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- Defence News
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Dear Parents/Carers,
As we finish our 4th week of school both you and your child may be starting to feel the effects of "The Learning Pit". The "Learning Pit" is when people start to feel a little overwhelmed or anxious as they learn something new. For your child, particularly if they are new to high school or have undergone significant change, the effects of the learning pit may be more acutely felt. The good news is, this process is normal and it does not last forever.
We all experience challenge and difficulty when faced with something new and the important lesson to remember is that we are not facing this problem alone, other people can help and we will get through this. As a parent you can encourage your child to persevere, to seek help from others and be willing to help others around them too. No one enjoys feelings of anxiety but by talking to others, supporting each other and having a positive mindset we can all help each other through this difficult stage. And the good news? When we climb out of "The Learning Pit" we feel a sense of accomplishment and confidence that allows us to face new challenges in the future. If you are concerned about your child and would like to speak to someone please contact the college at admin@ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au or on 3819 5333 requesting contact with either the Guidance Officer (Lisa Henderson), HOD Inclusion (Rhiannon Kemp) or House Coordinators (Jessica Starkey/James Dunn).
Throughout the school year, I also realise that parents may wish to contact the school to talk to a staff member about an issue or concern they may have. Sometimes, due to the nature of these concerns, or life circumstances, parents/carers may be upset or angry. While every effort is made to answer or return these calls as soon as possible, parents are reminded that our speech and actions to all staff, included reception workers, need to be held with respect and common courtesy. The college will not accept abusive or threatening behaviour towards any staff member and parents/carers may be asked to leave the premises, call back when they have cooled down or be unable to enter school grounds for a period of time if inappropriate behaviour occurs. While we all have a right to express our opinions and concerns, our college Code of Conduct means that all parties including parents/carers must behave in a respectful manner. Your support and assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated.
In other news, over the next few weeks a number of significant college events will be taking place. On Monday the 22nd February, we will be holding our Student Leader Investiture parade whereby a number of invited guests will attend to hear the swearing in of our 2021 Student Council Representatives, House Captains, and College Captains. I look forward to this occasion and congratulate the successful applicants in their new roles and responsibilities.
On Saturday the 6th March, Ripley Valley State Secondary College will open our doors to the public from 8.30am to 12pm. All members of the college and wider community are welcome to attend and you can invite friends and family on the day. The P & C Association will be selling food and refreshments on the day and the open day will provide an opportunity for existing and future students to meet some of the staff, walk through the facilities and hear first hand of our current and future plans for the college.
Once again, I thank you for your involvement in our college and look forward to building together on the great work we have started in 2021.
Yours sincerely,
Brendan Krueger
Foundation Principal
Emily Prenzler
With the rapid digitisation of the society we believe that our students at Ripley Valley State Secondary College should keep in pace by learning and creating with technology. We want our students at Ripley Valley SSC to be leading in the field of STEM and gain skills and expertise by creating digital solutions for the future. To encourage our students into coding and STEM at Ripley Valley SSC we have set up “Coding Squadron Club”. Students get an opportunity to collaborate and create digital solutions like games, apps and robotics projects. Students develop 21st century skills like team building, problem solving, collaborating and entrepreneurial thinking through club activities. Students also aim to develop their digital solutions to submit their entries into State and National level competitions. The Club operational timings are as follows:
Tuesday: Premier Coding Challenge : 2:45 – 3:30
Wednesday:Coderz League : 1st Break
Thursday: Australian STEM Game competitions : 1st Break
All students from Years 7-9 are invited to become part of Coding Squadron Club. If you are cool at coding or willing to learn coding to create apps, games and animation you are welcome to join our Coding Squadron Club.
Teacher -Digitech and S T E M
The FUSE Cup is played locally in each state and brings together students from Years 5-8 to compete in a safe, structured and supervised eSport competition where they will also learn about ways to improve their digital wellbeing.
The game we are competing in this term is "JUST DANCE", and trials are currently underway! The big competition will be held at Ipswich Grammar school on the 10th March 2021.
HOD - Digital Technologies | Pathways | English | Humanities | IGNITE
Angela Waugh
Email: awaug24@eq.edu.au
NDIS: Parent Information Session
We are holding a parent information session for families who are interested or want information on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Ripley Valley State Secondary College and Ripley Valley State School families are invited to attend.
