The last few weeks of the term are always busy, and this is also true for our ADF student community and their families. Families posting in and out of our College are now fully ensconced in the logistical nightmare that comes with the upheaval of families at this time of the year, as their Defence member embarks on new roles in new locations.

To all of our departing ADF Families, I would like to personally wish you all the very best in your new jobs, homes and schools, and on behalf of Ripley Valley State Secondary College (RVSSC), we wish nothing but the best for our students who are moving on to new schools. Please remember that, change is not an ending, but an opportunity to grow as an individual, a friend and as a student.

On the 7^th November RVSSC commemorated Remembrance Day.

In preparedness for the commemoration, some ADF students and I embarked on a Working Bee at ANZAC way. Volunteers were students Sebastian, Aurora, Tayla and Lachlan. 

The Cenotaph, statues, seating and railings were all washed clean and pathways and sandstones were swept free of debris.

Theirs was an outstanding effort, and I was very proud at the immaculate results.  Well done everyone!

RVSSC commemorated Remembrance Day with a whole school assembly followed by a morning tea for invited guests to the college.

A heartfelt thank you to Paul Rogers (Ipswich RSL Sub Branch President), Padre Stephen Thomas (Regional Support Command Chaplain HQ Forces Command, Brisbane), representatives from the Ipswich Council and RVSSC ADF parents (Kathleen Sheen and Leslee Duggan) Piper Adam Regnart, Defence Affiliated Staff (Mr Lynn and Mr Clarke) who participated in our commemoration by reciting poems and prayer or laying wreaths.

Of special mention was the participation of students of the school, who performed their roles with the respect and stoicism befitting the occasion. A big thank you to Lucy (Flanders Field) Jackson, Defence Peer Mentor (The Ode), Addison (Navy Cadets), Seth (Air Force Cadets), Lorelei and Isabel (Wreath Layers) for helping to make Remembrance Day as special as it was.

Our new silhouette for ANZAC way was also unveiled, thanks to the metal cutting and welding talents of RVSSC Industrial Design Guru, Mr Clarke. Our new silhouette now stands proudly at the front of our College. 

On the 11^th November, RVSSC representatives attended the Remembrance Day Service at the Ipswich RSL Sub Branch. Our College was represented by Mr Pym, (Deputy Principal), Jayla and myself. It is always an honour to be invited to these important Military events, as they not only honour those who have served, but those in the ADF who are currently serving. 

We have now reached the end of yet another challenging year. The ADF students at RVSSC have worked hard, some have made new friends, some have contributed to mentoring their peers and others are preparing to begin another chapter in their lives in a new location. All have earned a well-earned rest over the holiday season.

On behalf of all of the ADF students, and from my family to yours, I wish you all a safe, peaceful, and restful break over the Christmas holidays. Merry Christmas everyone.

Defence School Mentor

For more information on the Defence School Mentor Program at RVSSC, please contact Tracey Cooper at tcoop203@eq.edu.au or call 3819 5333

DMFS SUPPORT

For more information on the Defence School Mentor Program you can head to:

https://defence.gov.au/members-families/Family/kids/education.asp

To contact the Defence School Mentor:

Wednesday and Friday 0800 - 1400hrs

Email: tcoop203@eq.edu.au

Phone : 0436 944 525