Term 2 Week 8 Newsletter

From the Principal - Mrs Walsh

Celebrating Under 8's Day

We are excited to invite our school community to join us for Under 8’s Day on Friday 27 June from 8:30am to 10:30am! This special event is a highlight of Term 2 and is open to all Prep, Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 students, along with their younger siblings, parents, and guardians.

Under 8’s Day is a joyful celebration of early childhood, filled with engaging, hands-on activities that support learning through play. Families can look forward to a variety of experiences designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and connection—including art, sensory play, construction, movement activities and more!

Why Play Matters

Play is not just fun—it’s fundamental to learning in the early years. Through play, children:

• Explore the world around them

• Develop language and social skills

• Build confidence and problem-solving abilities

• Strengthen fine and gross motor skills

• Foster imagination and creativity

At our school, we understand that play lays the foundation for lifelong learning. Under 8’s Day is a fantastic opportunity for families to witness the value of play-based learning and join in the joy of discovery alongside their children.

We encourage all families of our junior primary students to come along and take part in this wonderful community celebration. We look forward to seeing you there!

Every Day Counts – Especially During the Busy End of Term

As we head into the final weeks of Term 2, we understand that the combination of colder weather, the start of flu season, and end-of-term assessments can make it challenging for some students to maintain their regular school routine. However, now more than ever, it’s important that students continue to attend school every day unless they are genuinely unwell.

Why Attendance Matters

Every day at school is a valuable learning opportunity. In the final weeks of term, teachers are:

• Consolidating key concepts from the term

• Completing assessments to inform future learning

• Supporting students with goal setting and reflection

• Preparing students for the transition into the next semester

When students attend consistently, they stay connected to their learning, classmates, and classroom routines. Missing even a few days can disrupt this rhythm and lead to gaps that can be hard to catch up on.

What You Can Do

• Monitor your child’s health: If they are well enough to attend, send them in.

• Stick to a routine: Regular sleep, nutritious food, and reduced screen time help students manage tiredness.

• Stay in touch: Let the school know if your child is absent and reach out if they need support to catch up.

We’re here to help—if your child is finding it difficult to attend school due to illness, tiredness, or anxiety around assessments, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Together, we can ensure every student has the best chance to finish the term strong and step into Term 3 with confidence.

Let’s keep showing up and finishing Term 2 with pride—every day counts!

Mrs Tamara Walsh

Principal

From the Deputy Principal - Mr Horridge

After School Pick-Up Safety Reminder

The safety of our students is our top priority—every minute of every day, including during afternoon pick-up times.

We understand the car park and STOP & GO area can become very busy between 2:30pm and 3:00pm, often with limited parking and traffic congestion. Your patience and cooperation during this time are greatly appreciated.

To help keep everyone safe and ensure traffic flows smoothly, we ask all families to follow these important guidelines:

• Do not stop in the drive-through lanes to collect your child. Students must not leave the waiting area to approach vehicles that are not in designated parking spaces or at the STOP & GO zone.
• All vehicles must either park in a marked car space or move through to the STOP & GO area
• There is NO parking in the STOP & GO area between 2.30pm & 3.00pm
• Please remain alert, drive slowly, and follow any directions from staff or signage.

Together, we can make our after-school pick-up safe and efficient for everyone. Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to our students’ wellbeing.

From Head of Curriculum - Mrs Simpson

Premier’s Reading Challenge

Please be reminded that the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) for Prep to Year 6 has already commenced. The PRC is a fantastic opportunity to foster a love of reading that can last a lifetime.

Unlike a competition, the PRC is all about encouraging students to enjoy reading at their own pace and ability. Whether it's diving into exciting fiction, learning from informative non-fiction, or enjoying a picture book with a family member, reading in all its forms is celebrated!

🗓 Reading Period:
6 May – 22 August 2025
During this time, students are encouraged to read and record books on the enclosed Reader Record Form.

🎯 Challenge Goals by Year Level:

• Prep to Year 2: Read or experience at least 20 books
• Years 3 and 4: Read at least 20 books
• Years 5 to 9: Read at least 15 books

📖 "Experiencing" books includes being read to, shared reading, or listening to stories—perfect for our younger readers!

✨ Why Join?
In 2024, more than 216,000 children from across Queensland participated in the PRC. Let’s see if we can grow that number in 2025 and show just how much our school loves reading!

📅 Important Dates to Remember:

• 6 May – 22 August: Reading period
• 25 August: Return completed Reader Record Forms to the school office
• 3 – 14 November: PRC Celebration Weeks

💡 Need ideas for what to read?
Browse suggested book lists on the PRC website: https://prc.median.com.au/BookList

🎉 Recognition for Your Effort:
Every student who completes the challenge and submits their Reader Record Form by 25 August will receive an official Certificate of Achievement!

We look forward to seeing many of our students take part in this rewarding challenge.

Happy Reading!
📚✨

News from - Prep A - Busy Bees

News from Mrs Nottage - 2A

News from - Year 1 /2S & 1 A

News from Mrs Koh - 2/3S

Chappy News!

News from the P&C

I’m unfortunately having to write this post to inform our school community that Vicky, our lovely caring tuckshop convener, has regretfully had to resign suddenly due to ongoing medical issues

After a conversation with Vicky yesterday, she is very much going to miss our little school community and all the students that came and saw her at the Tuckshop to say hello or buy some food.

Vicky was amazing in the way she dealt with our students and greeted everyone of them with smile. She was an asset in finding bargains to make sure that the tuckshop made ends meet and always made sure our students had healthy options to choose from.

Vicky, you will be missed.

Ben Billingsley

P&C President

Rochedale State High School Year 7 Enrolment for 2026

News from Helping Hands

With school holidays only a couple of weeks away, check out the Helping Hands for fun school holiday activities!

Social Media Awareness

Memorial Service

2025 Uniform Shop Hours

Uniform shop hours are every Thursday from 8am - 9am for all of your school uniform needs.