Tropical Cyclone Alfred 

I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well, after Tropical Cyclone Alfred decided to challenge us all. Please take the time to talk with your loved ones, regarding your own experiences of the event and the possible challenges you and your family faced. My door is always open for a coffee and conversation. It was wonderful to see our Robertson State School Staff taking the time to prepare our students through this teachable moment, real life learning, and to see the care and compassion staff had unpacking students' experiences over the last two weeks. Thank you to our community for your support of our school during this time, it has been appreciated.   

Congratulations and Thank You Mel 

I would like to congratulate Mrs Kennedy on her new appointment as an AO2 at Runcorn State School for the remainder of 2025. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mel for her hard work over 10 years here at Robertson State School. We wish you all the best at your new school. 

Late and Early Departures 

At Robertson State School, every student’s success starts with being present and engaged from the moment the school day begins. We want to remind our community about the importance of arriving to school on time and every student attending school, all day, every day.  

Why Is Arriving on Time So Important? 

Arriving on time helps set a positive tone for the day. When students are punctual, they can: 

• Begin the day with focus: The first moments of class are when teachers introduce key lessons, activities, and objectives. Late arrivals can disrupt not only the student’s learning but also that of their classmates. 
• Build good habits: Consistent punctuality teaches valuable life skills like responsibility, time management, and respect for others’ time. 
• Engage in social interactions: Arriving on time allows students to connect with their peers and teachers before class starts, fostering a sense of belonging and community. 

We understand that mornings can be busy, but we encourage families to plan ahead and allow ample time for any morning routines to ensure that students can arrive on time, ready to learn and grow. 

The Impact of Consistent Attendance 

Regular attendance is key to academic success. Here’s why attending school every day matters: 

• Learning continuity: Every lesson is part of a larger learning journey, and missing even one, can lead to gaps in understanding. Regular attendance ensures that students don’t fall behind and can keep up with the curriculum. 
• Social and emotional development: School isn’t just about academics; it’s also about building friendships and learning how to interact with others. Consistent attendance helps students develop social skills and emotional resilience. 
• Building responsibility: When students attend school regularly, they develop a sense of accountability for their learning and progress.

We ask that parents prioritise daily attendance and only allow absences for legitimate reasons, such as illness or important family events. If your child is feeling unwell or if there are extenuating circumstances, please inform the school as soon as possible. 

How You Can Help 

Here are some tips to help ensure your child arrives on time and attends school consistently: 

• Set a regular bedtime: Ensuring your child gets a good night’s rest helps them wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead. 
• Create a morning routine: Establishing a consistent routine helps students get ready for school without rushing. 
• Communicate with the school: If there are any challenges or concerns about attendance or punctuality, please reach out to our school staff. We’re here to support you and your child.

Together, we can create an environment where every student is given the opportunity to be the best that they can be. Thank you for your ongoing support in ensuring your child arrives on time and attends school all day every day. Go Team Robertson!!!!!! 

For more information about the importance of attendance and arriving to school on time please follow the below link from Education Queensland.

https://education.qld.gov.au/initiatives-and-strategies/initiatives/every-day-counts

Tyrone Bruce

Principal

Parent Reps 2025

As we work towards establishing our 2025 Parent & Community (P&C) association, I will be coordinating the Parent Representatives (Parent Reps) for the foreseeable future. Parent Reps play a key role in fostering strong communication between the school and families. They act as a liaison, sharing important school updates, gathering feedback from parents, and helping to build a supportive school community.

Being a Parent Rep is a wonderful opportunity to get involved, stay connected with the school’s activities, and contribute to the ongoing success of our school. We appreciate the support of all our Parent Reps in helping create a positive and inclusive environment for our students. If you have any questions about the parent reps, please email me on: srobi194@eq.edu.au

Shae Robinson

Deputy Principal

Parent/Teacher Interviews Semester 1 

The dates for Parent Teacher Interviews will be as follows:

Year 3 -6: Term 2 Week 2, Tuesday 29 April - Wednesday 30 April 

Bookings will close on the 25 April at 3.00pm. Please email your classroom teacher to arrange an alternate time if you miss the cut-off.

