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Dear Parents/Carers,
One of the joys of my job is visiting classrooms and talking to staff and students about the wide array of interests, activities and extra-curricula activities that they are involved in. It never ceases to amaze me in the sheer number of opportunities available to our students from coding, to instrumental music, dance, football and school based apprenticeships - the list goes on and on for what is available to the young people at our College. Of course, none of this is possible without the dedication and passion of our exceptional staff. Once again, I want to thank them for their commitment and dedication to our school and students.
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting the new builders (F.K. Gardner) who have been contracted to complete the new Stage 3 building works at our College. This new building works will include a purpose built Performing Arts Centre (PAC) and the infill of our Building J under-croft to provide an additional 10 classrooms for our ever-increasing enrolments. The J block infill works will start on Monday 22nd May and will be completed in time for the start of the 2024 school year, whereas the Performing Arts Centre (PAC) will be completed by mid 2024. Obviously, throughout this construction phase there will be some disruptions to our College due to construction noise, traffic and the like and appreciate everyone's patience throughout this process. For those who enjoy reading architectural plans, I have included some preliminary plans for your perusal.
As we prepare for the new buildings in 2024 we are also doing a lot of planning and preparation for our students, in particular our first cohort of Year 12's in 2024. Planning is already under-way for our senior formal and graduation, senior jersey and new senior subjects across Years 10-12. We are also looking to hold some celebrations next year as we mark our first cohort of Year 12's and 4 years since we opened. As we continue to finalise these details and keep you updated as to our plans I would also encourage any feedback or suggestions for our College. To provide feedback for this or any other college activities please email me at administration@ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au or 3819 5333. Thank you once again for your partnership with our College in your child's education.
Yours Sincerely,
Brendan Krueger
Foundation Principal
- Academic Pathway
- Workforce Pathway
- Blended Pathway
Students then have the opportunity to work through their PPP Booklet that is required to be completed prior to their PPP Meeting early in Term 3.
This information is also shared with parents and carers as part of our upcoming Career Expo on Thursday 8th June.
Parents and carers are welcome to explore the stalls from 4:30pm and then attend the PPP Information Session at either 5:30pm or 6:00pm.
Exam Block – Monday 12th – Wednesday 14th June
During an Exam Block, students are only required to attend school for their scheduled exams. Students will receive a personalised exam timetable indicating the subjects, times and locations of their exams.
- Students who are unable to be collected from school or walk home safely at the conclusion of exams will be supervised in a Study Room within the College Library.
- Students are expected to be in full school uniform when attending school.
- When required for a scheduled exam session, students must remain in the designated exam room for the entire scheduled session with their teacher.
- Any VET students with outstanding modules of work will be required to attend VET catch up sessions during the exam block. Students will be required to attend these sessions until all required work is completed.
Work Experience – Monday 19th – Thursday 22nd June
All Year 10 students are expected to engage in the Work Experience program. Mrs George (Industry Liaison Officer) has organised placements for all Year 10 students in line with the preferences that were submitted in early Term 1.
Students have started receiving the paperwork for their placements. These need to be signed by the student and a parent/guardian and returned to Mrs George in the Careers Hub as soon as possible please.
Students are expected to make contact with their Work Experience business/supervisor prior to their commencement to confirm:
- Dress standard required
- Start and Finish times
If students are unable to participate due to illness, they should advise both the Work Experience employer and the school of their absence.
We hope our Year 10 students enjoy this opportunity to experience the world of work!
Academic Excellence Morning Tea
This week the College hosted an Academic Excellence Morning Tea to celebrate those students who have achieved exceptional academic outcomes in Term 1. As a school we recognise that these results are the product of hard work, perseverance, and dedication. The Morning Tea was held in the Community Hub and was attended by over 80 students who all qualified to attend based on their Term 1 GPA . Thanks to all those parents and carers who attended the event and helped to celebrate their child’s impressive achievements.
Each Term the College will host a similar event based on a rolling focus of academic outcomes, behaviour, engagement and attendance. We look forward to these future events and to recognising the efforts of our students.
