From the Principal's Desk
Welcome to Week 9, Term 3!
What an incredible experience we've all returned from at the Great Aussie Bush Camp at Tea Gardens! With all our enthusiastic Year 3-6 students from across the Thunderbolt Alliance, as well as Miss Miller and myself, we embarked on a journey full of adventure, learning, and unforgettable memories. This camp was so much more than just a fun getaway; it was an amazing opportunity for our students to develop key interpersonal qualities that will serve them for a lifetime. Through navigating new challenges, forming friendships, and pushing their boundaries, our students showed true resilience, courage, and strength. They discovered what it means to overcome obstacles, support one another, and grow together as a team. These core memories and experiences are the building blocks for positive student outcomes - boosting confidence, enhancing communication skills, and fostering a sense of community and belonging. It was inspiring to watch our young learners step outside their comfort zones, try new activities, and return with a renewed sense of self-belief and determination.
We’re so proud of every student and grateful for the opportunity to share this transformational experience. The Great Aussie Bush Camp at Tea Gardens has definitely planted seeds that will grow into lifelong strengths, and we can’t wait to see all the wonderful things our students will achieve next! Here’s to many more adventures and successes ahead!
North West Athletics Trials
Congratulations to Elyse who has qualified for Sydney and will proudly represent North West and Rocky River in her respective MC events! We received reports that our fabulous relay team raced well. Although they won't be progressing to the next stage, they made such a great effort. Well done Lucy, Chanse, Patrick and Finn!
Years 3-6 Check-in Assessment
The Check-in assessment is an annual online assessment for students in Years 3 to 9 in NSW Public Schools. All students in Years 3 and 5 at Rocky River will complete a reading test and a numeracy test. Year 6 students also complete a writing task.
The Check-in assessment supports the identification of students’ performance in literacy and numeracy and informs next steps in teaching and learning. This is one form of assessment we use to capture student progress, alongside other formative and summative assessments which create the full picture of student performance. This testing will take place in Weeks 9 and 10 this term.
Book Donation
We have received a very kind donation for our school library of these books to raise awareness of recycling and Down Syndrome. These free books have been sent to every public primary school in NSW. More information can be found via the link below.
School Rebuild Project
An official project update will be issued this month (September). The following interim update has been provided by the project manager, which was published in our last school newsletter.
- Construction is progressing well and remains on schedule. The building is now emerging above ground level. The walls have been built up to the floor level, and everything is almost ready to pour the concrete floor.
- The new school building has moved through several important milestones to reach this stage, including design development with MCA Architects and site preparation ahead of construction. We thank the school community for their patience and understanding as the project continues.
- Thank you for your patience and support as we deliver this important project and we'll keep the community updated as construction progresses. If you have questions about the project, you can contact the department on 1300 482 651 or schoolinfrastructure@det.nsw.edu.au during business hours from Monday to Friday between 9 am and 5 pm.
New School Fencing Upgrade
We are looking forward to the school boundary fencing work to commence in the next fortnight. I will update the community when I have more information around this project to share.
Book Week Dress Up - Week 9
We are looking forward to our book week dress up assembly this Friday at 2pm. Whilst we celebrate student acheivements and parade our wonderful outfits, the Diggings RFS crew will be setting up on the bottom oval for a bit of fun and information to prepare as we head into bushfire season. We look forward to seeing everyone's exciting costumes at this event!
Save the Date - Presentation Day 2026
Presentation Day will be held offsite again at Uralla Central School, on Friday 11th December at 9am-11am (Week 9, Term 4). We will host Rocky River’s Got Talent at 11:30am-12:30pm. We look forward to sharing more information in due course but hope you can save this date for this important celebration of learning!
NRL Grand Final Winner!
We were pleased to announce the winner of the NRL Grand final tickets in Week 8 - congratulations to Lachie S! The raffle raised $1461.50 which will go towards our new school playground, to be built once our new school building project is complete. Thank you for supporting the Rocky River school community, with an extra big thank you to Peta Swilks and the Rocky River P&C in conjunction with Brendan Moylan and the NRL for coordinating this fabulous initiative. Every ticket purchased will help us create an exciting new play space for our students!
Gabi Gabun Play Sessions
We love seeing little ones aged 0-5 attending the Gabi Gabun service at our school. Sessions are held on even weeks this term on Wednesdays between 10am-12pm.
The resources from Gubi Gabun are wonderful, we encourage all to take up this enriching and FREE service to all!
Please spread the word to ensure everyone can make the most of this fantastic offering!
Attendance
Please ensure your child's absences reasons are logged with the school. It is important that this communication comes through to the school via the correct channels:
- Absence submission through the School Bytes app (preferred method)
- Phone call to the school office: (02) 6778 4122
- Email to the school email address: rockyriver-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Extended leave
Please remember to complete the extended leave or travel form if you are planning to take your children on holidays during the school terms. This must be completed prior to the planned travel.
Transition to Kindergarten 2027
Our transition program for students commencing at Rocky River Public School in 2027 will run on Mondays in Term 4, 2026. Please see the flyer below and contact our school office to let us know you're coming.
You can enrol your child online now: https://rockyriver-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/
School Holidays
The last day of Term 3 is Friday 25th September. We look forward to welcoming students back for their first day of Term 4 on Tuesday 13th October. We hope you have a safe and happy Spring holiday break!
Dani Clyde-Smith
Principal