RPS Chatter February 2025

This edition of RPS Chatter was originally set to go out on Friday, but one thing leads to another, and it’s only making its way to you today.  For those of you who missed the usual Friday afternoon dose of informative (and sometimes hilarious) chatter, don’t worry…. it’s here now!

Typically, my holiday goal is to read at least three books unrelation to school.  If I’m being honest, it’s usually a trashy romance (possibly due to my teenage obsession with “Sweet Valley High” and “Sweet Dreams” books) or a gripping thriller that I just can’t put down.  But this year, one of the book I read is something I believe everyone who interacts with young people…. whether parents, uncles, aunties, or teachers…should pick up.  It’s called “Sexts, Texts and Selfies” by Susan McLean.

 

I had the privilege of hearing Susan speak at a meeting I attended at the end of 2024, and let me tell you, no one in the room moved or looked away during her presentation.  It was eye-opening, informative and practical all at once.  There’s no fluff, just straight-to-the-point advice that offers valuable parenting insights.  Some of the advice may seem a bit harsh (but fair) to some, but Susan is a leading expert in online safely.  She’s one of Australia’s top cyber safety advocates, a former police officer with over 20 years’ experience, and FBI trained professional in cyber safety, and someone deeply passionate about keeping children safe online.

The online world is constantly evolving, and to ensure our children stay as safe and possible, we need to stay informed.  In the spirit of learning together, I’ve reached out to Susan to arrange a parent/staff information forum.  Once we have a confirmed date, I’ll share it with you so you can add it to your calendar.  I strongly encourage you to attend, and the information Susan will share is invaluable in today’s digital age.  It’s crucial for all of us to be proactive in understanding the challenges young people face online and how we can support them in staying safe.

In the meantime, If you can’t wait for our forum, you can purchase Sexts, Texts, and Selfies through www.cybersafetysolutions.com.au

If you’re interested, I’m more than happy to sit and talk to you about this book and what I’ve learned (It’s definitely different from when we were growing up).  Come and see me in the yard or make an appointment to meet in my office.

That’s all from me this week.

I look forward to seeing you around the school.

Until then, stay safe.  Saty healthy.  Stay happy and remember to be kind to yourself and others.

Megan 😊

As you read that subheading are you scratching your head?  I know I am!!  In my experience over the last 20 + years, I’ve discovered that head lice (a.k.a. nits) do not discriminate on who they attach themselves to…. They don’t care about the postcode you live in, how clean or dirty your hair is the cleanliness of your home, or even the season we are in…. they NEVER go away!! (yes, I am still scratching my head as I type this).

If you find live nits or their eggs, you must treat your child’s hair with the appropriate treatment, and then slowly and carefully (and sometimes painfully) comb your child’s hair with a lice comb.  Chances are you probably miss an egg or two.  That’s why it’s important to re-treat the hair one week later.  AND don’t forget to wash all the bedding!

If you can’t face going through the long and frustrating process (yes, I am speaking from experience), there are also some local hairdressers who specialise in nit treatments.

Whatever the cause here at school, we notify the parents of a child if we find live head lice we request that the hair be treated before they are returned to school.  We also inform the year level that a case of head lice has been detected and for all parents to check their child’s hair.

To help minimise the outbreak of nits, all shoulder length hair (for both boys and girls) should be tied up, use a little bit of hairspray, do a weekly hair check at home (in our house we call it “nick off nit night”), and let the school office know if you uncover any of the nasty little critters.

I’m thrilled to share that Richmond Primary School will be joining Wakakirri this year for the very first time!

Wakakirri is Australia’s largest national performing arts event and competition for schools, celebrating storytelling through dance. It offers students a unique platform to express their ideas, thoughts, and aspirations, promoting engagement and well-being through the collaborative creation of “Story-Dances” with peers, teachers, and adult helpers. At its core, Wakakirri believes that powerful stories can inspire change.

Unlike the whole school productions we’ve done in recent years, this time we have to think differently due to building works. We’re determined to ensure that our Year 6 students still get a chance to take the lead, perform, and be part of something truly memorable. Our Year 6 students will take the lead, supported by our enthusiastic Year 5 students.

In Term 3, schools from all over the country will showcase their Story-Dances in a professional theatre setting. Our Year 5/6 students will design and perform a 3–7-minute piece, theatrically telling a story through dance, creative movement, acting, and pre-recorded music. There will also be opportunities to create costumes, props, and sets, as well as assist with their movement on stage. Students are encouraged to combine different dance styles, acting, music, props, costumes, sets, and even film projections to enhance their storytelling—all while focusing on sustainability and minimizing their environmental footprint (with special awards for excellence in this area). The creative possibilities are endless!

For more details, visit www.wakakirri.com.

I can’t wait to work with our Year 5/6 students to create an incredible story and welcome our new Wakakirri family.

As for our F-4’s we are still working that out…stay tuned.  Once we know, you will know.