Student Engagement Activities:
The Year Level Coordinators will be leading lunchtime engagement activities to foster house spirit and student participation. Last term involved a series of minute-to-win-it challenges. This Term, Ms McLeod will be hosting a handball competition on Friday of Week 6. Further information will be provided on Daymap in the coming days.
End of Term Rewards Trip: Urban Xtreme
A reminder that the End of Term Rewards Trip will be to Urban Xtreme. 250 students will have the opportunity to participate in a range of activities including: Dodgeball, Laser Tag, Parkour Ninja Warrior Course, and Trampolining. Further information about this event will be presented on Assemblies and in Daymap messages.
In order to attend, student must have:
- 95% attendance (explained)
- Completed all assessment to date
- No suspensions and no more than 2 administrative detentions
QCE Reviews
On Wednesday 14th June, Year 11 students and their parents/carers will be required to participate in a QCE review. During this process students and parents will meet with a member of the College’s Leadership team to review their Unit 1 progress and their intended pathway. This meeting is an opportunity for students to identify on areas for improvement, set goals and make adjustments to their pathway if required. These meetings can be booked on Daymap and will be held in the Ripley Valley SSC Library between 8am and 4.30pm.
Elevate Education – Free webinar
We’re excited to announce that Elevate Education's next free webinar will be taking place on Wednesday 24th May, titled ‘Ask Elevate Anything’. This is a great opportunity to ask any questions you feel have been unanswered by Elevate in their webinars so far, whether that relates to your child’s study space, their motivation levels, the way they study – sign up to their webinar for an opportunity to have your question answered!
Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series you will learn how you can help better support your children at home through reinforcing the skills they learn at school:
Wednesday 24th May @ 6:30pm (AEST)
Ask Elevate Anything
Click here to register for free
Todd Robson
Deputy Principal - Year 11 - Pathways & Partnerships
Excellence Academies:
- A reminder that if your student was provided a 'retrialist' letter, you will just need to indicate via email that your student will be attending Trial Day 2 - you do not need to repeat the EOI application process. Trial Day 2 will occur on Friday 9th June - please refer to the infographic below. If you have any questions, please email excellence@ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au. The EOI process is now open, more information can be found on the school website and has been provided to all of our local primary schools.
Year 9 PPP:
- In Term 3, our Year 9 students, parents/carers will be involved in Year 9 Pathways Preparation Plan (PPP) meetings. The PPP meeting focuses on students entering the senior phase of learning at RVSSC, including subject selections and expectations of them as learners of their future senior schooling.
- All Year 9 students are expected to be engaged in this interview and these can be booked via the parent portal on Daymap on Thursday 8th June - this is the same process as Parent Teacher Interviews.
- Students will undergo a presentation delivered by myself and Emily Prenzler (Deputy Principal Year 9 & 10) in Week 6. Additionally, there is a PPP & SETP Senior Subject Information Evening on Thursday 8th of June. Presentations will be at 5:30pm & 6:00pm in the RaptorDome. We invite all Parents/Carers of Year 9 students to be a part of this process to familiarise themselves with the Senior Schooling requirements at Ripley Valley SSC.
All information that was previously presented at last year's presentation night can be found directly on our Senior Schooling Website: https://ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au/curriculum/senior-secondary
If you have any questions, please reach out.
Head of Department - Junior Schooling & HPE - Year 7A to 7D
2023 Student Resource Scheme (SRS) - 2nd instalment date Friday the 12th of May.
Thank you to those families who have already made payments or set up payment plans. Statements were emailed to all families in Week 3 of this Term.
For those families who are paying the Student Resource Scheme (SRS) in instalments, the 2nd instalment was due on Friday the 12th of May.
2nd Instalment payment amount
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- Year 7, 8 and 9 $225
- Year 10 $165
- Year 11 $162
Payment Options
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.
In person at the office– The payment window will be open for EFTPOS, cash or cheque payments Monday to Friday 8am – 12pm (other times by appointment only).
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 date you want the payments to start and how often you would like the payments made e.g. weekly ($27.00 over 25 weeks) or fortnightly ($56.25 over 12 fortnights).
