Assessments in full swing

All classrooms are busy with assessments for the curriculum learning undertaken this term. The results of Term 1 and Term 2 assessments will inform the Semester Reports which will be sent to parents on Thursday 22 June.

Attendance at school is most important during this period of time and I encourage parents to plan appointments and holidays outside the school term times.

Before School Procedures

Students should be dropped off to school no earlier than 8.10am unless they are attending a supervised activity and they are to sit quietly at the Administration Block until 8.35am when the bell will sound. The children then walk to their classroom and wait quietly for their teacher’s arrival.

Teacher supervision is not provided before school. If parents are wanting to drop their child off earlier to school, Helping Hands Outside School Hours Care service is provided on site.

If parents are walking their children to school and they arrive before 8.35am they can walk their children to the Administration Block and they are welcome to sit in the Gazebo.

Parents attention to these procedures is appreciated.

Walk Safely to School

Last week we had the biggest contingent of families Walk Safely to School. It was such a thrill to have our school featured on Channel 9 showing a healthy and active school community at Robertson. Thank you to all parents who take the time to walk with their chidren to school for this occasion and also for our weekly Active School Travel program.

Parent Cyber Safety Session

We will be hosting a ThinkUKnow presentation on Thursday 8 June at 6.00pm to 7.30pm and ALL parents, carers and teachers are encouraged to attend.

ThinkUKnow Australia is an evidence based education program delivered nationally to prevent online child sexual exploitation.

ThinkUKnow Australia is a partnership between the Australian Federal Police, Microsoft Australia, Datacom and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The program is delivered in collaboration with policing partners New South Wales Police Force, Northern Territory Police, Queensland Police, South Australia Police, Tasmania Police, Western Australia Police, as well as Neighbourhood Watch Australasia.

The presentation will be delivered by a local law enforcement member and an industry volunteer. The presentation is pro-technology and addresses topics including self-generated child abuse material, online grooming, sexual extortion, and importantly encourages help seeking behaviour.

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to learn more about young people and the online environment, and how, even from an early age, you can help them to be safe and responsible users of technology.

For more information, you can visit www.thinkuknow.org.au or contact Mel Kennedy in the office.

For bookings, please click on the following link.

https://robertsonss.schoolzineplus.com/event/102

Think_u_know_cyber_safety_poster.pdf

Think_u_know_cyber_safety_poster _pdf 1.40 MB

School Garden Club

This week the garden club planted seeds for the first time supported by our teachers Mrs Priestley, Groundsman, Mr Ryan and Teacher Aides, Ms Mathenson and Ms Verma. The vegetable seedlings planted in our garden beds have really taken off.

How refreshing it is to get out into the beautiful sunshine and watch our garden grow. Enjoy the photos of our gardeners at work.

School Council Chair's Report

Your pilot community forum was a moving success. With the tireless help of your school council members, invigorating and transformative brainstorming took place on the land of Yuggera people. It was on this land, your school council had the honour and opportunity to design Robertson State School’s future together for our children, on Tuesday 16 May 2023.

The exhilarating forum ran for one and half hours. On a wet and cold evening like last Tuesday, the air was warm, our energy was positively strong. Engagement was happening with everyone. Contributors wanted to have more time and more opportunity to share and to bond, despite the fact that the forum already went over time. Thoughts were expressed that time had passed with lightning speed.

In the framework of appreciative enquiry, each of the empowered parents and teachers shared their dreams in the following three conceptual questions:

What do our children/students look like in 10 years?
What do our teachers look like in 10 years?
What do our community (parents and carers, P&C, and peripheral service providers) look like in 10 years?

Together, we brainstormed, building on the strong foundation of what is already going well at our school: academic excellence, music brilliance, and bilingual innovation. Empowered participants also summoned amazing problem-solving skills to share their ideas on strategies to arrive at the above-mentioned dreams.

Parents, carers, teachers and staff were sitting closely together, conversing together, vibing simultaneously. Boundaries were softened as each of us discovered how common and consistent our goals were - our children have always been, and will continue to be, at the centre of this overarching dream.

Concrete suggestions were written on the butcher’s papers while parents passionately voicing out their ideas: we would like our children to grow into their future selves, authentic and proud, confident yet empathetic, empowered and empowering, hardworking and happy. We would like our children to be physically and mentally fit to stand with the world, making lifelong differences. The list went on, ranging on desirable characters as well as concrete projects for our children in the long run.

One of the key outcomes of this forum is to highlight the importance of being an ally in designing dream and progress, i.e., parents being allies of teachers, teachers being allies of parents, parents being allies of other parents, and teachers being allies of other teachers. Most importantly, parents, carers, teachers, and staff need to be allies of our children.

