Whole School Activities

Creative Streets Festival Entry

All stages worked together on a special art project for our entry to the Creative Streets Festival in Armidale. The project demonstrated the ideas of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle in the sculpture which was made from materials that we found around the school.

Students used materials like PVC pipes and reclaimed wood, helping them learn how to save resources and make less waste.

The PVC tube was painted in base colours (with special thanks to Mrs Morris) and then decorated using acrylic paint markers. Each piece was different and showed the student’s own style and ideas.

This project was very popular and helped our students improve their art skills and learn why it is important to protect the environment.

Lower Division Art

Lower Division have been working on some Halloween inspired artworks since our return from the holidays. Our first piece was a water colour spider web which produced some wonderful results. Students traced their spider web before adding water colours and finally a spider (of course).

Volley Ball

With the cleanup of the snow storm damage, we have been able to use our volleyball court again. To make this even better, the school recently received some brand new volleyballs which have been being used enthusiastically. It is wonderful to see our students able to enjoy the grounds again in such a positive manner.

Mr Ridley's Ice Cream Treat

Last Friday the school enjoyed an end of week treat with home made ice cream\. Along with some store bought ice cream as a back up - we enjoyed choc chip, strawberry and even cherry ice cream, with sprinkles of course.

This was in part a reward for the excellent attendance of students across all stages last week. Congratulations to students for their attendance and we will continue to think of positive ways to encourage this important behaviour.

Loud Shirt Day

Loud Shirt Day is a fun and colourful fundraising event held annually to support people affected by deafness and hearing loss. On this day, participants are encouraged to wear bright, bold, and “loud” patterned shirts to raise awareness about hearing challenges and to celebrate the importance of communication.

The event is organised to help raise funds for programs, resources, and support services that assist individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. By joining Loud Shirt Day, people show their solidarity with the deaf community and help promote inclusion and understanding.

Loud Shirt Day also aims to spark conversations about hearing loss and encourage people to learn more about how they can support those with hearing impairments. It’s a joyful way to bring communities together while making a positive difference in the lives of many

Thank you to our students for supporting this very worthwhile cause, we received this correspondence following our donation to The Shepherd Centre.

Dear Rocky River School, 

We are incredibly grateful for your generous donation of $46.00. It means the world to us and, more importantly, to the children and families we help.Thanks to kind supporters like you, children and young adults like Indiana are receiving the essential early intervention services they need to hear their first sounds, speak their first words and engage in the world around them.Please know that your generosity plays a crucial role in enabling vital life-changing programs, from audiology assessments to listening and spoken language therapy and family counselling.Your kindness not only brings the gift of sound to children in need, but also provides hope to families navigating the challenges of hearing loss.Thank you for your kind and generous support.

Dr. Aleisha Davis Chief Executive Officer

Lower Division English

Lower Division students have been learning about pollution and how it harms our environment. They used different ways to show what they learned, called multimodal texts. These include pictures, sounds, and writing.

The students made pictures to show different types of pollution. They drew dirty rivers, smoky air, and trash on the land. They also used sound recordings to share noises like traffic or factory sounds that can pollute the air.

In their writing, students explained how pollution hurts animals, plants, and people. They used simple words to tell their stories and share ideas.

Upper Division STEM

This term, Mr Jacobs (Associate Professor, UNE) is working with Stages 2 and 3 for a four week program, each Monday afternoon. This week, lesson provided students with a hands on experience in experimenting with ‘Brain Box Electronic’ kits. The main point of the lesson was that electric circuits need to be closed to complete a circuit. Accordingly, students experimented with batteries, switches, motors, light bulbs and speakers. This was a highly engaging and exciting lesson which had all learners engrossed in the creation of a circuit which could achieve a particular result. We has lights switch on, spinning wheels turning so fast that they flew into the air and even a siren noise was achieved! What a great experience for our students.

Holiday Comics | Spring Holiday Recounts

As part of their literacy development, students were given the opportunity to recount their spring holidays using an empty comic template. This activity was designed to enhance both their narrative writing skills and visual storytelling abilities.

By working with the comic format, students practiced organising their thoughts in a sequential manner, breaking down their holiday experiences into clear, concise panels. This required them to think carefully about the key moments they wanted to share and how to represent these events effectively through both words and illustrations.

The use of an empty comic template allowed students to experiment with combining text and images, reinforcing the connection between narrative language and visual elements. They explored how speech bubbles, captions, and expressive drawings can contribute to the overall story, making it more engaging and easier to follow.

Stage 2 English | Fire | Book Cover

Stage 2 students have been exploring the English unit focused on the textual concepts of imagery, symbolism, and connotation through the mentor text Fire by Jackie French. Using the powerful title Fire, students delved into how authors convey meaning and evoke emotions. To express their understanding, they created imaginative front covers using a variety of mediums, capturing the rich symbolism and vivid imagery of the text. This creative project allowed students to connect deeply with the themes and layers of meaning in Fire, enhancing their appreciation of language and visual storytelling.

Visual Arts | Premier's Christmas Card

Students enthusiastically participated in the Premier’s Christmas Card Competition, where they had the special opportunity to design a Christmas card for the Honourable Prue Car, Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning. Throughout the project, students focused on creating thoughtful and festive designs that reflected the spirit of the season.

They carefully considered elements such as colour, imagery, and holiday themes to produce original and meaningful artwork. This competition encouraged students to express their creativity while practicing important skills such as planning, attention to detail, and visual communication.

By contributing to this statewide initiative, students experienced the excitement of engaging in a real-world project and the honour of potentially having their artwork shared with government leaders. The activity fostered a sense of community and festive celebration within the school, highlighting the meaningful connection between creativity and civic participation.

Stage 3 English

Exploring Symbolism through 'Animal Farm'

This term, inspired by our recent excursion to the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra, Stage 3 students will embark on an exciting exploration of symbolism and theme through the lens of George Orwell’s classic novel, Animal Farm. Building on last term’s studies of parliament and democracy, students will deepen their understanding by connecting the allegorical ideas in Animal Farm to the workings of democracy and governance, as seen in modern day film such as the Lego Movie.

Throughout the unit, students will develop their skills in creating multi-paragraph written texts with clear and coherent transitions. They will also use a modified APA referencing guide to accurately cite original sources, enhancing their research and academic integrity. Digital and print tools will support their planning, sequencing, revising, editing, and publishing processes.

Key textual concepts explored will include imagery, symbolism, and connotation, focusing on how Orwell’s techniques rely on perspective and context to create meaning. Students have already begun applying the modified referencing guide to their initial research and predictions about Animal Farm, setting a strong foundation for critical analysis and creative expression this term.

Reading for Enjoyment

Our Stage 3 students enjoy reading interest-based novels for pleasure. Reading for enjoyment in Stage 3 enhances literacy, imagination, and knowledge while building empathy and concentration. It fosters a lifelong love of learning and supports both academic success and personal growth. Reading for enjoyment is a beautiful part of our daily routine - all students love bringing in something exciting to sink their teeth into. Check out the current titles our students are powering through!

Stage 3 Maths

Creative Clock Numerals

Our Stage 3 students have been deeply engaged in an exciting and creative mathematics project, redesigning clock faces using clever mathematical expressions to represent the numbers 1 to 12. Beginning their planning before last term’s Canberra excursion, students have thoughtfully developed detailed final drafts and are now busy creating their unique clocks. This immersive project has sparked their curiosity and mathematical thinking, especially as they explored challenging time and duration questions inspired by Peter Sullivan. We look forward to completing the clocks soon and showcasing them in an in-class display focused on time zones, further enriching their understanding of time across the world.