Centrepay Deduction - Payment by Centrepay deduction can also be arranged through Administration.
Michelle Mills
Business Manager
We are quickly approaching the half way mark of the term, and indeed the year!
Learning new knowledge, concepts and skills is slowly making way for practice and consolidation with assessment’s in English being released already, or very soon. You can support your child through assessment by encouraging them to be organised, prioritising work to be completed, and accessing support when necessary. We have some year levels completing English exams this term, and others completing spoken tasks and written assignments. Regardless of the assessment type, your child's English teacher will communicate any concerns with you about student progress early. Students who require changes to assessment timelines must apply through the extension process to be approved by their year level Head of Department.
English Homework Club will re-open again very soon for the assessment ‘season’, and will run every first break in J1.21. All students are welcome to attend. Keep an eye on Daymap, and our social media platforms for more information.
This edition of the newsletter will be our last opportunity to wish out Junior Reader’s Cup team good luck before they compete at St John’s College on Thursday 1st June. Our junior team have been working hard to read multiple books and maximise their chances for success - good luck team!
This year students from Ripley Valley will once again have the opportunity to participate in the Cancer Council's Write a Book in a Day. This event is a 12-hour writing competition where students plan, write, edit, and publish a story using an individual set of parameters. Students can start thinking about their team, and later this term will be invited to register their interest. We will also be seeking team sponsors to allow our students to enter their published books into the competition. Funds raised through sponsorship go to The Kids’ Cancer Project, a national charity supporting childhood cancer research. If any businesses or individuals are interested in sponsoring a Write a Book in a Day team, please email Miss Champs (tcham77@eq.edu.au) for more information.
It is so great to write to you all as we approach the middle of the term. This article is particularly special for the Mathematics department as it is my last article before I head off on maternity leave. As much as I am looking forward to the invaluable family time I will have with my growing family, it is very sad to say goodbye-for-now to such a dedicated, passionate and enthusiastic team of mathematics teachers and the wider Ripley Valley SSC community.
In my absence I know the team will be well looked after and it is my absolute pleasure to introduce you all to Haranoop Goraya. He has started with us at Ripley this week and will be the Head of Mathematics for the next 12 months. Mr Goraya will also take over the Head of Year 9 portfolio during this time. I wish him and the team all the best as they embark on the journey to continue to develop our senior curriculums and the change of our Australian Curriculum to align with Version 9.
I would also like to recognise the work and contributions of Miss Brooke Gordon who will also be heading off on maternity leave at the end of this semester. Her contribution to our faculty has been invaluable and we wish her all the very best as she grows her family. I know her students will miss her!
I am also very excited to provide information to you all about the Education Perfect ANZ Mathematics Championship that we are partaking in next week, from 23-25th May. Students can find additional information about this challenge in the student notices and sign up for this competition on the Education Perfect dashboard. If they need any help in registering for this competition, please don't hesitate to send them to my office for support. Please encourage your child to engage with Education Perfect as much as possible over the 3 days of the competition. There are some cash prizes and school prizes up for grabs - good luck students!
General Notices:
- Mathematics tutoring is available every week. Tuesday at 1st break and Thursday at 2nd break in CG01. All students are welcome.
- All students should be prepared for class, every lesson by bringing a scientific calculator, notebook, stationary and a charged laptop. Please support your students to be prepared for learning to ensure we can maximise our teaching & learning time.
I wish you all the best for the remainder of 2023 and look forward to working with you all again in the future.
Tess Reeves
Head of Department - Mathematics - Year 9A to 9D
Ellen Grant
Head of Department - Science - Year 8F to 8I
Big things were promised in the last newsletter, and I will not disappoint!
Year 8 Geography
Students have been looking at landscapes and landforms in their close natural and built environments. We are quite spoiled here at RVSSC with the wonderful views of our surrounding landscapes. Some students in Year 8 recently had the opportunity to learn the skill of line drawing in Geography. Students sit (usually in a row) and look out to the landscape, where they draw and then label key features of the natural and built areas.
