2024 Edition 21 (26-01-2024)

Principal's Message - Mrs Meyrick

Welcome to 2024! Together we are set for an EPIC year, where our students shine as EPIC Learners. Our students are Empowered, Polite, Inclusive and Careful. 

Our newsletter is published fortnightly on Fridays (in week 1,3,5,7 and 9). We invite community business to advertise (through SchoolZine) and community groups to provide us with news/event updates by sending details for publication to newsletter@ripleycentralss.eq.edu.au

Each newsletter will showcase some of our learning and will also include messages and reminders. Please take the time as a family to read and be up to date.

We have welcomed 80 new prep students and our enrolment now sits just under 350 students. We ended last year with 227, so it is lovely to welcome new families across Year 1-6 as well.

Please stay connected with your child’s class teacher via email, phone or in person. A productive partnership together is important in supporting your children to shine at our school.

Mrs Wuanita Meyrick| Principal

Deputy Principal's Message - Ms Yager

It has been enjoyable and rewarding to see our Year 3 to 6 students return (or start) in such a positive and productive way this week.

Each of our classes in the upper school are located in the A1 building, level 1 (above administration) and are accessible via the green Bee Eater stairs at the rear (oval side) of the building. There is also a lift for easy access if you have a pram, walking aid or are unable to navigate stairs. You are welcome to use this as needed, located just inside the A2 building ground floor. After exiting the lift on level 1, please cross the bridge to get to the other side.

We have many new teaching faces in our Year 3-6 team. We are excited to welcome Tessa Blair (3A teacher), Sharnel Faulds (3B teacher), Callum Stevens (4/5B teacher) and Jane Delley (6A teacher). They have commenced the year with enthusiasm, a desire to add value to our school learning culture and make evident to our students, staff and community their Passion and Purpose. If you see them in our school, or they are your child’s class teacher, please help make them feel welcome to our school community.

I look forward to catching up with parents and families over the coming weeks. Should you need Deputy Principal support to address an issue (always try resolve with your child’s class teacher first), you can contact me on DP@ripleycentralss.eq.edu.au

Ms Petra Yager |  Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal's Message - Mrs Ward

I am thrilled to extend a warm welcome to both our returning families and those who are joining our Ripley Central community for the first time. It has been exciting to see our Prep-Year 2 students start the year off with such enthusiasm and passion for learning.

All four of our Prep classrooms are located in the A2 building on the ground floor, easily accessed via the Galah corridor.

Our Year 1 and 2 classrooms are located on level 1 of the A2 building. These classrooms are accessed via the pink Galah stairs which are located around the back of the A2 building. If you require assistance due to a pram, walking aid or are unable to navigate stairs, there is a lift located just inside the A2 building.

I am excited to introduce some new faces to our Prep-Year 2 teaching team. Please join me in welcoming:

• Mrs Celia Lethlean (Prep A classroom teacher)
• Miss Isabella McIlwee (Prep B classroom teacher)
• Ms Ann Wilds (Prep D, Thursday Friday classroom teacher)
• Miss Bethany Poyser (1A classroom teacher)
• Mrs Carlie Profke (1B classroom teacher)

These dedicated teachers have already begun the year with immense passion and purpose, eager to foster positive and engaging learning environments for our learners while building strong connections with our community.

Your partnership and engagement with our school are of utmost importance. We value your input and feedback, and encourage you to first communicate with your classroom teacher to address any concerns or questions you may have. However, if you require Deputy Principal support, you can reach me at DP@ripleycentralss.eq.edu.au.

I look forward to seeing all of our families over the coming weeks and anticipate an EPIC year ahead – one where our learners are Empowered, Polite, Inclusive and Careful.

Mrs Tammy Ward |  Deputy Principal

Business Manager's Message - Mrs Van Der Zee

Welcome back to 2024!

As we embark on our second year at RCSS, I would like to address an important matter that ensures the smooth functioning of our educational environment - timely invoice payments. As the School Business Manager, I understand the financial commitments our families face, and I appreciate your continued partnership in meeting these obligations.

Timely payments are crucial for maintaining the high standards of education and services we provide.  We are able to invest in and provide the resources required to support the learning for children in the classroom. Therefore, I kindly request all families submit payments promptly.

Our preferred method of payment is via QParents.  This is a simple and effective app for managing your child’s information at school.  Please see attached links for further information and to sign up. (please insert here)

We understand that unexpected financial challenges may arise, and we are here to support you. If you require assistance or wish to discuss a personalised payment plan, please don't hesitate to contact me at bsm@ripleycentralss.com.au  Our goal is to work collaboratively to find solutions that ensure your child's education remains uninterrupted.

