From the Principal's Desk

Welcome to Week 10, Term 3!

As this term comes to a close, we reflect on the rich learning and extra-curricular activities our students have experienced, and how much each individual student has progressed. Thank you to our parents and broader community for working with us to achieve the best individual result for your children. It is truly an honour to work in this role with you all.

Police Visit

Last week we welcomed local police officers; Fiona and Penny, who visited our school and ran a workshop with the Upper Division students around cyber safety. The conversation around making the right choices online is important, and we encourage parents to foster an open dialogue with their children at home around their online activity. It is important to know what apps and websites your child uses, understand the accessibility around these applications and who can access your child in the safety of your own home, through these sites. As encouraged by the police officers, it is important that children of primary school age are using devices in a communal space in the home, where their activity can be monitored by parents for their safety, especially when on websites or apps which are not recommended for their current age.

We have encouraged our students to report and block anyone speaking to them in a way which is not acceptable, this can be done through each individual website or app, and to inform a parent or responsible adult immediately. Reports of threats or anything of further concern can be made to the local police, or through an e-safety report below:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/report

P&C RAB Community Partnership

Last Thursday night, Erica and Beth attended the Regional Australia Bank Armidale Community Partnership Program presentations, on behalf of the Rocky River P&C. The school and P&C are so grateful for this program - the P&C have received $2271.59. This is thanks to locals who have opened Community Partnership Accounts with Regional Australia Bank, selecting the Rocky River P&C Association as the recipient. For details on opening an account to support us, with no additional expense, you can visit the site below: https://www.regionalaustraliabank.com.au/community/community-partnership-program

Festival of the Bands

Our Tillbuster Wind Ensemble (Phoebe, Anna, Harrison C, Naomi and Henry) performed at the Festival of the Bands last Saturday, at Armidale Town Hall. The students all enjoyed being a part of the Festival of the Bands, and also commented on enjoying watching the New England Community Wind Ensemble perform Funky Town at the end of the festival, inspired to one day progress to the same level.

Movie Excursion Day 

Tomorrow we are taking all students K-6 to see "The Wild Robot" at Belgrave Cinema. If the weather permits, we will enjoy lunch together at the nearby Civic Park before heading back to school to end the day. We are so grateful for our amazing P&C who are paying for each student's movie ticket, as well as a popcorn and drink combo. This has ensured that all students were able to access this experience, without any financial strain. I'd also like to thank the teachers for their commitment in organising cost effective travel for our students, including Mr Ridley who will be our bus driver for the day. 

Friendly reminder: There will be no student lunch orders as we are offsite for lunch.

Garden Day

On the last day of Term, we will be holding a "Garden Day" for staff and students to dedicate some well-deserved time towards our veggie gardens. Ms C has obtained a $200 Bunnings voucher (donated from the Armidale store) to support our garden program. Students have already started planting new veggie seeds which are cared for daily, with the plan to transfer them into our garden beds. 

Uralla Christmas Street Festival

Our students have been invited to sing in a combined school choir with all Uralla schools at the Uralla Christmas Street Festival on Friday 22nd November. This will be a momentous occasion, as Uralla lights their first ever community Christmas tree. The choir rehearsals will occur during school time, and students will collectively perform between 6:30pm-7:30pm on the night. Families will be responsible to bring their children, and supervise accordingly. We encourage all families to support their children to be involved on the night, for what promises to be a wonderful, festive community event. 

Attendance Matters

As we get to the end of term, I will be closely reviewing attendance data. Students who have fallen below 85% attendance will receive a note home to families. If you require support to motivate or encourage your child to come to school, please contact us. There are so many reasons for our students to be excited about coming to Rocky River, so please don't hesitate to reach out.

Every Day Matters for your child’s learning

Attending school every day allows your child to get the most out of their learning and improve their career and life options.  This includes attending school on rainy days, sports carnivals, Fridays, birthdays and the list goes on. Regular school attendance can help expand your child’s learning and create positive relationships with their peers. It's important to support and encourage healthy daily routines which encourage your child's attendance such as a wind-down routine at night, and a reasonable bed time for the necessary rest children need. 

Read more about the benefits of regular attendance on the department website.   

Happy Holidays

I wish you all a safe and happy holiday break, and look forward to welcoming back students on Monday 14th October 2024.

Kindest regards,

Dani Clyde-Smith

Principal