Year 9 History
This term, students have been studying World War I. To start the unit, they engaged in an activity called ‘Alliances’. This was to help students understand the different alliances and friendships that were in place prior to the start of the First World War. It also gave them an understanding of how those shifted and changed throughout the war. Although the activity had some ‘wrong answers’ in there, it gave students a deeper understanding of the complications of political partnerships at this time, and how these impacted the conflict that was World War I. We aim to do this again at the end of the unit as a reflective tool.
Library Display
We also have a wonderful display in the library at the moment, on loan to us from the ANZAC Commemoration Committee for the next month or so. We were able to get our hands on a fantastic kit compiled by the Committee for us to use in classes, and to display in the school. It contains a treasure trove of objects containing artefacts such as political posters, uniforms, a full kit bag (with eating utensils and cutlery, wound packs, sewing kits), medals (including a Victoria Cross), a World War I trumpet, a bike lamp and torches. One of the most precious items is a Princess Mary cigarette tin and Christmas Card from WWI. The list of items is as long as my arm, but each one more fascinating than the last. These items are artefacts from all of the major conflicts Australia has been involved in, but quite a lot have come from the First and Second World Wars. This has created wonderful student engagement, not only for Year 9s, but across all students at school. I had a conversation with a student in the library earlier this week that reinforced for me the importance of History. The student was holding a torch in her hands, and said: “Miss, I just realised that an actual soldier has held this in their hands.”
“Yes”, I replied. ‘That’s pretty cool hey?”
“Miss, I am literally holding History in my hands right now! What did he do? Where was he located? What conflict was it?” As each question flew out, her eyes became brighter and brighter.
It was the perfect example of a ‘learning lightbulb’!
Cecilia Hall
Head of Department - Humanities and Languages - Year 9E to 9G
Japanese
This Term, the Year 7 students have restarted their online lessons with Mr Kawana and his new students in Japan at the Chiba University Junior High School which has been quite exciting for them. Yesterday, the students listened to the hobbies and favourite subjects from the Japanese students. Our students did find the conversation to be fast. This is a weekly lesson and we welcome any student at Ripley who would like to be part of the exchange. If there is a student who would like to have some experience with an international exchange, they can contact Ms Wellwood or their teacher.
The Year 9 students are utilising all their writing skills for hiragana, katakana and kanji by writing letters to our sister school students. They are working very hard and I am proud of their efforts!
We are currently planning a trip to Japan. At this time, the approximate costs will be $5000 to travel during the 2025 Easter holidays. We will keep you informed. Start saving now!
The students are already collaborating and planning a few fundraising ideas such as tie dye t-shirts in Japanese colours, selling mochi and sushi, having a book fair and many more exciting ideas!
Georgina Wellwood
Japanese Teacher
Junior Design Tech with Mr Philips
7DAT – Students are gathering information and ideas for their LED Light portfolio. They are explaining the function of LED lights and describing the design process. Students are realising that the design process can be quite arduous but can appreciate that an effective design takes a lot of effort and consideration. In Prac, students have sanded, glued and taped their bases and are preparing to solder their wiring to make the LED light functional. Designs are being created to be uploaded to Illustrator and soon we will choose the colour of acrylic each student will use.
9DAT – Students have manipulated timber into personalised shapes to form the head of their Ukulele. Students have been quite creative with some of these designs and some have been styled to look like electric guitar heads while others are more traditional. Necks and supports have been shaped with scroll saws, the bobbin sander, coping saws and sand paper. These are to be glued and clamped together precisely. We will begin shaping the timber for the body of the Ukulele next. Students have been learning about Risk Management and the Hierarchy of Controls in theory and have been applying these concepts to our workshops.
Head of Department - Creative Industries and Food Studies - Year 8A to 8E
lstil21@eq.edu.au
Dance Academy students have performed at their first eisteddfod! It was so wonderful to see these students represent the school with their jazz routine. In class the students are commencing their choreography task where they create their own jazz routines in small groups. Students are individually responsible for a 30-40 second section of their routine and it's exciting to watch the students get really creative with their use of the elements of dance.
