Term 4 Week 2

20th October 2025

Welcome back to Term 4! I hope your child/children and you have settled well into our final term of 2025. We have plenty planned for this term to keep our students active and engaged as we head into the warmer weather.

If you know or think that you may be moving/changing schools for next year, please either drop in or telephone the office to let us know. Similarly, if you know of any families moving into our area, please encourage them to contact the school. Our Kindergarten transition program has already begun with two playgroups last term and another one this week. We welcome those new students and families.

In recent years, Russell Vale Public School has experienced significant changes in how we communicate with families. Notably, the school has transitioned to a paperless system through the adoption of School Bytes, introduced guidelines supporting the Right to Disconnect for teachers, and phased out the use of SeeSaw, a platform primarily used during remote learning periods which we no longer require.

This survey is designed for parents and carers to help us better understand your preferences regarding digital communication methods, assess satisfaction with current practices, and gather suggestions for improvement.

Please note, this survey focuses exclusively on digital communication between classroom teachers and families. It does not address other forms of communication such as Meet the Teacher events, school reports, assemblies, open houses, or parent-teacher interviews. A broader school satisfaction survey covering these areas will be distributed later in the school year.

There are two separate surveys to complete: one addressing Classroom Teacher Digital Communication and one which specifically focuses on Whole-School Digital Communication.

Whole-School Digital Communication Survey   https://forms.gle/hT2v942FeRt77a6j7

Classroom Teacher Digital Communication Survey   https://forms.gle/7gaqb32JUSpd6hye9

Our next P&C meeting will be held on Monday, 27th October at 7:00pm at Woonona Bulli RSL. As we prepare for the end of the school year and plan for 2026, we anticipate several vacancies within our Executive Team and Sub-Committees due to students graduating or changes in personal circumstances.

We will be seeking nominations for the roles of P&C President and Fundraising Coordinator, among others, and more positions may become vacant.

New members are always welcome to join and participate.

Congratulations to Flynn P and Grace T for their recognition last week at the NIAECG Deadly Encouragement Awards. Flynn was recognised for his enthusiastic participation in all sports and physical activities, thriving especially in cricket. Grace was recognised for being a committed and responsible leader who consistently gives her best in all aspects of her schooling and actively represents the school in a variety of sports.

Best wishes to our Year 5s as they head to Woonona High School for an early start to their High School Transition on Wednesday, 29th October.

Save the date - our school disco will take place later this term on Friday, 14th November, in the school hall. Thank you in advance to all parents who are assisting in organising the event. Detailed information will come soon. 

Our Grandparents’ Day Assembly and Open House will take place Monday, 27th October at approximately 9:15am in the school hall. Grandparents, grand friends, parents and carers are all invited to attend. There will be an assembly, followed by an opportunity to view our classrooms, and a morning tea. 

If you have any photos of your child with their grandparent, please email them to rvpsgrandparentsday@yahoo.com so they can be added to our slideshow. We are also asking whether families could please donate baked or bought goods on the day so that we can provide morning tea to our grandparents free-of-charge. 

Fit Futures returns this term to deliver their gymnastics program to our K-2 classes beginning in Week 4. This is free-of-charge as we were once again successful in obtaining a grant from Sporting Schools Australia.

Transforming lives with their unwavering dedication, our teachers play a vital role in shaping young minds and creating an inclusive atmosphere for our students and communities.

Please join me on Friday, 31st October in recognising our fantastic teaching staff for World Teachers’ Day, as we take our hats off to our teachers for the work they do every day in helping learners of all ages to flourish.

Our after-school programs will continue this term with the NRL League Stars program commencing on Wednesday, 5th November. This six-week program will run on Wednesday afternoons. This Friday, 24th October the NRL coaching team will conduct sessions with all classes, after which students will receive information on how to register for the program.

Additionally, the AFL will be hosting a program on Thursday afternoons starting in Week 5. They will also be conducting introductory sessions for all classes in the coming weeks, with the exact date to be confirmed.

Following the recent school holidays, parents and carers may have noticed that our school is participating in the No Parking pole wrap program. This initiative is coordinated by Wollongong City Council’s Road Safety Officer and operates on a term-by-term basis.

Please be aware that the official street signs remain the legally enforceable indicators. The pole wraps serve primarily as educational and promotional tools to raise awareness about parking regulations. They aim to improve the use of the area by reminding drivers that “No Parking” zones permit only quick pick-up and drop-off activities.

Further below in this newsletter is a school zone safety flyer containing more detailed information about parking rules within school zones.

Paul Cuthbertson
Principal

Important Notice to Parents regarding Reports on School Bytes

Please be advised that student reports and NAPLAN reports uploaded to School Bytes will not automatically transfer to high school. To ensure you have access to these important documents, please download and save all relevant reports from School Bytes before your child leaves Year 6.

If you need assistance with accessing or downloading these reports, please contact the school office.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

When planning leave which is for more than 5 school days, please complete an Application for Extended Leave. This can be found in the FORMS section of School Bytes. Please do not apply for extended leave under planned absences.

For any absences that are 5 days or less, please go to School Bytes, click on Attendance and create a Planned Absence.

The next P&C meeting will be held on Monday, 27th October at 7:00pm at Woonona Bulli RSL.

• 22nd    Stage 1 Excursion - Habitat Heroes
• 23rd     Kindy 2026 Playgroup Session
• 24th     NRL Day K-6
• 27th     Grandparents' Day   
• 27th     P&C Meeting 7:00pm at Woonona-Bulli RSL 
• 29th     WHS Year 5 Discovery Day
• 31st      World Teachers' Day
• 31st      Stage 2 & 3 PSSA Sport - Dragon Tag

• 3rd       Dragons Visit - Stage 3
• 3rd       Fit Futures K-2
• 3rd       WHS Open Night
• 4th       2026 School Captain Speeches - 11:30am in the hall
• 6th       Kindy 2026 Orientation & Information Session
• 7th       Stage 2 & 3 PSSA Sport - Dragon Tag
• 10th     Fit Futures K-2
• 12th     Year 5 HPGE Graduation
• 14th     School Disco
• 17th     Fit Futures K-2
• 20th     Kindy 2026 Orientation Session
• 20th     Arithmechamps - COS Mathematics Event
• 25th     WHS Information Evening - year 6 into 7  
• 26th     K-2 Gala Day at Cawley Park
• 27th     Last Day of Scripture

• 1st       Kindergarten Excursion - What's Alive Kiama
• 2nd      WHS Year 6 Orientation Day
• 3rd-5th    Stage 3 Berry Camp       
• 9th       Presentation Day
• 11th     Volunteer Tea
• 18th     Year 6 Farewell and Graduation
• 19th     Party Day and Last Day of School for 2025

Olivia C, Spencer D, Levi M, Angus M, Molly W

Levi M, Jacinta P, Nixon C, Molly J

Lucy W, Alani A, Lux P, Ava T, Beau F, Jack B, Sebastian F, Eden-Rose G, Jesse D, Tim P, Indi P, Alexis M, Ella D, Temperance L

Hamish B, Lucas B, Sebastian N, Lucas S, Millie M, Harriet M, Ashton A, Lola N, Tim P, Jasmin F, Zadie K

Jesse D, Spencer D, Isaac L, Macy D, Brody T

Disclaimer: Russell Vale Public School advertises in this column as a service to parents. Russell Vale Public School does not endorse, sponsor or accept responsibility for the management or organisation of the advertised events or services.