Welcome to Week 3, Term 4!

We have had a very exciting fortnight with lots of reading, writing, maths, STEM, Music, Sport, marching in the Thunderbolt Festival in our 'loud shirts and hula skirts' and a phenomenal choral performance of seven commissioned musical pieces at the New England Sings concert last Sunday. Students are collecting eggs from our chooks, organising exciting games to play at lunch times and our Year 6 students are showing their initiative as they continue to fundraise for the Year 6 gift to the school through their daily icy pole sales. Rocky River truly is a hub of excitement as we get organised for our end of year preparations.

Year 6 Shirts

Year 6 students have started wearing their long awaited Year 6 shirts!! It is so lovely to see our 2024 cohort enjoying this special item to wear outside of their usual uniform. Thank you to the P&C for organising these shirts for our outgoing students to wear and enjoy as a keepsake in the years to come!

Thunderbolt Festival

Thank you to all of the parents who are involved in our P&C's efforts to support the school. A huge thank you to all of the families who baked and donated their delicious treats to the Rocky River stall, and to the fabulous P&C for organising and running the BBQ! I am so pleased to hear about everyone's effort in this space paying off, for what is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year! Please read our P&C page in this newsletter for the full report from the P&C. I'd also like to acknowledge the parents who brought their children down to march in the street parade, and those parents who split their time and/or resources to get their children to the NE Sings rehearsal whilst they volunteered their time at the Festival. We were all spread thin last weekend, but our school's representation shone through and for this - I thank everyone for their efforts in giving our students these opportunities.

New England Sings

What a privilege it was to be involved in the biennial New England Sings concert event last weekend. We recognise how big the commitment was for families and students, and were so pleased to see all of the rehearsals and dedicated music sessions paid off. Our Rocky River students shone in the Primary 2 Choir. What a wonderful experience for all students in our region, especially those in small schools who don't have access to singing in a choir experience, otherwise. The staff were so pleased to attend and support our singing stars!

Hats on heads, everyday!

As the UV rating increases, it's essential all students (and teachers) have their hats on their heads, otherwise we must stay in the shade. I promised students a special treat on the day we had ALL students come to school with their hats - and by Week 3 here we are! All students enjoyed frozen orange wedges which was an exciting treat and reward for their efforts.

Certified Learn to Swim Instructors

We are still on the look out for 2 x certified swim instructors. Please contact Rocky River Public School if you have AUSTSWIM or equivalent certification and are available and willing to help us out for our Swim Scheme Program at the end of November. All details are in the ad attached.

Next Assembly

Our next assembly is Thursday 8th November at 2:15pm. We look forward to seeing you all there to celebrate the learning of our students, before our final presentation day assembly in Week 9.

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 & Extended Leave

Last term, students who had fallen below 85% overall attendance received a note home to families. We understand if children are away due to illness, however, we will continue to monitor student attendance and inform parents, to ensure we are supporting your child to achieve their full potential. 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.

If you are planning on taking your children on a family holiday, outside of school holiday periods, you are required to complete an extended leave form, for approval prior to the scheduled holiday. Please see Anne or Toni in the office for a hardcopy form, otherwise I have attached a digital copy below.

Kindest regards,

Dani Clyde-Smith

Principal

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