If your child is currently in Year 7 or 8 and would like to try out for the Dance Academy, we will be holding trials in Week 8 on Friday 9th June. Current Year 7 and 8 students can enter our Dance Academy either mid-year 2023 or for the start of 2024. Ensure you have completed the required Registration by clicking the following link:
Through intense research Year 7 Dance have collaboratively planned a choreographic routine inspired by the Evolution of Dance stimulus. This week they are deep into the iconic movements from the 70's and their performances are truly taking shape. We can't wait to see the final result of all their hard work!
Year 9 Dance students have finished their theory task and are working on their musical theatre choreography task. The students have been given a musical medley to create their own routines to. From this task students are also developing and utilising their communication, organisation and collaboration skills.
10 DANCE
Year 10 Dance have been busy planning their group choreography task. They are now immersed into their creative ideas and have individually choreographed 1 minute of Hip Hop choreography. They now begin the challenging task of teaching their group members their choreography to bring the masterpiece together!
DANCE SQUAD
Our Junior Squad, Senior Squad and Year 7/8 Dance Academy students recently competed at the Ipswich Combined Teachers Dance Festival. The competition was fierce with schools entering from right across the Ipswich, Lockyer and Brisbane region. We entered 7 routines across Jazz, Contemporary and Musical Theatre.
We are so proud to share that our Junior Squad brought home a 2nd place for their “Footloose” musical theatre routine. Our seniors placed 3rd for their “Hairspray – Nicest kids in town” musical theatre routine and our Academy students received a Highly Commended for their Jazz routine. No time to rest! As our Dance Academy students prepare for their upcoming appearance at the Ipswich Show. Parents, Caregivers and students please ensure you keep an eye on your emails for further information on this event.
Our students and teachers involved in Creative Generations across Dance, Musical Theatre, Featured Choir, and Stage Crew have been busily rehearsing their repertoire for the performances in July. Our 4x Massed Dancers have learnt the basic choreography for their 2 dances, and will continue to learn the harder choreography, while our 2x Ensemble dancers have been learning their 6 dances, which range from Hip Hop, to Contemporary, to Salsa and Latin America. Meanwhile, our 2x Featured Choir vocalists are rehearsing and memorising the vocal accompaniment for the show, with 18 songs in total to learn. One of our vocalists is also auditioning for Section Leader, which is a great experience and opportunity, so we wish them luck. Finally, our Musical Theatre student is busily learning the choreography and vocals for the musical theatre number, which is not an easy task.
The rehearsals are run by industry professionals, and is an exciting opportunity for students to learn and study alongside others from schools all across the state. This culminates in 4 performances from 13th to 15th July at Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre. Tickets can be bought through Ticketek.
As well as this, students currently involved in a performing arts subject or extra-curricular group have the opportunity to watch the matinee performance on July 14th. If your student is interested in attending, please use the link below to register your interest by no later than Friday 26th May. Students will not be able to attend the excursion without filling out the expression of interest form as these numbers will confirm pricing.
We offer many extra-curricular groups in the Performing Arts across Dance, Drama, Music and Instrumental Music. Students enter these groups via audition. For those students who may have an interest in the Performing Arts but are not quite ready to trial for a team, we will be offering fun "come and try" activities across the Term at lunch times. Keep an eye on notices for these events.
Save the following important dates!
Jessica Starkey
Head of Department - Performing Arts
Head of Year 7E to 7H
James Gerchow
Acting Head of Department - VET and Digital Technology - Year 11
We are fast approaching mid-term and our HPE students are entering their assessment phase.
Unfortunately, a number of public holidays has not allowed our students to be fully immersed in the content they are learning currently, so we are working hard towards providing student specific content to assist in their preparation for the assessment phase of HPE.
All assessment information can be found within Daymap and it is important that students, staff and parents/caregivers stay on top of assessment expectations (producing quality drafts), reminding them of due dates and where/how to upload assessment. See image below:
If your student cannot submit their assessment or cannot be present during a set exam lesson, your child will need to apply for an extension (link listed below). This will then be directed to your student's Head of Year who will make contact with the student and parent/caregiver to advise of the outcome.