I am also pleased to advise that the Smith Family Saver Program is again available this year.  This initiative aims to alleviate the financial burden associated with back-to-school costs. If your family is experiencing financial hardship, you may be eligible for assistance through this program. 

Mrs Van Der Zee |  Business Manager 

Afternoon pick up locations

As we have many new families joining our school community it is timely to remind of our afternoon pick up locations and times. Access to our classroom corridors occurs from 2.40pm, with school finishing at 2.45pm.

We provide supervision until 3pm on our gate exits. Students not collected by 3pm will be at administration and will be required to be picked up from the administration building via Gazania Street.

Late access to OSHC – Gate 7 in Binnies Road is the only access afterhours. Please park in the designated carpark facility, not the bus bay no standing zone. This gate is available to families until 6pm for OSHC pick up.

Gate 7  - located in the Binnies Road Carpark is best suited to families with students in Year 1 – 6, however Prep families may also wish to park there too. Our bus students also use this gate. This gate is opened just after 2.30pm to allow families to transition up to the classroom area of the schools, however access into our corridors is not available until 2.40pm. Our staff member is on duty until 3pm. Any child not collected by this time will be walked to the office and parents will be contacted for collection from our administration on Gazania Street.

Gate 4,5,6 – Kiss and Go – this gate is available to families with students in Year 1-6 (or prep if supervised an supported by a responsible older sibling. This area is designed to flow traffic. Please pull all the way forward, and continue moving forward as spaces open up. This gate opens at 2.45pm and closes at 3pm. Students still in this area at 3pm will be walked to the office and parent contacted for collection from our administration on Gazania Street.

Gate 1 - Gazania Street Carpark – this carpark is designed for families with Prep students. It is a busy carpark. It does not have enough carpark spaces for all prep families (in the future we will have 200 prep students) so families are encouraged to consider other parking options (street parking or Binnies Road carpark).

Our school has more than doubled in school enrolments and families are noticing the increased traffic. Please follow road rules, model our EPIC values, especially Polite and Careful and consider the best transport options for your family. As our school continues to grow, the road networks will continue to be busy (both school traffic and residential traffic).

Munch and Crunch

Our students are invited to have a small, non-messy fruit or vegetable item for Munch and Crunch each day. This is not a designated break, and is often done as a part of morning routines. When children arrive at class, they should remove their Munch and Crunch from their bag or lunch box and place on the white class trolley. This will allow them to be ready quickly for the short snack and also to avoid wanting other treats from their lunch boxes.

Ideas for storage for Munch and Crunch

* zip lock bag with name on it

* small container with name on it

* reusable lunch zip lock bags with name on it

Ideas for Munch and Crunch

* carrot sticks, celery sticks

* grapes, berries

* small apple or banana

Please avoid messy fruit, fruit that needs preparing or large quantities/serving.

Please keep Munch and Crunch to a small portion. It is just a snack and teachers will ask students to put the remaining pieces in their lunch boxes if they are taking too long. If your child does not like fruit or vegetables, this is a wonderful opportunity for them to try some. Eating with their friends is often a good persuasion. Alternatively, as Munch and Crunch is optional, they can wait until first break to eat.

Share the dignity

We have a Share the Dignity vending machine located in the bathroom on the student side of administration. Any student who requires the use of this machine is able to just enter the administration and use this bathroom. This machine dispenses pad and tampon packs for free. Our staff are here to support students experiencing their first period, problem periods or period poverty.

Have you got your uniforms ready for 2024?

Pop onto our website for information about our Student Dress Code, including school bag, hat, plain black shoes and white socks.

Current Preps - reminder you need a Formal Uniform for Mondays in Year 1.

Our onsite uniform shop is starting to get busy. Our website has details about opening hours, extended Back to School trade and how to order online.

Celebrating birthdays

Celebrating birthdays in our classrooms is a fun part of school life. To help us ensure it runs smoothly, please

• Provide early notice to your child’s class teacher and check the day will be suitable
• Provide the quantity required (check with your teacher)
• Cupcakes or iceblocks are suitable (with all ingredients easily accessible to the child’s class teacher).

Please do not send

• whole cakes that a teacher is required to cut and serve (cupcakes are best please)
• party bags, toys, balloons, gifts, or any other items
• candles or sparklers
• hooting whistle toys, bubbles,

If the cakes require refrigeration, please deliver to the administration and we will arrange to get them to class just before a break or just before home time (the class teacher will identify the best time).

