn their phones back on once they leave the school grounds.
• Students with smartwatches or other devices will be required to turn their notifications off from when they enter the school grounds and until they leave the school grounds. A good rule of thumb would be to set the notification silence time from 8:20am – 3:00pm.

Students who require their phone or smartwatch for medical attention and monitoring will be exempt from this policy. Any questions regarding this new policy, please see Mrs Hagley or Mrs Franklin for support.

We appreciate your support of this policy and we look forward to collaboratively working together to ensure effective implementation is achieved across our school.

Parking

We completely understand that car parking around Rangeville State School is limited and frustrating at times. Please be mindful of our neighbours when parking in the surrounding streets.

The designated car parks on High Street and South Streets are designated for staff and community members who have been given prior permission for health reasons. These car parks are not a drop off zone or a parking spot for community members who are unable to find a park close to the school. Our students, your children’s safety is everyone business – when people use these car parks as a drop off zone or car park, staff and the community members with permission are not expecting children to be in the car parks and this can result in accidents and safety issues for all.

Personal News

As of Monday 5 February 2024, I will be taking up a new role within our Darling Downs South West Regional Office supporting schools and Principals Maximising Learning Days for students. This will see me complete 8 wonderful years at Rangeville. A time that I am immensely proud of. We, collectively have achieved so much for our students, staff and community. Our academic, sporting, music, social and wellbeing achievements, our facilities, our behaviours and practices, our reputation and our inclusive culture have been significantly enhanced during this time and I know and believe we are delivering an exceptional educational product for all of our students.

Mrs Skye Gabler, Principal of Harristown State School will be replacing me for Term 1 and Rangeville will be advertised during Term 1 for the rest of the Semester and depending on my roles progress possibly for the rest of the year. Skye is and will be a wonderful leader for our amazing school and her knowledge and experiences will enhance and continue the wonderful progress and achievements we have already made and I know that she will take these to the next level with your continued support, commitment and dedication.

These 8 amazing years are and will remian some of my fondest in education. I am so proud of what we have achieved and would like to thank our staff across each year for their dedication and commitment to our school and our children. 

Thank you to our amazing P&C committees led by the various P&C Excutives each year. Their collective purpose of providing for the greater Rangeville community is fundamental in their continued support. No other P&C supports their school and students as much as ours does.

Lastly, to our most important people in our school - our children. I am continually in awe of your achievements. In the classroom, on the sporting fields/pool or on the many stages across the state with our Musical Excellence program, you are all amazing and I know our communities future is in great hands. 

Thank you everyone for your continued support and I am going to miss Rangeville going forward.

Calendar of Events

Positive Behaviour for Learning at Rangeville SS

Estimated School Costs for 2024

To support our families with cost of living and budgeting preparations for the new school year, we have included our estimated school costs for 2024.

School Calendar 2024

Rangeville Prep & Year 1 Parents Support Group

Chess Lessons

Chess lessons at will begin in Week 2 of Term 1 2024.

They will be held:

• for the whole of first break on Wednesday, in the library supervised by Mrs Prue Cunningham
• Mr Les Lord from the Toowoomba Chess Club will teach beginner, intermediate and advanced levels
• $30 for 9 lessons in term 1, paid in advance

Lessons will be limited to 25 students. If your child has attended lessons in term 4, they will be automatically registered. Otherwise please email Mrs Prue Cunningham at pcunn1@eq.edu.au with your child’s name and class.

Instrumental Music

We extend a warm welcome to Mr. Naden Gray, our newest addition to the Instrumental Music team.

Instrumental music lessons are set to commence in Week 2, while ensembles will begin Week 3.

Kindly ensure your email and QParent account information is up to date. If you need assistance with QParents, our administrative staff are always happy to help.

Chaplaincy News

School Zone Safety

With school back, it's a timely reminder to drivers to slow down in school zones and pay attention at children’s crossings.

Coming back after holidays it can be easy to forget what to look out for. School zone signs are displayed as you approach the school and shows both the speed limit and the times you need to reduce your speed around the school. Childrens' crossing are identified by children crossing flags, which are displayed near crossings before and after school hours.

When the crossing is supervised, you as a motorist must:

• wait until all pedestrians, bicycle or personal mobility device riders have crossed the road and the crossing supervisor has returned to the footpath
• abide by the direction given by the School Crossing Supervisor.

If the crossing is unsupervised, you as a motorist must:

• give way to pedestrians, bicycle or personal mobility device riders on or entering a children’s, pedestrian or marked foot crossings
• give way to pedestrians, bicycle or personal mobility device riders on or entering a road you’re turning into
• give way to pedestrians, bicycle or personal mobility device riders on a slip lane
• give way to pedestrians in a share zone
• travel at a speed allowing you to stop safely at a crossing if needed

As a driver, it's important to make sure you give way to all pedestrians, bicycle or personal mobility device riders such as skateboards, e-scooters. You must also give way to pedestrians using a motorised mobility device such as a motorised wheelchair or a mobility scooter.