There will be opportunities for Q & A and to book further one to one meetings with our NDIS community coordinator- Jules Csanki.
Date: Wednesday 17th March
Time: 4:30pm- 5pm
Where: B Block (Resource Centre)
https://www.ndis.gov.au/
AIMS:
- Build confidence in students to ask questions about their homework or assessment tasks
- Support students to schedule their homework tasks and assessments
- Develop good study habits for Senior schooling
WHEN:
- Tuesday afternoon in the F Block 2:45pm-3:30pm
WHO:
- Supervised by teachers, HODs and volunteers
- Open invitation for students to drop in and seek assistance.
- Attendance taken via excel spreadsheet
At Ripley Valley, our students own their learning and strive for excellence. We hold high expectations for all our students and encourage them to hold high expectations for themselves. We know that Secondary schooling is a big jump from Primary school and the demand of homework and assessment increases. To support our students with this journey, we have created the Homework Support Group.
Teachers volunteer their time to dedicate an afternoon in supporting students to:
- Build confidence in students to ask questions about their homework or assessment tasks
- Support students to schedule their homework tasks and assessments.
- Develop good study habits for Senior schooling
This is an invaluable opportunity for students to drop-in and seek guidance and support from Ripley Valley staff. If you notice your child struggling to organise their time, needing further help with Homework, or just needs a quiet space to study, encourage them to attend the Homework Club!
Harmony Day
The Faces of Ipswich project celebrates the cultural diversity of Ipswich and aims to promote inclusion and belonging for all people in our city. The 2021 national theme of Harmony Day is Everyone Belongs.
We are asking people who live in Ipswich to take a picture of themselves and write a short statement answering the question (under 100 words) - What does belonging mean to me?
Photos could be:
- you and your family eating together
- a cultural dance or celebration
- you near an Ipswich landmark
- you playing your favourite sport
- you in your traditional dress
A selection of photos will be used to create an art exhibition in Harmony Week (March 15 to 21 2021). This exhibition will be in the Nicholas Street Precinct. Additionally, submitted photos and stories may be used from this exhibition promoting inclusion in Ipswich. Unfortunately not all photos can be used in the project.
Our cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and forms the heart of who we are. It makes Australia a great place to live. People who migrate to Australia bring with them some of their own cultural and religious traditions, as well as taking on many new traditions. By participating in Harmony Day activities, we learn and understand how all Australians from diverse backgrounds equally belong to and enrich this nation.
Rhiannon Kemp
Head of Inclusion
Rhiannon Kemp
Phone: 3819 5319
Email: rxtoo0@eq.edu.au
This year the RVSSC English department are entering teams in the Readers Cup. Readers Cup is organised by the Qld Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia. It is a state-wide competition for young readers. Teams of four to five students together read a set of books, and then compete with other teams to answer quiz questions from the books. Winners from regional competitions then compete in a state final.
Readers Cup competitions challenge students to read widely, work collaboratively in a team and continue developing a love of reading. It allows readers to compete at a regional and state level similar to sporting competitions and to meet other students with an equal passion for books.
If your child has nominated to be in a team you will be receiving an email. Being a member of the team will require a commitment to weekly lunchtime team meetings in term 2 and 3, as well as, the dates for regionals and states.
Year 7/8 Regional Date: Thursday 27 May, 2021 – St Mary’s College,Woodend
Year 9/10 Regional Date: Tuesday 3rd August 2021 – St Mary’s College,Woodend
All Year Levels State Date: Wednesday 1st September 2021 – St Laurence College, South Brisbane
The Year 7/8 team will receive their texts week 9, term 1.
The Year 9/10 team will receive their texts week 1, term 2.
Wow! What a great start to 2021 we have had across all Maths, Science and HPE classes. In every class that I visit students are actively engaged in their learning and are showing great enthusiasm to increase their understanding of the subject matter. I want to commend every student on a great start to the year and this has allowed teachers to prioritise the best teaching practices possible for your students.