Putting our green hats on and thinking creatively is something we are going to have to do on a regular basis this year.  This includes how are we going to do assemblies!  Initially we thought we could simply be on the netball court…. however, with the heat, lack of shade and sun exposure we experienced at the end of last year turns out this is not the best option.

As a SunSmart School, we want to protect our students from the harmful UV ray as much as we can, so we think we have a solution.  From this week, we will live stream our assemblies.  Kath will send out a Webex link to our families on Wednesday so you can watch from the comfort of your home or office.  By this, we eliminate the option of cancelling assemblies at the last minute so in fact we will have more assemblies than we have had in the past.

Assemblies will commence at 2:45pm and conclude at 3:15pm so it still give you time to get to school for pick-up at 3:30.

Students will still receive all their awards as they have in the past and watch the assembly as a group.  Classes will perform, Captains will host the assembly… and fingers crossed the technology works like a dream!  Please remember, there may be a few little hiccups initially, but in the long term we hope this provides the opportunity for our Assemblies to occur without the weather (and possible construction noise) having an impact.

Yes this idea is different, and that doesn’t mean it’s bad….it’s just different.  Who knows, maybe in Term 2 we can have them back on the netball court.

What an exciting first week we’ve had in Foundation! It has been a joy welcoming our new students and seeing their enthusiasm as they settle into their new learning environment.

Throughout the week, we have focused on building friendships, learning classroom routines, and fostering a sense of independence. The children have enjoyed exploring different learning areas, participating in hands-on activities, and getting to know their teachers and classmates.

Some of the highlights from our first week include:

🌟 Morning Routine – Singing songs, sharing stories, and practicing listening skills.

🎨 Specialist  – Going to our first specialist classes.

📚 Early Literacy Fun – Writing our name on rainbow rockets!

🔢 Maths Shape Hunt– Walking around the school and finding 2D shapes.

🏃 Buddies – Having lunch together, playing outside and reading books with our Grade 6 buddies.

We are so proud of how the children are adapting to school life, and we look forward to seeing their confidence grow over the coming weeks.

Looking forward to another fantastic week ahead!

From,

The Foundation Teachers

Hayley & Emily

After the success of last years “U-Tell-Us” interviews we will be conducing them again on February 10th (that’s tonight), 11th and 12th.  This is a great opportunity for you to meet your 2025 classroom teacher, and tell us everything we need to know about your child….their likes/dislikes, habits, quirks, hobbies, etc.  Everything that makes your child the individual they are.

If you haven’t already book a time, do it now before you miss out.

This is yet another way we are strengthening our home/school partnership.

Our schools’ Personal Mobile Devices and Mobile Phones policies reflect the Ministerial mobile phone policy and requires that:

Students who choose to bring mobile phones (including Smart-watches) to school must have the switched off AND securely stored during school hours. The school will manage non-compliance in accordance with out existing Students Wellbeing and Engagement, Personal Mobile Devices policies and ICT agreements

Policies and ICT agreements related to the use of Mobile phones, digital technologies and personal devices can all be found on our school website.

Supervision of students in the school yard commences at 8:45am and therefore students should not be in the yard until that time.  At 8:55am, music is played, and students take themselves up to the learning space ready for instruction time to begin at 9am.

At the end of the day, students are dismissed from their learning space at 3:30pm.  Teachers will also be in the courtyard at this time and area available for a quick chat.

A staff member remains on supervision in the yard until 3:45pm.

Our bell times are:

9am  – Commencement of school day

11am – Lunch eating time begins

11:10am – Lunchtime begins

12pm – Lunchtime ends

2pm  – Recess

2:30pm – Recess ends

3:30pm  – End of school day

Who doesn’t love a birthday celebration?  We do.  Some of our families like to provide the class a treat on their child’s birthday.  This year, so that learning spaces are not disrupted if one class receives a treat, we have decided on a plan so that the message is the same for everyone.

If you would like to provide treats for your child’s birthday, let your class teacher know and they will arrange a meeting point at 3:20pm (i.e. the end of the day) so that you can distribute the treats.  Treats need to be individual and be mindful of any allergies in the class.  If you are unsure of any allergies, please check with your class teacher or class rep.

Ideas for treats include:

• Fruit kebabs
• Slices of watermelon
• Stickers
• Novelty masks
• Cupcakes
• Cookies

As many of you are aware, we have a school uniform policy.  This policy aims to:

• Foster a sense of community and belonging and encourages students to develop pride in their appearance.
• Supports RPS’s commitment to ensuring that our students feel equal and are dressed safely and appropriately for school activities.
• Reduce student competition on the basis of clothing; and
• Enhance the profile and identity of the school and its students within the wider community.

Items that are not approved school uniform include:

• RJFC jumpers/tops/jackets
• Non-school hats
• Large Dangly earrings
• Coloured nail polish

Students who purchase regional/divisional tops at school sporting events are able to wear these as part of their uniform only the following week after they have participated.

Our full policy is available on our website.