Some of our most vulnerable road users are children getting to and from school, so it’s important to slow down and abide by the crossing rules, as it won’t make much difference to the trip time, but it could very well save lives.

Visit the Street Smarts website to find more information about what to do at pedestrian and children crossings.

Student Medication

If your child requires medication whilst at school, please ensure prescribed medications, asthma puffers, Epipens and current Action Plans are brought to the school administration building as soon as possible. You will be asked to complete a new Consent to Administer Medication Form when you handover medications. You are welcome to fill in the form at the office or find it below.

Allied Health

Does your student access therapy during school hours?

Do you need to arrive late or leave early to attend a therapy appointment?

Has the therapy appointment time changed since you notified us at the start of the year?

Please notify the office of any changes to therapy times or ask for a 2023 Allied Health Professional Information form as soon as possible.

Darling Downs Oral Health - School Dental

Darling Downs Oral Health offer free School Dental Service to students at Rangeville State School. The treatment will be completed in the Rangeville School Dental Clinic located in South Street, Rangeville.  Darling Downs Oral Health has a new call centre number 1300 082 662 (select option 3 for School Dental). Consent forms will be coming home next week for Prep, Year 2, Year 3 and new students . Please return forms to the administration office by 7 February 2023 and the call centre will contact you to book your child's appointment.

Sport and Swimming News

Upcoming Sports Trials- interested students aged 10-12 Years are to register their interest to nominate in the below sports to Mr Morris by Wednesday 31 January. A in-school trial may need to happen prior to these trials if the interest is high. A high level of skill and knowledge in the sports listed is required.

Students will then receive the required forms and information for these trials.

• Golf Trials- Darling Downs Trials Tuesday 13 February
• Netball Trials- Toowoomba Schools- Tuesday 20 February & Wednesday 21 February
• Softball Trials- Toowoomba Schools- Thursday 22 February

A comprehensive list of the rest of the trials will be communicated to parents in the near future. This communication will detail the trial process which is to be followed.

Range Zone Swimming - 12 February. These trials are to be held at The Glennie Aquatic Centre. Selected students will receive their selected events and consent forms on Monday 29 January. Selected students will be required to ben transported to and from the venue via private transport. No Bus will be operating for this event.

Swimming Carnivals

Junior Carnival - 9 & 10 Years (students born 2015 & 2014) - Wednesday 14 February

Senior Carnival - 11 & 12 Years (students born 2013 & 2012) - Thursday 15 February

Event overviews/timetable and nomination forms will be going home on paper with students on Monday 29 January. An email will also be sent to families. Nomination forms will be required to be completed and returned to your child’s classroom teacher by Wednesday 7 February.

Swimming Lessons

Please keep an eye out for swimming consent forms being sent home via QParents. If you do not have an active QParents account, paper consent forms will be available from the office. Children will not be able to participate in swimming lessons until consent has been provided.

Swimming lessons will commence next week for the following classes. This year there will be no cost to families for swimming lessons. Rangeville State School will cover all the costs associated with the program. Thanks Mr Kidd!

Please also note that Prep classes will not be swimming in Term 1.

Carbal Hearing Health Screening

Carbal Health will be providing hearing screenings at Rangeville State School on Tuesday 6 February 2024 at 9:00am.

We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity by completing the consent form and submitting it to the school office no later than Friday 2 February 2024. Copies of the consent form will be available from the office.

Carbal will handle all invoicing directly with families. Once you have returned the consent form to the school office, invoices will be sent home via email directly from Carbal. Kindly note that the school is unable to accept payment for this service.

For any additional information or inquiries, we encourage you to contact Carbal directly on 1300 379 558.

Rangeville Environmental Club (REP Club)

Bus Queensland

Bus Queensland advises that, effective 22nd January 2024, School Bus services #977 (AM & PM) & #984 (AM & PM) will no longer operate. 

Students who caught #977 in 2023 will be able to catch the following services:

• Valley View Drive through Meringandan can board #979. This service will transport students to Toowoomba and Wilsonton State High Schools;
• Polzin Rd/Rosella Dr/Nioka Dr/Kingfisher Dr to Highfields can board #986 or #988 to Highfields Schools or #978 to Toowoomba from Mather & Prospect Streets;
• Kratzke Rd/Fairview Cr/Bunya View Cr/Vale View Cr/Joann St/Berghofer Dr/Kuhls Rd can board #974 to Toowoomba.