Acknowledging the success of this pilot program, your school council is busy planning for the next phase of this great consultation. The ultimate aim is to reach as many of you as possible. Your input will be invaluable at determining the strategies of Robertson State School in the next three years.

I’d like to give special shout out to your school council team. Thank you very much:

Matt Taylor: our lovely and thoughtful parent;

Carey Halfpapp: our delightful and wise parent;

Mel Kennedy: our hardworking and dedicated P&C President and Communications Manager;

Zoe Grafton: our hardworking secretary who goes above and beyond;

Shae Robinson: our helpful and supportive Vice Principal;

Belinda Cremin: our wonderful and insightful teacher;

Margaret Berry: our inspirational ally, our Principal.

Most importantly, thanking each of you for turning up, together we define the future culture of our school, together.

Please stay tuned.

Summer Hu

School Council Chair

School Review Week 10

We are currently in preparation for our School Review which will take place in the final week of Term 2. The School Review will inform our next four year Strategic Plan along with other feedback from our parents, staff and students. Two or three school reviewers from the Education Queensland School Improvement Unit will analyse school data and interview students, staff and parents. See the cycle of review below.

The school will be assessed using the nine Domains of the National School Improvement Tool.

See below

9_Domains.pdf

9_Domains _pdf 521.43 KB

Margaret Berry

Principal

QParents

The School is moving towards online consent forms through QParents. The QParents web and mobile application provides a more convenient, easier way for parents and legal guardians of Queensland state school students to interact with their child’s school. Parents will have secure, online access to their child’s student information, anytime, anywhere, through a smartphone, tablet or computer. We will be moving towards online consent forms for excursions and online subscriptions in Term 3.

Attached is information how to register for QParents:

03_detailed_qparents_info.pdf

03_detailed_qparents_info _pdf 215.45 KB

Stella Kho

Business Manager

Prep Vision Screening

A friendly reminder to our Prep Parents that the Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program will be screening at Robertson State School, commencing on Monday 7 August 2023. Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program is a Queensland Government service that offers Free Vision Screening to all children enrolled in Prep. If your child is in Prep and you would like their vision screened, you will need to complete a consent form. We have forms available from the office or you are able to use the QR codes around the school. We at Robertson State School highly recommend taking advantage of this free service for your child.

Shae Robinson

Deputy Principal

Year 6 Cultural Languages Excursion!

Over the past two weeks, our Year 5 and Year 6 students had their first ever Chinese cultural excursion to Sunnybank Plaza. During this excursion our students enthusiastically participated in a traditional tea ceremony. Guided by the knowledgeable tea master from the A to Z Gallery, they learned about the art of tea preparation, the importance of mindfulness and the significance of this ancient practice in Chinese culture.

The exhibition in the multicultural gallery provided a fascinating opportunity for our students to explore the beauty of traditional costumes worn by indigenous tribes in Taiwan. With our fabulous volunteers, our students got to learn about the significance of these costumes in representing cultural heritage and identity.

One of the highlights of the excursion was the Han costume fitting activity. Our students and teachers had the opportunity to try on authentic Han costumes, replicating the fashion styles from ancient China. As they donned these elegant garments, they gained insights into the historical development of Han costumes and discovered how clothing reflects societal changes over time.

To conclude their cultural journey, our students visited Hidilao Hotpot Restaurant in Market Square. As they indulged in a delectable lunch, they were treated to a mesmerizing performance of Sichuan face changing, a traditional art form that showcases the incredible skill and agility of performers. As well as an interactive noodle making performance.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the teachers and parent volunteers who made this excursion possible, as well as to the staff and volunteers from both A to Z Gallery and Multicultural Gallery, the hotpot restaurant for their warm hospitality and enriching presentations.

These experiences would not be possible without their dedicated support and commitment to fostering cultural understanding among our students. We look forward to further opportunities to celebrate and explore the rich cultural diversity within our school community.

Kerin Gordon

Deputy Principal

The school focus this week is:

BE RESPECTFUL: I can be responsible, respectful and safe - by self regulating my emotions and behaviour

Students have been focusing on EMOTIONAL REGULATION strategies and breathing activities in class this week.

What is self- regulation?

Self-regulation is the ability to understand and manage your behaviour and your reactions to feelings and things happening around you
It includes being able to: regulate reactions to strong emotions like frustration, excitement, anger and embarrassment
Calm down after something exciting or upsetting
Focus on a task
Refocus attention on a new task
Control impulses
Behave in ways that help you get along with other people

Why is it important?

As you grow, self-regulation helps you: learn at school – because self-regulation gives you the ability to sit and listen in the classroom
Behave in socially acceptable ways – because self-regulation gives you the ability to control impulses
Make friends – because self-regulation gives you the ability to take turns in games and conversation, share toys, and express emotions in appropriate ways
Become more independent – because self-regulation gives you the ability to make appropriate decisions about behaviour and learn how to behave in new situations with less guidance from your teachers and parents.