At the end of this Term, Year 7 and Year 8 students currently studying HPE will transition into Humanities for Semester 2. Current students who are studying Humanities will transition into HPE until the end of year.
The Term 2 HPE Curriculum schedule is as follows:
| Year Level | Theory | Prac |
| 7 HPE | Food & Nutrition | AFL |
| 7 HPE - Football Academy | Food & Nutrition | Football (Soccer) |
| 8 HPE | Fitness Techniques | Fitness Testing |
| 9 HPE | Diversity & Inclusion / Ethics | Volleyball/Track & Field |
| 9 HSE | Motor Learning Theory | Badminton |
| 10 Sport and Rec | Creating Session Plans | Coaching/ Coaching Principles |
| 10 Health | Health Practices in Communities | N/A |
| 11 Cert Sport and Rec | Group Nutrition Presentation | Planning a Community SFR Session |
| 11 Health | Alcohol and Body Images | N/A |
eSports Fuse Cup 2023 Competition
The eSports Fuse Cup 2023 competition was held at Ripley Valley State Secondary College & opened by Principal Brendan Krueger on the 3rd May 2023. 17 teams participated in the Fuse Cup from 10 schools across the Brisbane and Ipswich area for the Ipswich Division Championship. Players learnt about how gaming can be used in their education and to build resilience, engage in teamwork, develop sportsmanship, show empathy, learn to respect other participants and building networks. Our students have modelled a great sportsman spirit and have developed new friendships. They were socialising with the students form other schools and engaged in conversations around developing skills in eSports. The Fuse Cup event also highlighted the growing demand for the eSports professionals like network engineers, IT and hardware and also eSports coaches in future. Our students demonstrated the College core values of respect, responsibility and perserverance and were hospitable hosts of the day. Teachers and students from other schools and the Fuse Cup organisers were appreciative about the school facilities and expressed their thanks.
James Gerchow
Acting Head of Department - VET and Digital Technology - Year 11
Hi Sports Fans,
The second half of Term 2 is one of the busiest times of year for sport including: Athletics Carnival, Yagera season 2 nominations open and PSI continues each week. This is a reminder for all students to check Daymap every morning for notices and trial dates and locations.
Minor Sports
Yagera Sports
We are fast approaching the second season of Yagera sport in Term 3 this year. This season the following teams are being offered:
Students are able to nominate their interests for these teams by completing the following form:
Students are able to nominate in as many sports as they like, however they will have to pay for each sport individually if selected in the teams. Trials for all sports are taking place in Week 6 – please keep an eye on Daymap for trial dates.
Premier Sports Ipswich
This Term we began our first proper season of Premier Sports Ipswich in the sports of basketball and volleyball. Junior girls’ volleyball plays every Monday afternoon and the rest of the volleyball and all basketball games are played on Tuesday afternoons. Keep an eye on the RVSSC Social accounts for updates on game results and next weeks draw.
Major Sports
Schools Cup AFL
Schools Cup AFL is the first AFL tournament the school has participated in. The tournament is being held in Springfield on the 6th of June. The boys have been training hard for the past couple of months and are excited at representing the College at it's debut to the AFL scene.
If you have any questions regarding the event please contact one of the below coaches:
Ms Mckendry via clmck1@eq.edu.au
Mr Harvey via jharv178@eq.edu.au
Vicki Wilson Netball
The Vicki Wilson Netball tournament will be held at Western Districts Netball Association on Tuesday 6th June.This is the 2nd year that we have competed in this tournament, placing 4th in the open development league last year with our juniors. As our juniors move up to the senior grades, we are introducing a second junior team this year. We wish them all the best!
If you have any questions about this competition please email the coaches:
Junior: Mr Coles via jcole338@eq.edu.au
Senior: Ms Newton via cnewt71@eq.edu.au
Athletics
We are coming into my personal favourite event of the year, the College’s Athletics Carnival. This is an exciting year for our athletics scene as we have made some key changes to the carnival:
- The first big change is that the pre-events have been condensed into a single day carnival on Thursday 15th June. In the past, these have run at lunch times in the two weeks leading up to the Carnival and many students have missed events because of this. This year, the following events will run during class time on the Thursday: 400m, 800m, 1500m, Javelin & Discus. Students must nominate for these events in order to participate!