Booking link: https://robertsonss.schoolzineplus.com/view-session/38 

Please note the availability across these dates will be different for each teacher. You will only see time slots that are available at the time you are using the system. As time slots are booked, they will be no longer available.

• The interviews will be held after school in your child's classroom. 
• Each interview is scheduled for 10 minutes. It is very important that this time is adhered to.
• Please come prepared with questions to ask during the interviews.

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Bilingual Interviews

We ask that parents of the bilingual program only make one booking with their class teacher pair. During your booking, you will be able to meet both teachers for 5 min each for a total of 10 minutes. Do not make two bookings – thank you!

Kerin Gordon

Deputy Principal

Grainger Band Rehearsals

Next week, Year 4 Grainger Beginning Band rehearsals will begin before school on Wednesdays 7.15am - 8.30am. This will commence 19 March 7.15am in the music room. Group in-class lessons will be on as usual. The program is an ensemble-based program and band is a very important part of ensuring success on instruments. Band will be held every week of every school term (so please always assume band is on, unless notified via email otherwise). 

Year 4 Grainger Band Soiree Information Evening

The Year 4 Grainger Beginner Band Soiree will be held on Wednesday 26 March 6.00pm - 7.00pm, in the Robertson Music Room.

Please meet Mrs Thomas in the music room from 5.45pm for a 6pm start. Parents may wait in the music foyer (near Helping Hands) until doors open at 6 pm. All Grainger students will need to bring their instruments, music, black vinyl band folder and accessories.  Students must wear full formal band uniform including music socks, which are available from the uniform shop. 

All our Band Groups are working hard in preparation for our performances in Term 2.  The Grainger Band Soiree is important for this preparation. Information will also be given about workshop and excursion opportunities for Grainger Band, as well as information about homework and formative assessment and supporting iPad Apps. 

Practice

Students are expected to take responsibility for regular home practice. 4 x 20-30min practices per week for Year 5 & 6 students, and 5 x 10min practices per week for Grainger beginners is a good amount for steady progress and enjoyment.

The more you play, the better you get! 

Communications and Apps

Information will be sent mostly via email, so please check your email address is up to date with the school office. We will also put weekly information into the News, Dates and Deadlines Newsletter as well as the School Newsletter. Your child will be using the Seesaw App, to assist with home practice and goal setting progress, so please ensure you have downloaded Seesaw on your child’s iPad. The tutor book has an accompanying app, Essential Elements Interactive App, which greatly assists with home practice, details can be found on the tutor book cover. Bandmate Chromatic tuner (free) or Tonal Energy tuner (paid) apps are also extremely useful. 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email.

Vivienne Thomas

Band Instrumental Music Teacher

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Year 3 Beginner String Parent Information Night 

For students who are new to their String Instruments this year, there will be a Parent Information night on Monday 24 March at 6.00pm - 7.00pm in the Music Room (Mrs Francis' Room)

Please ensure that your child brings their instrument, folding music stand, Tricky Fingers Book 1 and all other requirements such as rosin, shoulder rests, bow hold buddies, cellophants etc.   

Students should wear their full music performance uniform (including music socks) and bring their Robertson State School Black Music folders. 

Please ensure that you are now connected to your child’s Seesaw Account and are checking it regularly as their assessments and parent communication is now being sent via Seesaw.  If you are not connected to their Seesaw account please email me so I can send you the invitation to join.   

Please ensure your child is practising every single day, even 10 minutes a day is better for their brains and muscle memory than practising in one big chunk on the weekend.  

Robyn Gray

Strings Instrumental Music Teacher

Students will compete against a range of schools and play multiple games throughout the event. To stay safe and comfortable, they must wear sunscreen, bring their hats, and have a water bottle with them.

We can’t wait to see our Robertson students representing our school with pride, demonstrating great sportsmanship, and most importantly, enjoying the experience!

Consent for Gala Day is now overdue

We currently have a large group of families that have not provided (or denied) consent for participation. The QParents link is being reopened and you will have until Monday 24 March to complete. If parents do not have QParents, paper copies of our Gala Day forms are available at the office. This must be completed to allow your child to participate.   