School Bus Services #978 and #984 have now been combined into the #978 effective 22nd January 2024.

• #978 will service Highfields to Downlands College, Toowoomba State High School, St Saviours College, Harristown State Schools and Concordia Lutheran College;
• Students who used to catch #984 to Toowoomba East State School will need to transfer to #976 at Toowoomba State High School;
• Students who caught 984 in 2023 to St Joseph’s College will need to transfer to #974 at Toowoomba State High School.

All School routes can be viewed via the Bus Queensland website:

https://www.busqld.com.au/schools-t/2016/9/27/rangeville-state-primary-school-sep

Bus Queensland Bus Passes

2024 School Map

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 will be Tuesday 13 February at 6:30pm in the Resource Room.  

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

We are always seeking volunteers who can help with fundraising events or to help us with different things such as sorting lost property.  If you want to know more about how you can help us please let us know, we can be contacted via the Facebook page, email or call the office and they can forward your message to us. 

Thank you to all of those that have supported and made contributions to our school and the P & C.

We thank you for your ongoing support and look forward to meeting some new volunteers at some of the upcoming events. If you are new to the school, we also ask you to visit us, as we have so many ways that you can help, we just need to meet you.

Tuckshop News

We would like to thank all our volunteers that turn up to assist at the Tuck shop each week. We are always looking for volunteers 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)

Welcome Back!

ROSHC would like to welcome back all our existing and new families. We have met a few new families over vacation care and can’t wait to meet and engage more with you all throughout term one. If you have any concerns or questions please come and chat to one of our ROSHC office educators or send an email to roshc@rangevilless.eq.edu.au

Vacation Care

We would like to take the time to thank all our families for the support and patience over vacation care with the relocation to the Rangeville Community Church for the first two weeks and being without the internet for a week and being in different areas of school at times over the last two weeks of vacation care. We appreciate all the support and understanding, but even with all the changes the children and educators had a great time. With the relocation in the first two weeks children enjoyed the massive playground with pirate ship to climb all over, the oval was great for flying kites and throwing boomerangs along with big games of tag, soccer, fly ball, skipping and more. In the rooms we created a space of peace most days as children were tired from the big year of school so lots of crafts, learning to sew, knitting, loom bands, hama bead creations, loads of board games, lots of Christmas crafts, dance battles, Christmas movies and songs. It was a great two weeks and we filled it with all that was possible in the space available.

Back at ROSHC we got into the usual routines of individual theme days that were packed full of activities related to the day. We spent a lot of the holidays running through routines and areas of play for all the new children attending. It was great to see the interactions between the new children and children that have been here for a while. They helped settle in new children by including them in games and showing them our different routines.

We will be stating to plan for April school holidays so if you have ideas, please see the educators. We are more than happy to try and accommodate and we love new fresh ideas.

New enrolments or updating enrolment

If you are wanting to enrol children for 2024 before care/after care or vacation care please send our office an email at roshc@rangevilless.eq.edu.au and we will send you through our enrolment forms, fees structure, parent handbook, children’s handbook and the booking app xplor information. If any of your personal information has changed, please email all changes through and we will update them in our system.

Bookings

Please be aware you will only be able to make bookings if you have your account all set up with us, so please ensure you have finished the enrolment process first. If you would like permanent bookings, email our office roshc@rangevilless.eq.edu.au and we can arrange those bookings for you in xplor. If you are wanting casual bookings this is done via the xplor app and you will be notified of the outcome via the app and an email or phone call if unable to accept the booking. If you are unsure on how to do casual bookings please come and see the office educators and we can help you, or alternatively all the information on this is in the setup of the xplor app.  

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

If your child has misplaced any personal items, we kindly ask you to check their classrooms or stop by our Lost and Found area, conveniently located on the verandah near the Uniform Shop. This is where we gather and keep items that might have been left behind in classrooms, on the playground, or elsewhere around the school.

For more precious items like glasses and watches, our administration office is the place to go, as we securely store them there. Our administration office is currently located in P Block.

Labeling your child's belongings with their name and class can be a tremendous help in reuniting lost items with their owners. Please keep in mind that any unclaimed items at the end of each term will be collected and removed. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated!

Not receiving our emails or SMS messages?

If you've recently changed your contact details like email address, mobile number, home address, family circumstances, workplace, or emergency contacts, please reach out to us at admin@rangevilless.eq.edu.au or give us a call at 4617 7333. This way, we can ensure your information is current and keep you in the loop. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated!

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.

The next round of FairPlay will open on 24 January 2024.

If you have a valid Services Australia Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, please feel free to apply for a FairPlay voucher for your child/ren by completing the application process via the department’s website 

For all other FairPlay voucher enquiries, please contact Sue Hagley via email shagl1@eq.edu.au