RPS Chatter December 2024

As we come to the end of our 10th week of term…WOW!  What a week we’ve had:

• 2024 Year 6 Graduation
• “Moving on up” day
• 2025 Foundation orientation/meet the teacher.
• Year 6 excursion to the Cable Park
• Fences have gone up for our build

We still have another week to go, so as the end of the year is rapidly approaching, time seems to be speeding up (and I’m avoiding the fact that in the background I can hear jingle bells jingling and I still haven’t started my Christmas shopping) …and still so much to do!  Before the end of the school year we still have:

• 2025 Student Leadership announcement
• Year 6 Open Water course
• Foundation excursion to Myuna Farm
• Year 3/4 excursion to ACMI
• 2025 meet the teacher day
• Distribution of end of year school reports
• Clean up/pack up
• Final whole school assembly (9:15am on the netball court)

No wonder we are all feeling (hopefully not looking) a bit tired!

 

“Moving on Up”

 

“Moving on up, I’m moving on out…time to break free, nothing can stop me….”

Don’t know about you, but every time we start talking about “Moving on Up” day I start singing that song and it gets stuck in my head…. now we can all have that experience.

On Tuesday, we had our “moving on up” sessions, where students visited their 2025 year level.  They rotated through a few tasks and teachers looked at possible grade structures (which personalities worked well together, and which ones didn’t).  We endeavour to structure our grades in the best interests of every child, focusing on who they work well with rather than who they are friends with.  It’s like a game of chess with lots of different pieces moving at the same time.

 

REMINDER:

 

Year 1 – 6 students commence the 2025 school year on THURSDAY 30th JANUARY

Foundation students commence their 2025 school year on MONDAY 3rd FEBRUARY (except Wednesdays until March).

 

Graduation

 

It was an absolute pleasure to be part of the 2024 Year 6 Graduation.  I was honoured to speak to our students and hopefully provide them with some words of wisdom before they begin the next exciting chapter of their lives; secondary school!

Our students looked amazing (and so grown up in their “good” clothes rather than their school uniform), spoke confidently during their speeches, put on a surprise performance and danced the night away at the disco.

Congratulations to the Graduation organising team for putting on a great night that the students and families will remember for years to come.  We would also like to thank Sachin from Smokey chooks for a delicious dinner, and Amy Rapsey for our yummy dessert.

 

HIJACK!

 

Once again, this week’s chatter is being hijacked……take it away Harley and Joey:

Harley:  Dear RPS Community,

What a year it has been! As I say goodbye to my time at RPS, I want to express how grateful I am to have had the privilege of teaching 5/6D in 2024. It has been an unforgettable year, and I will always look back on it with fondness. Wishing all my students, as well as everyone at RPS, all the very best in 2025 and beyond. Keep being awesome!

Cheers, Harley

 

Joey: To the Richmond Primary School community, 2024 will be my final year as I am beginning my official teaching journey elsewhere. The past three years have been absolutely amazing, and I just want to thank everyone across the entire community for making my time at RPS so enjoyable. I’m so grateful for everything I have learnt and experienced at this great school, and I will deeply miss all staff, students and parents that I have met along the way. I wish everyone all the best and I hope that I get to see you all sometime soon 

Joey

 

2025 staffing lineup:

 

I can now officially announce our starting lineup for the 2025 school year.

 

Teaching Staff:          

• Aimee Robinson (returning from family leave)
• Camilla Govier-Friend (returning from family leave)
• Daisy Sprague
• Emily Wilson
• Fletcher Newton
• Gemma Baggio
• Harriet O’Connor
• Hayley Coates
• James Troutbeck
• Josh Hurn
• Julian Bowring
• Karen Lynch
• Kath Faichney
• Luke Davy
• Maddie Clark
• Megan Dell
• Pauline Wallis
• Rachel Foster
• Russell Sivewright
• Sarah Devine
• Sarah Golin
• Sarah Tehan
• Tammy Jensen

 

Education Support:

• Andrea Gunn
• Angela Rhodes
• Ava Gaul
• Cassandra Went
• Ella O’Flynn
• Ellie devander Schueren
• Jake DeBono
• Lauren Marriott
• Liam Serong
• Megan Brasfield
• Olivia Hakins

 

Ian news

 

Earlier this week, Ian (our amazing crossing guard), informed me that he will be retiring from his role at the end of the 2024 school year.  We are going to ask him to attend our final assembly for the year.  Kristy will be organising a presentation to make to Ian at the assembly.  If you would like to contribute, please follow this link:

Contributor Pathways

 

Looking after our grounds

 

There will be lots of movement over the holidays due to our build.  At some stages, no one will be allowed to access the grounds due to the removal of contaminated materials.  There will be signage displayed when this is to happen.