People who can self-regulate can:

Stay calm when something in their life changes or something doesn’t go according to plan
Calm down within a reasonable period of timeand use positive self-talk
Bounce back quickly to doing schoolwork or being with others

People who can’t self-regulate... yet...

Act overly silly or “out of control”
Have tantrums or meltdowns
Struggle with transitions between activities
Have difficulty waiting or taking turns
Struggle with being in close proximity to others
Move too quickly or with too much force
Grab, throw or touch things impulsively
Have difficulty walking or waiting in line
Have problems during social interactions eg: talking too loudly, standing too close or touching others

What Zone are You in?

For more information and activities on self-regulation, you can visit the following websites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bKuoH8CkFc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIbBI-BT9c4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oRYAxiVtFk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk_qU7l-fcU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiMb2Bw4Ae8

Janine Muller and Marie Castada

Classroom Teacher and PBL Communicators

Robertson Sports Stars

Check out this family of superstars!

Viviana from 2A went to Evolution Dance Competition Eisteddfod on the weekend and competed in five different dances. Her team achieved 3rd place in U8 lyrical, 3rd place in U8 taps, 2nd place for U8 song and dance and 2nd place for U8 jazz groups.

Donovan from Prep A competed for the first time in South Qld Regional Judo competition 2 (Monstars mixed under 20kg group) and received a silver medal.

Desmond from 6A competed for the first time in the same competition (Junior boys Under 50kg group) and received a bronze medal.

We are so proud of your achievements, well done!

We are so proud of your achievements, well done!

Remember, if you would like to share your child’s sporting success, please email us: cjros2@eq.edu.au or mcast48@eq.edu.au .

GALA Day

Gala day for the semester is officially over. Well done to all the teams that have worked hard in improving their skills, working as a team and showing great sportsmanship at their games. Thank you to the coaches for upskilling the students, ensuring the games are fair and most importantly, that the students have fun. A massive thank you to Mr Rostron for the organisation of it all, without you, Gala Day would not be possible! Students will be nominating for new sports soon for the next round of Gala Days.

Marie Castada and Chris Rostron

HPE Teachers

Girl Power STEM Enrichment

For the first time this year, Robertson State School was invited to participate in the 2023 STEM Girl Power initiative. We sent two teams of Year 5 and 6 students who have demonstrated excellence in the STEM area.

Each year the Queensland Department of Education STEM team organises the STEM Girl Power Camp for girls in Year 10. This year 60 girls and 10 teachers from across Queensland, and a few from Papua New Guinea, attended camp in Brisbane from 15-19 May. The STEM Girl Power Initiative aims to provide students with STEM experiences and role models, encourage them to participate in STEM at school and to consider STEM-related career pathways.

On Wednesday 17 May, these high school camp students visited Griffith University, Nathan Campus and co-facilitated a number of Science on the Go! activities. This was where our STEM primary school girls came in with an opportunity to be included as younger girls in this aspect of the program. Our primary students engaged in hands-on STEM activities and were mentored by the Year 10 STEM ambassadors.

This experience was mutually-beneficial for both sets of students - The Year 10 students had an opportunity to develop their science communication skills in preparation for their regional outreach activities during National Science Week, while the primary students had the opportunity to visit and tour the university, participate in hands on STEM activities and be inspired by the older students. This was certainly a fantastic opportunity for our female students excelling in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths to be inspired by the older students into STEM pathways in their own future.

We were even treated to the fact that the female student who ran our tour was a former Robertson State School alumni, in her third year of learning to become a pilot. She was excellent at explaining how pilots learned to fly planes using the flight simulators, while showing the computer lab to the students. Many of the girls remarked that they would like to apply for the STEM Girl Power program themselves when in year 10, or to come back and study medicine, engineering or science when they were older.

At the end of the activities, our students were presented with a STEM Ambassador Badge from Griffith University as well as a Girl Power STEM badge and metal water bottle. Please enjoy this video showing some of the activities they participated in on the day.

STEM Girl power Video

Upcoming Writing Competitions

If you would like your child to enter some writing competitions, please have a look at these links:

Writing and Art competitions:

https://alphabetsoup.net.au/comps-for-kids/

Multiple competitions in the genre of short story writing, poetry writing and art. Click the link to find out more.

Writing competitions:

https://www.furphystory.com.au/junioryouth/

Junior short story or Junior Poetry

https://youngwritersaward.com.au/entry-criteria/

Categories:

The Children’s Picture Book category

A short, structured story to 250 words, fiction or non-fiction.
Story only, no illustrations required.
The winning story will be professionally illustrated and produced as a 32-page hard copy book and in e-book format.