As we approach assessment season we encourage all students to engage in independent revision opportunities outside of class. This could look like students completing homework tasks, reading back over their class notes and/or Daymap instructions from the previous lesson, working through similar questions from the online textbooks or completing some independent research into the content online to extend their knowledge. However, one of the main comments I hear from parents when trying to help their child at home is that they struggle to help their child as it has been such a long time since they have learnt the subject matter themselves. Does this sound like you? I have put together a list below of available resources that may help you at home when supporting your child.
- Khan Academy: a free website with a huge number of videos, tutorials and practice questions. If you haven’t discovered Khan academy yet, I would highly recommend having a look through their library to complement your child’s revision opportunities.
- Photo Math – a free phone/tablet App that is used by taking a photo of a Mathematical problem and then it explains how to solve that question.
- A book called “Help Your Kids With Maths” By Carol Vordorman. This book is a valuable resource that has visual explanations of the vast majority of numeracy skills that high school students need.
And if you are still struggling, that is what we are for! Reach out to your child’s teacher, encourage your child to attend Homework club (Tuesdays until 3.30pm) or encourage your child to seek extra teacher support at lunch times.
Important Dates:
- Thursday 1st April – Cross Country. Encourage your child to start training for this event if they wish to be competitive on the day.
- World Science Week – 24th – 28th This fantastic and free event is being held in Brisbane City. There will be plenty of family friendly and engaging experiences for your child over the weekend. We encourage you to your child along to encourage their love of Science.
Photos of students in 7A, engaged in a group activity to consolidate their understanding of the properties of quadrilaterals:
Tess Reeves
HoD Maths, Science & HPE
Year 9 Design Engineering class been learning Vector drawings in Adobe Illustrator to create designs for laser cutting and simple circuits with LED's. This week we have been exploring with Arduino's to understand coding LED lights and learn about series and parallel circuits. We will begin our assessment task next week which include designing an edge lit light.
DANCE SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT
Dance Squad Auditions have wrapped up this week and the team is being announced today! Congratulations to all students and a huge thank you to everyone who tried out. Our team will commence weekly training next Wednesday morning at 7.15am. Permission notes and further information will be going home tomorrow
VISUAL ARTS
Year Eight Visual Artists explored site specific sculpture last week, creating ‘Land Art’ pieces in the Canteen Courtyard. Students used natural materials to create patterns and forms that responded to the natural environment.
Lorinda Stiles
HoD Creative Industries
lstil21@eqeduu.au
In just under 12 months we will be welcoming our first seniors to Ripley Valley State Secondary College!
Senior schooling is an exciting time for Queensland students. They can choose what to study from a wide range of subjects and courses that count towards their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE).
The QCE is flexible and allows students to design the pathway that’s right for them — whether that’s heading to university, skilled work, TAFE or other training.
Our team are currently building what our year 10-12 pathways will look like, and would like your feedback as to what Pathways our community would like to see. Please take a moment to answer the below questions.
Over the coming months, we will be updating our community on our Senior Schooling plans, asking for feedback and opinions and seeking out local industry to partner with our school and students to support us in delivering world class pathways for our talented students.
We will be delivering information sessions for our Year 9 families about pathway options, the importance of subject selections in year 10 and the process of our Junior Education and Training (JET) planning which will occur in Term 3; where teachers, parents and students work together to develop personalised pathway plans.
If you have any questions or feedback please feel free to contact me via email (awaug24@eq.edu.au) or on 07 3819 5333.
HOD - Pathways | Digital Technologies | English | Humanities | IGNITE
2021 Student Resource Scheme (SRS) Payments due today.
Thank you to all families that have already made payments or set up payment plans.
The invoices for the 2021 SRS are for the full amount payable for the year which is $675.00. Following are some payment method examples
Instalments – 3 equal instalments of $225.00 which will be due 19/2/2021; 7/5/2021 and 30/7/2021
Statements will be emailed before each of the due dates and please feel free to contact me if you need to check your balances or need any payment records.
Individualised payment plans by Direct Debit - Set and forget. If you would like to set up a direct debit payment using your bank account or credit card, email bsm@ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au with the $ amount you would like to pay, the date you want the payments to start and how often you would like the payments made eg weekly/fortnightly. As an example – a payment of $29.50 per week commenced on Friday 19 February will pay the SRS in full before the final due date of 30 July.