If you notice any undesirable behaviour on our school grounds during the holidays, do not hesitate to contact the police and report this….even if you know the “offender” and/or their family, we need to look after our grounds.  Your report to the police will be anonymous.  We will have enough disruption and mess around the school in the next 12 months, we don’t need the added cost of extra clean up and repairs.

 

Soapbox time…

 

As holidays are just around the corner, I use this time to get on my soapbox about Road Safety and Helmets …. So here I go….

During the school holidays, please be aware of an increased number of children out and about, riding their bikes and scooters and playing around the streets.  Especially after Christmas when there will possibly be a whole new generation of riders learning the ropes.  It doesn’t matter how many years you have been riding for, accidents can still happen.  From personal experience, I know that my bike helmet not only saved my life but also my ability to walk and function the way I still can.  Helmets don’t work if they are being held in your hand while skateboarding, on a scooter, or sitting on your handlebars when riding your bike.  They also don’t work if they are done up incorrectly or the straps are loose and just hanging around your chin.  What we do need to do is make sure that our children are careful on the roads, follow the rules, and ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET CORRECTLY.

 

And finally….

 

Officially, our final day of the 2024 school year is Friday 20th December.  We will be conducting our final whole school assembly on the netball courts commencing at 9:15 am.  All students will be dismissed from their learning space at 1:00 pm.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our amazing students for their enthusiasm and excitement as they walk into the learning spaces.  They turn up each day with a smile on their face and determination to get through the year in a positive way.  We are all incredibly proud of their efforts.

To our outstanding staff who continue to ride the education rollercoaster with me…with still a few twists and turns to keep us on our toes next year, I’m grateful you are on this ride with me.  Thank you for doing what needs to be done in the best interests of our students and putting their needs first.

To our parents and community members who continue to provide our students and staff with support and encouragement, thank you it is greatly appreciated.

To those members of our school community who are moving on to new chapters/adventures in 2025, we wish you the best of luck in whatever the future holds.  Know that you will always be part of the RPS family.

Finally, on behalf of our staff, we would like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday break, and hope you get some quality time with the people you care about the most.

Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Stay happy and remember to be kind to yourself and others over the holiday break.  I look forward to what our 2025 adventure brings.

Megan 😊

It’s time to get involved! With the new build underway, there’s never been a more exciting time to be a member of the RPS School Council. And with a number of long-term Council members hanging up their clipboards as they prepare to end their RPS journeys, there’s never been a more important time to be a member of the RPS School Council! After all, the School Council is as strong and effective as the school community makes it.

Nominations will be called in early 2025 and any and every area of expertise is welcomed. Specific interest in Buildings and Grounds, OSHC, Education Policy, Fundraising and Communications would be even better.

Finally, I’d like to thank Kristy Fuller for her fundraising excellence and tireless efforts over the course of her tenure, and Krysia Mosley for her incredible work in getting important messages out to the community for many years.

 

Eleanor Thomas

RPS School Council President

The Grade 5’s have been busy learning to write formal letters. Some of those students have been preparing for captaincy interviews for 2025. Thank you to those students’ who wrote an application, it was a pleasure to read them all.

What an incredible week it’s been for our Grade 6 students! On Monday night, we held their graduation ceremony. An inspiring celebration of the hard work and achievements of our students during their time at Richmond Primary School. It was truly special to honour the Class of 2024, as they prepare to step into new and exciting horizons with the arrival of 2025. A huge thank you to everyone involved in the Graduation Committee, making the night a huge success. All your time and effort are greatly appreciated!

 

 

Kind Regards,
Maddie Clark
5/6 Team Manager

Foundation 

• Zoe R – For her beautifully imaginative and brave writing, and for her super positive attitude. You’re a star, Zoe!!!

 

Year 5/6

 

• Isaac H – Congratulations Isaac. You’ve shown excellent focus during work time and have approached your Inquiry project with great intiative. You should be proud of everythign you’ve accomplished! Keep up the amazing work.
• Amber P – For your dedication and hard work in preparing your graduation speech. You have demonstrated exceptional writing skills and focus. The end result has truly reflected the essence of your experiences during your time at RPS. Well done, Amber!
• Zach W – Congratulations Zach, I commend you on your exceptional dedication and effort with your writing. You consistently go above and beyond to improve your skills. Well done!

Please see the below list of extracurricular activities that you can enrol your child into next year:

Code Camp: Tuesdays, 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Tennis Lessons:  Wednesdays & Thursdays, 8:10 AM – 8:50 AM

Chess Club: Fridays, 8:00 AM – 8:50 AM

 

If you are interested in any of the above activities for your child, please see the links below for further information.

• Code Camp
• Tennis Lessons
• Chess Club