From the Principal's Desk
Welcome to Term 4!
We have had a wonderful start to our fourth and final term of school this year! Students are back, happy and working hard in classrooms, truly embodying our school rules; Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be a Learner. Our school rebuild project has made significant, visible progress over the school holidays, with metal framework up in place, truly emphasising the size and presence of the building; delivering a state-of-the art facility we can look forward to working in, in 2027. Our boundary fencing project has continued, expected to be complete soon, ensuring the safety of all students on our grounds.
Elyse receiving her North West Athletics ribbons and medal at the end of Term 3.
Elyse receiving her North West Athletics ribbons and medal at the end of Term 3.
We sadly farewell the Te Whiu family from our school today, wishing them all the best on their next chapter. We happily welcomed the Andersons to our school last week, and it has been lovely to get to know our new students. We have lots of extra-curricular activities on this term, including the Thunderbolts Festival this Saturday - we hope to see you all there in your best disco attire!
Snake Safety Education Day
On Monday, I had the privilege of running a snake safety education day with our staff and students. When sighting a snake at school or any other environemnt, we learnt the mantra:
STOP!
Freeze.
Slowly back away (when safe to do so)
Tell a teacher/adult
We practised this in an fun, game-based way to help build muscle memory. Please support this mantra in conversations at home to allow students to remember what to do. We used a holistic approach in our snake safety education, with students learning the fundamentals of living alongside snakes in our environment, where they might like to hide, not to be scared but informed, and if bitten, basic first aid. Check out our Whole School Activities section for more detail on the activities we ran on the day. If you have any questions about this program, please contact your child's teacher.
Loud Shirt Day
On Friday 16th October, we celebrated Loud Shirt Day to raise awareness and funds towards organisations who support children who are deaf. This year, we raised $52 for The Shepard Foundation, and looked awesome in our bright colours!
The Rocky River Rockets: Ready to Soar!
Transition to Kindergarten 2027
On Monday, our transition program for students commencing at Rocky River Public School in 2027 started! We had a great day getting to know our new little learners for 2027, and we are already excited to see them back, ready for more exciting sessions each week. Our transition program will run on Mondays this term, with activities led by Miss Burton (our Assistant Principal, Curriculum & Instruction). With lots of exciting experiences planned, we still have some room for more smiling faces! Be sure to give us a call if you would like to secure a spot for your child.
You can enrol your child online now: https://rockyriver-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/
Save the Date: Presentation Day 2026
Our Presentation Day will be held at the Uralla Central School Hall, on Friday 11th December from
9am-11am (Week 9, Term 4). We will host Rocky River’s Got Talent from 11:30am-12:30pm. We hope you can be there for this special celebration of learning!
Creative Streets Festival
Last Saturday, our whole-school art project was proudly displayed at the Armidale Creative Streets Festival. We also had our talented students; Ivory, Lucy and Romy perform with the Tillbuster's Wind Ensemble. What a wonderful display of creative talent - as always, we were proud to carve out a presence at this event. Our art installation piece is currently on display in our front office foyer for all to enjoy. Be sure to have a look at our Whole School Activities section in this newsletter for a full write up on the process and significance of the project. Thank you to all of our students, K-6, who worked on this project!
George the Farmer Wool Discovery Kit
Our school is thrilled to be one of 100 across Australia to receive a limited edition Wool Discovery Kit, created by George the Farmer in partnership with Quality Wool. The kit, which arrived today, includes George the Farmer Shears a Sheep, a Wool Journey Sample Pack, a wool scarf, flash cards and curriculum-aligned activities for Foundation to Year 4. It will help our students see and touch the journey of Australian wool, from the sheep in the paddock to the clothes we wear, giving them a real, hands-on connection to where their food and fibre comes from. Thank you to George the Farmer and Quality Wool. We can’t wait to see our students explore it!
School Rebuild Project
Please see the most recent proejct update below:
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 England Sings!
Preparation for New England Sings! is well underway, and the our K-6 students are sounding fantastic! It has been wonderful to have everyone involved in the combined Primary Choir rehearsals. Please find the final rehearsal and performance arrangements below. Rocky River students will perform in Concert 2.
Final Rehearsals & Performance
| Date | Time | Arrangement |
Saturday 31 October | Arrive at 11:00am Rehearsal: 11:15-1:00pm | Final Primary Choir rehearsal at Lazenby Hall. Parents are responsible for transport to and from the venue. Students may wear casual clothes. |
Sunday 1 November | Arrive at 1:00pm Performance: 2:30pm-4:00pm | Performance at Lazenby Hall. Parents are responsible for transport to and from the venue. |
What to Wear
Final rehearsal (Saturday 31st Oct)
- Casual clothes
Performance (Sunday 1st Nov)
- Black pants (no leggings, tights or jeans)
- Black shoes and socks
- A bright, solid-coloured T-shirt (no graphics or logos please)
What to Bring
- Water bottle
Meeting Point & Supervision
On Saturday and Sunday, Mrs Clyde-Smith and Miss Miller will meet students outside Lazenby Hall, near Cafe Life. Parents are responsible for accompanying students to and from this meeting point. Students must remain with an accompanying adult when they are not with the teachers and should not leave the meeting point independently.
Tickets
Tickets are now on sale. Please ensure you purchase tickets for Concert 2, as this is the concert in which the Rocky River students will perform.
- Adults: $30
- Full-time students: $20
Audience tickets can be purchased through TryBooking - New England Sings!.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school.
What is New England Sings! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BIpeIn8Eog
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.
Dani Clyde-Smith
Principal