How to pay
BPOINT – Use the link in the box at the bottom left corner of your invoice, this will take you directly to the payment screen to enter your details. Paying in instalments? No problem, just enter the amount you are paying and then continue.
Phone payments using Credit/Debit card – You will need your Customer Reference Number (CRN) and Invoice Number from the bottom left corner of your invoice. Call 1300 631 073
In person at the office– The payment window will be open for EFTPOS, cash or cheque payments Monday to Friday 8am – 9:30am and 2pm – 3pm (other times by appointment).
Centrepay Deduction - Payment by Centrepay deduction can also be arranged through the office.
Michelle Mills
Business Manager
Blue Edge Program
We are currently in our second week of the Blue Edge Program. With a focus on leadership, resilience and perseverance, students have been sweating through a fitness session, before enjoying a well-earned afternoon tea and chance to engage with mentors from the broader community.
Blue Edge is a Queensland Police Service initiative and RVSSC is one of the first schools in the region to run the program.
Special thanks to Forty West for providing the afternoon tea and our mentors from the QPS and RAAF for joining us so far.
Student Wellbeing Page
As the term continues, we often see students settling into their school routines. While many students begin to feel more at ease at school, it is important to assist your child with managing their workload, particularly as assessment time draws closer. Support staff have provided some helpful articles and resources via our student Sharepoint page, including tips on how to create a study planner, using assistive technologies to help with schoolwork and stress management techniques.
These articles and resources can be found through the link below:
Social Emotional Learning at RVSSC
While at school, students are exposed to many learning opportunities. Aside from the general curriculum, the Queensland Government has recognised the importance of social emotional learning (SEL) through it's Student Learning and Wellbeing Framework.
This has provided us with a guide on how to effectively include social-emotional learning into our daily practice. With careful consideration, the PERMAH model will be used to assist staff and students in unpacking what wellbeing is, and how to take practical steps to improve overall wellbeing. PERMAH is an acronym for Positive Emotion; Engagement; Relationships; Meaning; Accomplishment; and Health, with each of these sections being explored through PBL lessons, as well as schoolwide events.
Throughout the year, you will see various wellbeing events and programs pop up. Our first major wellbeing event is Wednesday 17 February, with the start of the Black Dog Institute's Mental Fitness Challenge. This is a 6 week program, starting with a presentation by Matt Denning (Australian athlete). Students then register for the program through the Mental Fitness Challenge website, and are provided with resources and activities to help them to take control of their mental health. The program culminates with another presentation, which will be held at the end of term. I encourage you to talk to your child about the program, and check out the website so you can get a better understanding of what is involved.
If you have any concerns about your child, I encourage you to book in to meet with one of our students support services team. We are here to help.
Lisa Henderson
Guidance Officer
We are approaching the halfway mark of Term 1, and what a busy term we have had! Recently, we had our House Day, which saw Flinders house take out our first House Competition of the Year. Below are the total points accrued on the day per house:
Goolman = 610 points
Blaine = 610 points
Perry = 640points
Flinders = 650points
Our SRC raised $400 during the House Day Sausage Sizzle, with all funds raised going towards SRC to fund future school events. Thank you to Miss Starkey and the SRC who organised this.
This week saw our successful applicants receive positions for Access Leaders for their respective class. Below are our successful applicants:
Access Leaders
7A – Ethan Hikairo
7B – Phoenix Phebey
7C – Jackson Duffin
7D – Isabella Duggan
7E – Pennina Mavunda
7F – Jade Icaro
8A – Alex Sandilands
8B – Ashlene Sebastian
8C – Ella Marshall
8D- Llyle Vorster
8E – Elly Weston
9A – Jeremiah Abraham
9B – Darcy MacIvor
9C – Imogen Ralston
Our Student Investiture will be on Monday 22nd Feb starting at 8.45am. All student leaders (Junior Secondary Leaders, House Captains and Access Leaders) will receive their badges at this ceremony.
On Thursday 1st April, we will be holding our Rewards Afternoon in Period 3 and 4 following our Interhouse Cross Country Carnival. The afternoon will consist of a "Picnic in the Dome" where students with attendance percentages of 95% and above, will receive an invitation in Week 8 to attend. Further information surrounding this will be promoted via school socials, Daymap and assemblies.