Our canteen has a party pack of cupcakes available for order in Flexischools, with ordering timelines. Remember to still check in with your child’s class teacher first.

If your child has a food intolerance or allergies, you are welcome to provide a 4 pack of cupcakes that they can consume. We will freeze them, ready for a teacher to defrost one on a day when a child may be sharing this celebration. Please have them in a clearly labelled container that is suitable for freezing. Please note, any cupcakes provided last year have been disposed off due to age. Please also teach your child to say ‘no’ to shared food as this will help them in all aspects of school life.

Should you not wish for your child to accept cupcakes/iceblocks when the class is celebrating a birthday, please teach your child to say ‘no thank you, I am ok’ when offered.

If you have any questions, please contact administration.

Prep C News

Prep C students have had an excellent start to the year. They have all been making new friends and learning new things. This week we have started to learn about some of the sounds letters make, we have counted to 5, read lots of stories and learnt what it means to be an EPIC learner.

2024 School Calendar

The Arts

Ripley Central has an ARTS unit that is guided by the whole school curriculum visions and the school EPIC values.

All classes have their music lessons on Monday or Tuesday and we have already started focusing on how to be an EPIC learner for Prep-3. This week they were listening to the music and moving different parts of their bodies to the different tempos of music.

The year 4-6s were introduced to the ukulele that they will be focusing on for 6 weeks and then they will spend 14 weeks being detectives learning seven original tunes on the glockenspiel and completing music theory puzzles to solve the case of Henry’s missing pizza.

The Prep – 3 are doing visual arts semester 1 and this week’s focus was about being an Independent EPIC learner and how we can set up our own work station and put on our own apron and we can pack up our workstation once we have finished.  The preps were painting their choice of living things from the garden, inspired by Eric Carle’s The Tiny Seed which links into the English and Science units. The year 1s were painting their choice of a dinosaurs which links into their Science unit on animal features. The year 2s were painting their choice of an animal that links into their English animal fact sheets. 3A painting their choice of food from around the world which is link into the English procedure writing. 

The year 4-6 are doing a Media Arts/Drama unit investigating the different genres of the cinematic arts. They will be looking at how concepts are represented through media and then represet the genres themselves.

Facility Hire

There are some areas of our school suitable for facilities hire by business and organisations that support our wider community.

Expression of Interest is now open to apply for 2024 hire arrangements. Please see our website for details.

https://ripleycentralss.eq.edu.au/facilities/facility-hire

P&C News

Welcome

The P&C would like to welcome all of our wonderful families back to school for a great 2024.

We have some fantastic events planned this year for our epic students and families including a disco, color run, trivia night, market stalls  and raffles just to name a few.

These events will help the P&C reach a number of fundraising goals to provide additional resources for the school.

These fundraising events and additional items will be discussed at our next meeting which will be held on Tuesday 30^th January 2024. Come and meet the P&C executive team from 4:45pm, with the meeting commencing at 5pm and concluding by 6pm. All families and community members are welcome and new memberships are encouraged. Children are welcome; parents please bring something quiet for them to do during the time.

Stay up to date with P&C messages, celebrations and reminders, by liking our Facebook page by clicking this link: Ripley Central State School P&C.

If you require any further information about the P&C please contact us at pandc@ripleycentralss.eq.edu.au

We look forward to hearing from you and meeting many more of you throughout the year.

Community News

Raceview Soccer Club has its 2024 season sign on Saturday 27 January 10.00 am – 1.00 pm and Wednesday evening 30 January 5.00 pm- 7.00 pm at our clubhouse on Norm Rule fields, 30B Grange Rd Eastern Heights. We will be fielding teams in juniors from under 6 through to under 18’s. Our senior teams include senior men’s and women’s teams and the popular over 30’s and over 40's men’s teams. Registration for teams is open to boys and girls across these ages. Mixed teams are open to boys and girls from U6 to U14’s Age Groups are taken on the player’s age as at 31 December 2023.

More details phone 3288 9809 or www.raceviewsoccer.org.au

Contacting our School

You can call us on 07 3819 5777   if you need to contact us. Please save the number to your mobile so you know if we are calling you. 

Email – admin_@ripleycentralss.eq.edu.au  OR for all enrolment matters please email enrolments@ripleycentralss.eq.edu.au 

Phone - 07 3819 5777  (between 8.20am-3.15pm Monday to Friday - or school days) 

Please no longer use the mobile number -  please delete it from your contacts in your phone.