Term 3 Week 4

11th August 2025

The P&C meeting that was scheduled for tonight has been postponed to next Monday 18th August at 7:00pm at Woonona Bulli RSL. As always, I look forward to catching up with our dedicated group of volunteers. It is never too late to join and I hope to see some new faces at the meeting. 

If you have a younger child starting school next year or know of any families who are planning to enrol their child(ren) at Russell Vale Public School, our online enrolment system is currently open to process these registrations. Our Kindergarten orientation planning has begun and the dates below have been mailed to families. More information regarding the enrolment process can be found here: https://russellval-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/about-our-school/enrolment.html

We will be celebrating Book Week on Thursday 21st August. Students are encouraged to come to school dressed as their favourite book character. Parents and carers are invited to join us from 12:00pm for the book parade and stay for a prepacked picnic lunch.

Congratulations to all of our students who participated in either the Choral Festival, the District Athletics Carnival or the Girls’ Soccer Knockout match in Jerrabomberra. Our girls were victorious 6-0 which made the lengthy drive well worth the time and effort. 

Thank you to Ryan Park for his continued support as we have been successful in securing funding through Keira’s Community Building Partnership Program. This funding will allow us to install a covered shade sail over our yarning circle and farm entry. Thank you to our P&C for securing this grant for our school community.

‘Consent’ is when someone gives their permission. To be genuine, consent has to be ‘informed’ and ‘freely given’ – that means the person is clear about it, they fully understand what they’re agreeing to, and they have not been pressured into it.

If you’re planning to record videos or share any images or videos with others, it is best to make sure the person or people in the photos or videos approve of it. Ask yourself, “Do I have consent to share a photo or video of someone?”

Sharing a photo or video of someone without their consent can have major consequences for both the person and for you. It can have social and mental health impacts on the person if he or she does not want it shared publicly, and sharing it can affect what others think of you.

For more information and more issues to consider, please visit the following link: https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people/consent-sharing-photos-videos

It is always wonderful to have our students in classrooms, ready to engage and learn. Our teachers and school staff are committed to fostering growth and opportunity, and we are here to work with you to support your child to reach his or her full potential.

Consistently going to school has countless benefits – from learning, to creating social connections and improving well-being through access to supportive and quality education.

Students are required to attend school every day, whether it is the first or last day of the term, Mondays, Fridays or days dedicated to sports carnivals, school excursions and incursions.

As we look ahead to the remainder of the school year, I remind our school community that we are here to work with you to support your child in thriving. We know that families experience a variety of challenging circumstances, and we are committed to working with you to address any barriers to regular attendance.

If your child is absent from school, please let us know the reason as soon as possible, even if it is just a few minutes at the start or end of the school day. Of course, there will be times when your child is unable to attend school, such as when he or she is unwell. Medical appointments should take place outside school hours where possible, and family holidays should be taken in term breaks.

If your child is feeling anxious about coming to school and you need support, please reach out to your child’s teacher or to me directly. There are also helpful resources for parents and carers on the NSW Department of Education website.

Thank you for being a part of our school community and for partnering with us to ensure students access the endless benefits of regular school attendance. In the near future, some families may receive an email outlining that their child’s attendance has dropped below 85%. If a student attends school at a rate of 85% or less, he or she will have missed a whole year or more of school by the end of Year 6. Of course, there are reasonable circumstances, and some students that have fallen ill multiple times. These letters are being sent as a reminder, not as a caution. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s attendance, you are always able to contact the school to discuss these with us.

We are proud to stand with Australian schools and communities to speak up against bullying during the national week of action, running from 11 to 15 August 2025 (Term 3, Week 4).

During this week, whole-school communities are encouraged to work together to implement evidence-informed positive and proactive solutions to prevent and address bullying and violence.

The theme for this year is Be Bold. Be Kind. Speak Up. This theme supports schools in spreading the word that everyone has a role in preventing bullying. Students and school staff are encouraged to speak up and foster safe spaces where everyone feels supported, respected and all voices are heard and valued. In school communities, speaking up against bullying is a powerful action against bullying.

During the week we will be engaging students in meaningful discussions and activities aimed at promoting empathy, understanding, and respect for diversity. We encourage parents and carers to take this opportunity to have open and honest conversations with their children about the impact of bullying and what the children can do if they need support. You can visit the Bullying No Way website for tips regarding how to have this discussion. It is as follows: https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/

If you have concerns that your child is being bullied, please contact the school in the first instance. If you believe the behaviour constitutes a crime, or is a serious incident of cyberbullying, please refer to the Bullying No Way website for information on how to report such situations to other authorities and to access well-being help.
 
Thanks for your support to make our school a great school for everyone.

Paul Cuthbertson
Principal

Kindergarten celebrated 100 days of Kindergarten in Week 2. They celebrated by wearing bright clothes to show that they are 100 days brighter! Our littlest learners are making us all proud with how hard they work and how they consistently follow our Russell Vale values of Think Well, Act Well, Speak Well. Great job, Kindergarten! 

A new kind of energy is lighting up dinner table conversations across the Illawarra and it’s coming from our Year 5 HPAG EXTEND students who are currently taking part in a new STEM Sprint that aims to inspire future clean energy innovators by exploring real-world problems and challenges we face with rapidly increasing energy demands and a direct need for sustainable sources.

Thanks to the support of BlueScope WIN Community Partners, Green Gravity, and Inside Industry, students participated in the Clean Energy Tour, touring the steelworks to better understand renewable energy innovations taking place and those planned for the future. Back at the visitor’s centre students were getting hands-on with solar panels, hydrogen fuel cells, saltwater electrolysers, wind turbines.

Students will use what they've learned to design and test their own clean energy solutions, leading up to the Innovate for Impact Showcase, where teams will pitch ideas to local industry mentors. It is a fantastic opportunity to grow young minds, spark big ideas, and show students they really can help shape the future. We can’t wait to see what they come up with!

Mr Russ Taunton (IAST) & Ms Erin Lam (HPAG Extend)

• 18th   Amplify Music Performance
• 18th   P&C Meeting 7:00pm at Woonona Bulli RSL
• 20th   CoS Day 3 - Woonona High School
• 21st    Book Week Book Parade

• 5th      South Coast Athletics Carnival
• 11th    Kindy 2026 Playgroup Session
• 16th-18th     Book Fair
• 25th    Kindy 2026 Playgroup Session
• 26th    Last Day of Term 3

Indi W, Jade S, Talulah N, Grace T, Isabella P, Ava P, Fletcher H, Kobie M, Kennedy W

Harlo C, Will N, Beau W, Mia B, Saskia S, Flynn P, Alani A, Anders K, Jai C, Zadie K, Lewis K, Jasper K, Korban W

Kennedy W, Eden-Rose G

Sophie H, Alexa M, Axton S, Honey B, Poppy G, Noah S, Emma B, Isla S, Raphi C

Louis W, Oaklie S, Charlie P

Anika D

Jesse D

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.