Chris Rostron and Renee Montgomery

PE Teachers

Year 4 Street Science Incursion

On Friday (Week 5), the Year 4 students enjoyed their Street Science incursion. It was really fun and interactive. An exciting part was when I got to launch my own rocket and make it fly. I liked it because it was really fun and it used different materials. You could even bring the rocket home.

My favourite experiment was when the teacher held fire. Another really fun experiment was when she put dry ice in the hot water that made it look like there was billowing clouds pouring out of the bottle. She brought it around the room, to show all of us. It was really fun to play with and to touch. I would recommend this Science show to everyone!

By Oliver (4C)

Peggy Gu

Classroom Teacher

Welcome to Week 8! 

Each fortnight, I’ll be featuring one of our staff members within the WISH team, so our families can get to know who is supporting the students at Robertson State School.  

This fortnight, we meet our STLaN, Belinda Cremin.   

Until next fortnight,   

Amanda Slinger  

HOSES  

Speech-Language News

How Parents Can Support Their Child's Learning at Home? 

Parents play an essential role in their child’s education, and studies have shown that children do better at school when their parents are involved. You don’t need to be fluent in English to help your child succeed. This below guide offers helpful tips for supporting your child, especially if they’re learning English as an additional language. 

There are many ways you can support your child’s learning, such as reading to them regularly in either English or your home language, encouraging them to use their home language, and staying informed about what they are learning in school. Regular communication with your child’s teachers is also important, and schools are here to support you with resources, including interpreters, if needed.  

For children learning English, schools provide extra help, and homework policies are often adjusted to make sure all students get the support they need. Reading for enjoyment is a great homework activity, and this can be done in any language, with books available from school or local libraries. 

By creating a positive environment at home and staying involved with your child’s school, you’re giving your child the best chance to succeed both academically and in learning English. 

Please see the attached articles, in English and Simplified Chinese for further strategies to support your child at home: 

Warm regards and until next time, 

Morgan Johnson  

Speech-Language Pathologist  

Robertson State School (Wednesdays & Thursdays) 

This term, our Year 3 and 4 students are exploring the topic "My Place, Your Place" in their Chinese language studies. Through this unit, students will: 

• Discover the look and feel of houses around the world. 
• Learn to describe their own rooms in Chinese. 
• Take a virtual tour of different types of homes. 
• Use Chinese to talk about activities that make their rooms fun places to be.

Why Are Learning Goals Important?

Learning goals provide clear direction and purpose, helping students stay focused and engaged. They: 

• Enhance Focus & Clarity – Students understand what they need to achieve and stay on track. 
• Boost Motivation & Engagement – Clear objectives inspire students to work towards their goals. 
• Encourage Personalised Learning – Students take ownership of their progress at their own pace. 
• Build Confidence – Reaching learning goals helps students feel more capable and accomplished. 

We look forward to seeing our students grow in their Chinese language skills throughout this exciting unit!

Jung Wang 

Languages Teacher 

This week’s lesson is: 

Zones of Regulation – What are the zones? 

After Cyclone Alfred, we decided to go through Zones of Regulations with our students. This is good for helping children understand their moods and what strategies to get them to move back to the green zone. Students know that they can move between zones throughout the day and that is okay. 

Our emotions can be divided into four zones:​ 

Green Zone Ideal state of alertness  A person may be described as happy, calm, focused or content  Student feels strong sense of personal control	Blue Zone  Low state of alertness  A person may be described as sad, sick, bored or tired
Yellow Zone  Heightened state of alertness  A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness or fear  Students’ energy is elevated however, they are still somewhat in control	Red Zone  Extremely heightened state of alertness  A person may be experiencing anger, terror or explosive behaviour  A person feels a loss of control

Janine Muller 

Classroom Teacher and PBL Communicator 

Chappy Greg has organised a Subway meal deal on Monday 31 March 2025. Parents are able to order online through My School Lunch.

The last day for orders will be Thursday 27 March. Orders may be cancelled up to Sunday 30 March 8.00pm.

Please redirect any website issues to My School Lunch support helpline on 1300 055 164.