- We are finally introducing High Jump as an event at our carnival. It is one of the most exciting events in a carnival and we can’t wait for our mat to arrive in the next fortnight
- For the first time, we have compiled all of our data from our 2020, 2021 & 2022 athletics booklets and created our first ever records book! I have attached a copy below. This year students aren’t just participating for Age Champion, Sports Awards and House points but also to have their name forever written in our history books.
The carnival is being held in Week 9 Thursday & Friday – June the 15th and 16th. Parents are welcome to come and watch but please sign in at the office. It is not compulsory for students to nominate for events for the Friday carnival, however encouraged. For the Thursday carnival it is compulsory for student to have nominated in order to participate. Students who do not nominate will be sent back to class on the Thursday. To nominate for the events please complete the following form:
https://forms.office.com/r/KzPY29A0rq
- 6/6 lifts with a 56kg snatch
- 76kg clean and jerk
- a total of 132kgs
RAD
RAD is a general fitness program that we run at the college. RAD continues to run three sessions a week:
- Tuesday morning 7:15am – 8:10am
- Wednesday afternoon 3pm – 4pm
- Thursday afternoon 3pm – 4pm
If students are part of a major sport, it is expected they train twice a week. One of these sessions may be a RAD session. If the team coach has outlined that RAD is one of the sessions, students must get their name marked off by the teacher on duty to inform the coach.
If you have any question about the above please contact Justin Clifford at jclif117@eq.edu.au or contact the front office.
Thanks,
Justin Clifford
Sports Co-ordinator
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Feeling Connected at School |
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When kids feel part of their school community and are cared for by people at their school, they are less likely to get into trouble. They also have higher levels of emotional well-being. 
Adults and peers, curricular and extracurricular activities, policies and practices all affect the level of connectedness your child feels at school.
What Is School Connectedness? These are some of the major elements that help kids feel they belong and are cared for at their school:
Benefits of Connectedness Some of the benefits of helping students feel a sense of connectedness to their school community are listed below.
How Parents Can Help Kids Feel More Connected At School The first step is to recognize the importance of school connectedness in your child’s life and development. Second, use the information in the “What Is School Connectedness?” section above to assess your child’s school situation.
Feeling Connected at School http://www.healthyalberta.com/HealthyPlaces/660.htm
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Janet Ingram
Guidance Officer
Posting Cycle
We are now approaching the halfway point of Term 2. For some of our ADF families, this signals the commencement of the Posting cycle with many families being made aware of potential moves into new locations in approximately 6 months’ time.
This can be a very turbulent time for students of ADF families as this means they will soon need to prepare for the inevitable departure from friends, family, jobs, even favourite teachers. This is also a challenging time for non-Defence students who will be losing a good friend.
As the Defence School Mentor, my role is to help our students build resilience around these challenges and to assist in providing some coping strategies to make this turbulent time a little bit easier. If you think your student might benefit from a chat with me to see if I can help, please contact me either by phone (07) 3819 5333 or email me at tcoop203@eq.edu.au.
Deployments
Some of our ADF families are currently experiencing deployments overseas. These deployments can last many months. Deployments can be recurring for some Defence families.
Australia continues to have active serving personnel across a range of joint international efforts. Some lesser known of these are United Nations (UN) led, like Operation Paladin; Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), Operation Mazurka and UK-led training program Operation Kudu. More local contributions like Operation Southern Discovery as part of the Australian Antarctic Program and US-led ADF Space operation ‘Operation Dyurra’.
If you would like to learn more about current ADF operations, go to:
https://www.defence.gov.au/operations
THE DEFENCE MEMBER AND FAMILY HOTLINE
1800 624 608
This is the first point of call for Defence families seeking support, information or connection with their community.
