Richmond Primary School Newsletter Wednesday 21st May 2025

Principal's Address

Dear families,

Thank you to all families who joined us for the Walk Safely to School event last Friday. Even though the weather was cool we showed our resilience and walked on to school. It is a great way to start the day.

Donations

Last week we received several generous donations from Robyn Mathews, previously of Saddlers Court Gallery. These items will be on permanent display in the old schoolhouse.

Lifting Literacy at Richmond Primary

Last week, our upper primary teachers from Years 3 to 6, along with Jaqui Mason, attended their second professional learning session on comprehension. This session is part of the broader Lifting Literacy initiative within the DECYP.

Literacy encompasses listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing, creating texts, and using language for various purposes across different contexts. It involves the knowledge and skills needed to access, understand, analyse, and evaluate information, make meaning, express thoughts and emotions, present ideas and opinions, and interact with others. Literacy is a continuum of learning that enables individuals to achieve their goals, develop their knowledge and potential, and participate fully in their community and wider society.

As part of our commitment to Lifting Literacy, we are dedicated to:

• Adopting a consistent, evidence-based approach to the teaching of reading.
• Implementing the Multi-Tiered System of Supports Framework (MTSS), a tiered approach to intervention that ensures every student receives the reading support they need.

This approach will provide every child with the best possible foundation for reading.

Automated External Defibrillator

You may have noticed a new piece of equipment located outside the main office. It is an Automated External Defibrillator for use in the event of a heart attack.

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable device designed to detect life-threatening heart rhythms and deliver an electric shock to restore normal heart function. Sudden cardiac arrest affects approximately 30,000 Australians annually, with survival rates at just 1 in 10. Utilizing an AED within the first 1-2 minutes can significantly enhance survival chances.

Phase 1 of the Organisational Safety initiative, 'Project Lifesaver,' involved the rollout of AEDs to pilot sites. Phase 2 is now expanding the project to all eligible school sites, community service locations, and other sites, with completion expected by the end of Term 2.

Providing AEDs to eligible work sites increases accessibility to these life-saving devices, reduces the risk of fatality following cardiac arrest, and promotes cardiac safety and awareness within DECYP. By positioning our AED outside the office, we ensure it is always available and accessible to our community.

Final Reminder: CROSS COUNTRY

Tomorrow, Thursday 9th of May, is Cross Country Day at Richmond Primary! We warmly invite all families to join us and cheer on our students. Your support means the world to them, and we look forward to seeing you there!

LANTERN WALK

Planning for this year’s Lantern Walk on Thursday, June 19th is well underway. Our goal is to ensure everyone is well-fed before we embark on the walk. Food will be available from 5 pm onwards, followed by our traditional whole school song at 6:30 pm. After the song, we will commence the walk. Once everyone returns to school, we will proceed with packing up.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the parents and families who have already volunteered. Your support and dedication make our community truly amazing.

Clare McVilly

Principal

Upcoming Dates for your Calendar

Term 2 in Digital Technologies

In Digital Technologies the 3-6’s have explored many issues about being great cyber citizens – being internet smart, strong, kind and brave, through Google Interland activities. They are now beginning to explore coding either through Scratch (3/4s), or MakeCode (5/6s) in conjunction with the Internet of Things kits.

The Prep students have been developing the photography skills with the iPads and will soon begin working with Bee Bots (programmable floor robots) to develop skills in position, direction and movement. Bee-Bots’ simple programmable buttons allow children to command it to move in set sequences.

Similarly the year 1 and 2 students have worked on cyber safety, developing their skills using laptops and some standard applications and basic processes such as creating and saving documents that contain images and text. They will also move onto developing their computational thinking (being able to analyse and find solutions to challenges) and programming skills.

Launching into Learning at RPS

Recently our Launching into Learning families enjoyed some beautiful Autumn sunshine at our school nature play space.  We welcome all families with children 0-5 years to attend our Launching into Learning program with Mrs McCreadie, held on Mondays from 9:15-10:30am.  Look out for a post on the Richmond Primary School Facebook page to let you know what we are up to!

School Association

𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 & 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐂𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐂𝐊!

Get in quick while stock lasts – they’re looking fab and flying out the door!

https://richmond-primary-school-association.square.site/

  𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐡? 𝐍𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦! 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 association.rpsa@gmail.com – 𝐰𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞.

Also, if you have any excess grocery bags (clean & in good condition), the School Association would love a few to help pack orders.

Thank you so much for your support!

𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚠𝚜!

We now have a 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙮𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙞𝙣 right here at school — located just outside the office!

Don’t want to go out of your way to a collection point? 𝙉𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨!

Just drop your items in our bin and 𝙬𝙚’𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩!

𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙨!

𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚. 𝙍𝙚𝙪𝙨𝙚. 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙮𝙘𝙡𝙚. 𝙍𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙.

School Levies

School Levies are now overdue. Please phone the office on 6260 2191 if you need to discuss payment options.

Instalment options are by agreement with Lisa Brooks, our School Business Manager. Please note that we are able to offer flexible and negotiated options to assist parents to budget for this cost if the payment schedule does not suit your circumstances.

The school accepts payment by cash, eftpos or cheque. Levies can also be paid by Bpay, Centrepay and at Service Tasmania.

2025 All Schools Cross Country

Are you ready for the biggest and best cross-country event on the Tasmanian calendar?

Entries for the 2025 All Schools Cross Country events are now open, and you don't need to qualify in a local competition to be a part of it. All school participants are welcome! Parents are responsible for taking their children to this event.

Visit the links below for more information and to enter:

Primary - 17th of June:

https://www.tasathletics.org.au/events/294585

https://www.onlineentry.com.au/XCPrimary_Tas_2025.aspx

Assembly Awards - Week 3