In Term 4 we will be taking the year 9 students on the very first RVSSC school camp to Emu Gully. It will run in Week 8 from Monday - Thursday. Please mark this date in your diaries. Information surrounding Year 9 Camp will be issued in Week 6.
The Rewards Vault is full of lots of goodies from lollies, to sporting equipment, IT gear and stationery. This year the vault will be out in Foundation Park on Mondays and Thursdays at second break.
A final reminder that students are required to wear their house shirt every Wednesday, along with the rest of their full school uniform. House shirt are available from the uniform shop for $42.50. If your child does not know what house they are in, it is located on their student diary, or alternatively they can ask their Access Teacher.
James Dunn
House & Sports Coordinator (Goolman and Perry)
Jessica Starkey
House Coordinator (Blaine and Flinders)
Defence News
For the past three weeks, I have been getting to know our new Defence Students who join our Defence Community at Ripley Valley State Secondary College. We welcome 26 new ADF students this year. We have now more than doubled our numbers!
This Wednesday at first break, I will be holding the first official Defence Kids Club for 2021 in our original classroom F12. Defence students can come along to participate in fun activities as well as getting to know the other ADF students in the school. This is helpful, especially for our new students, in integrating into the school and offers them the opportunity to form new friendships and to visually see the support they have within the school.
Next Wednesday, the 24 February, I am holding our first Coffee and Chat, at 0900hrs at the Providence Splash and Play Park with a first free coffee on us! . This will be a great way for ADF parents to get to know other parents in the community. In times of need, a friendly face in the neighbourhood can be invaluable.
This will also provide you an opportunity to learn about the Defence School Mentor Program provided by the Defence Community Organisation, and the support it offers to both parents and students. Special mention is given to the Defence Community Website https://www.defence.gov.au/dco/ and Open Arms https://www.openarms.gov.au/
Parents do not forget to reach out if there is anything you need or if you have any feedback that you feel will help the Defence School Mentor Program serve you and our students better. Keep an eye out too for my weekly emails for upcoming Webinars, DCO support programs and Kids activities
Tracey Cooper
Defence School Mentor
Ripley Valley Cluster Schools
Chaplain News
What a great start to the year it has been. Over the past few weeks, I have concentrated on these key areas:
- Relationship building and pastoral care conversations
- Breakfast Club
- Helping out with school events such as new parents’ afternoon, homework club & the Blue Edge Program
As a school chaplain, my role is to provide emotional, spiritual and social support to the students and wider school community. One of the ways I provide support is with one-on-one pastoral care conversations. If you would like me to provide support for your child, please email me at katki121@eq.edu.au.
Breakfast Club started in week 3. Breakfast Club will operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:15-8:45 am. This is an excellent way for the students to engage with one another over food or milo and doesn't cost them anything. If you want to volunteer for this, please feel free to email me.
If you want to help out the chaplaincy service here at RVSSC, you can do that by volunteering at Breakfast Club, giving financially by donating by following this link: https://www.suqld.org.au/donate/ripley-valley-state-secondary-college-chaplaincy-tax-deductible/. All donations over $2 are tax-deductible.
Another way you can help is to join the Local Chaplaincy Committee (LCC) that meets roughly once a term and oversees the chaplaincy service both here at RVSSC and the primary school. The Local Chaplaincy Committee is the supporting and guiding body behind the Chaplaincy Service, helping to shape it to meet the school community's wellbeing. If you would like to attend and be a part of the committee, we have our next meeting on Thursday the 6th of May at 4 pm at the primary school.
Scripture Union Queensland, the organisation that employs the chaplains here in Ripley Valley and hundreds of other schools across Queensland, is also a camping organisation. If you are looking for something for your child to do over the holidays, please follow the following link. https://sucamps.org.au/?season=autumn
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via email.
Take care
Parents and students please be advised that due to safety concerns people wishing to enter the primary school should do so via the external front gate and not the internal gates between schools.
High school students that may be collecting siblings should exit the secondary college via its main gates, walk to the primary school front entry and proceed to the primary school “Piazza” for sibling collection. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated.