The Helpline can provide assessment, assistance, advice or referral depending on the family's needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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
Defence Member and Family Support is a sector of the Australian Defence Force that provides Defence families with numerous programs and activities with an aim to support them as they face the unique challenges of being a Defence family.
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:
Monday and Wednesday 0800 - 1430hrs
Email: tcoop203@eq.edu.au
Phone : 3819 5333
Tracey Cooper
Defence School Mentor
Ripley Valley State Secondary College
The term is well underway and a lot has happened in the life of the College but there is plenty more ahead.
Pastoral Care
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
Breakfast Club operates every Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:15-8:45 am. If you want to volunteer for this, please feel free to email me. Thank you to all of those who have volunteered thus far.
The Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP)
RAP is well under way and we have currently looked at what is RAP and our personal strengths and how we can use them to get support. RAP is due to finish in Week 9.
Youth Alive
A part of my role is to link students to local youth groups, if they wish to be a part of one. Last week, we had Youth Alive visit the College to promote an event that is happening in the coming week. Students were treated to pancakes and some epic games of handball.
IT Inductions
I currently work with a group of student Peer Mentors,. These students are here to support the students whilst they are here at Ripley. One of the ways they do this is by IT Inductions. These are held every Wednesday before school in the library. If your child needs some help with their laptop, feel free to send them down for one of our Peer Mentors to help them out.
Take care
REMINDER - OUR CANTEEN IS CASHLESS!!!
Online Ordering System for the Canteen
The canteen is a cashless facility, with online ordering available.
How to:
- Order from the menu on the MSA ordering system (see link below)
- Top up your students card so they purchase at the canteen directly, using their barcode in their diary.
Your MSA ordering system can:
- Monitor purchases
- Set spending limits
- Inform of allergy alerts
- Check balances
- Top up student accounts
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Term 2 |
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| Friday 19th May | Ipswich Show Public Holiday | |
| Thursday 25th May | QFSL Excursion | |
| Friday 26th May |
Volleyball QLD Cup Music Performance Evening |
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| Wednesday 31st May |
Vicki Wilson Cup |
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| Thursday 1st June |
Readers Cup |
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| Tuesday 6th June |
AFL Streetsmarts Program |
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| Thursday 8th June |
Career Expo and Parent Information Sessions QFSL Excursion |
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| Friday 9th June |
2024 Exellence Academies Trial Day 2 Fuse Cup Excursion |
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| Monday 12th - Wednesday 14th June | Year 10 Exam Block | |
| Wednesday 14th June | Year 11 QCE Review | |
| Thursday 15th June | P&C Meeting 7pm Community Hub | |
| Thursday 15th - Friday 16th June |
Interhouse Track and Field Events Day 1 nominations only; Day 2 Full School |
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| Monday 19th - Friday 23rd June |
Year 10 Work Experience |
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| Friday 23 June |
Rewards Day - Years 7-9; Year 11 Last Day of Term 2 Report Cards issued to parent/carers |
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An initial pilot program has treated 46 schools across the Logan, Ipswich, Somerset and Gold Coast City local government areas (Metropolitan and South East education regions). This will expand over the coming years to include additional schools. The treatment consists of applying two rounds of an insect growth regulator which sterilises the fire ant queen and prevents new ants from maturing into adults. These types of products are widely used in mosquito control programs, cockroach treatment and pet flea collars and when used according to instructions, are not harmful to humans, pets or wildlife.
The first round of treatment occurred in early 2023 and round two is being completed during April and May. The fire ant bait is being applied by experienced pest management technicians.
The school treatment program supports efforts to eradicate fire ants within South East Queensland by suppressing the fire ant population in areas until eradication treatment takes place. Under the Biosecurity Act 2014 all Queenslanders have an obligation to manage biosecurity risks. The Department of Education is meeting its obligations by managing fire ants on land it owns or manages.
The National Fire Ant Eradication Program is also running a range of community projects to provide residents in selected suburbs with free fire ant bait to treat their yards to support eradication goals. For the latest information on community projects or for more information about fire ants visit: https://www.fireants.org.au