The Children’s Short Story category

A work of short fiction between 850 and 1000 words.
Story only, no illustrations required.
The winning story will be illustrated and produced as an early reader hard copy book of between 32 and 64 pages and in e-book format.

Savvy Science – Year 5 Science Program at Cavendish Road State High School

This week, our fourth group of Year 5 scientists from 5D have been selected and invited to head to Cavendish Road State High School each Wednesday afternoon for some hands-on science extension. We hope they enjoy their practical Science enrichment activities.

Students from 5C have recently enjoyed the experiences, take a look at their amazing photographs below. Students from other Year 5 classes will be invited as the year progresses.

Claire Ennis and Amy Feeney

Enrichment Team

The Music department is very busy over the next few weeks with concerts and competitions.

Tuesday 30 May

Cantabile and Poco Voci choirs at Choral Fanfare at MacGregor State School.

Permissions have been sent on the new QParents system. If you haven’t yet signed up to QParents yet, please do so straight away and the note will come through. There are paper notes available from the office or from me at the Music Room if you do not have QParents. Please pay the cost for the bus promptly.

There will be a final rehearsal for both choirs on the Tuesday morning 30 May before we head to MacGregor on the bus.

Final Choral Fanfare rehearsal times at school:

Tuesday 30 May 7.30am Cantabile

Tuesday 30 May 8.15am Poco Voci

Formal music performance uniform required – including music socks

We are looking forward to exciting Choral Fanfare performances.

Wednesday 31 May 6.00pm

Winter Music Showcase Bands and Cantabile Choir - Doors open at 5.45pm

The McGinty, Hultgren and Grainger bands along with the Cantabile choir will entertain you in their end of semester “Winter Music Showcase” in the school hall. Formal music performance uniform required – including music socks. Doors open at 5.45pm and all families are invited to attend.

Tuesday 6 June 4.00pm

Junior Winter Music Showcase Mini Mozarts, Poco Voci and Songbirds

The Mini Mozarts (strings), Poco Voci and Songbirds choirs will entertain you in their end of semester “Winter Music Showcase” in the school hall. Formal music performance uniform required – including music socks. Doors open at 3.45pm and all families are invited to attend.

Tuesday 6 June 6.00pm

Senior String Soiree

The Paganini, Vivaldi and Corelli string ensembles entertain you in their end of semester “Senior String Soiree” in the school hall. Formal music performance uniform required – including music socks. Doors open at 5.45pm and all families invited to attend.

Musically yours

Heather Francis, Robyn Gray and Vivienne Thomas

Music Teachers

National Simultaneous Storytime

It was fabulous to hear so many classes sharing in the reading of ‘The Speedy Sloth’, along with over 2 million children worldwide on Wednesday as part of National Simultaneous Storytime 2023.

Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge

Earlier this term 104 students participated in the 2023 Round 1 Challenge. Congratulations to everyone who joined in, it was wonderful to see our students engaging with the program and working hard on their laptop skills to complete the challenge. An extra congratulations to the following students who achieved extremely high results:

Khalil	4B	Honour Roll
Justine	4C	Honour Roll
Jensen	4D	High Distinction
Patrick	3D	High Distinction
Hugo	3C	High Distinction
Curtis	4B	High Distinction
Lydia	3D	High Distinction
Elise	4C	High Distinction
Paterson	6A	High Distinction
Ryan	6D	High Distinction
Lucas	5C	High Distinction
Yunfan	6C	High Distinction
Weixi	6C	High Distinction
Yejun	3C	Distinction
Ray	3/4E	Distinction
Evan	3D	Distinction
Alexis	4A	Distinction
George	4D	Distinction
Lex	3D	Distinction
Prish	3/4E	Distinction
Ava	3D	Distinction
Elliott	4D	Distinction
Eason	6D	Distinction
Kyel	5D	Distinction
Dario	6D	Distinction

Coding Clubs

Coding clubs have resumed for Term 2, with students working towards their entries in the Premier’s Coding Challenge. Students who made significant progress in the Grok Learning modules in Term 1 have been invited to continue this term to work in the Premier’s coding challenge. This project will take us through most of Term 3.

Book Club

Issue 4 catalogues have been distributed by classroom teachers, or can be viewed online. All order must be placed via the LOOP ordering platform by 3:00 pm, Monday 5 June. Thank you for supporting Book Club and earning free resources for our school.

Claire Ennis

Teacher Librarian

Subway Meal Fundraiser

We are running a fun food day through Subway on Monday 12 June. Parents are able to purchase this great deal online using the www.myschoollunch.com.au website OR just use the QR code in the flyer below with your camera to place your order.

Orders will be delivered in time for the first break through the usual way in tuckshop.

Orders are open now and will close on Thursday 8 June at 9.00am so get in early to place your order.

Subway

Subway 516.33 KB

Greg Beech

Chaplain