Robinvale College eNewsletter

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Dear parents and carers,

We have had a few busy and exciting weeks at Robinvale with many extracurricular activities focused on celebrating our school and families. I had the honour of attending “The Beat” at the Mildura Arts Centre last Tuesday and see our Brass Band perform. Not to be biased at all; but they blew the crowd away with their performance of music from Grease.

Be kind to one another.

Kindness enhances students’ mental health and well-being. As we are all too aware, school can be a challenging time for some students as they juggle academic pressures and social expectations. Acts of kindness, whether it's a friendly gesture, a supportive conversation, a simple compliment, or inviting someone to sit with them, can significantly impact someone's day, fostering feelings of positivity and connectedness.

Kindness serves as a basis for personal growth and character development. When students engage in acts of kindness, they not only help others but they also support important values such as compassion, generosity, and gratitude. These qualities are essential for positive relationships, enhancing leadership skills, and becoming responsible global citizens.

Kindness is not merely a virtue but a fundamental aspect of building a positive culture within our school. By prioritizing kindness, students contribute to a community where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to thrive. When staff and students to show each other kindness we allow everyone to feel that they are appreciated and that they belong at Robinvale College.

Book Parade

Our Book Parade will be held this Friday. it was lovely to see all the children in their favourite characters. The parade took place at the F-4 assembly – I hope that our family and friends that joined us enjoyed the parade.

Father’s Day Breakfast

‘Father’s Day/Special Persons Breakfast’ last Thursday was a fabulous morning. A delicious BBQ bacon and egg breakfast was prepared and provided by our Food Tech students and Damien. It was great to see so many of you joining in the basketball. You dads and friends really showed your kids how to shoot a hoop! Thank you to all the dad’s or special people in our students' lives for the continued support you provide.

Father’s Day Stall

Our Father’s Day Stall was also held last Thursday. All our items were snatched up very quickly. We also want to acknowledge the efforts of our office team and Rosa who worked very hard behind the scenes getting the presents organised and ready for the stall. This is a massive undertaking, and we appreciate the hard work and dedication to supporting school wide initiatives. Thank you!

Popcorn and Pyjama Day

We finished last week of with our Grade 6 fundraiser. It was great to see lots of people getting into the spirit of the day and wearing their PJ’s. A big shout out to Rebel and Sonia for putting this day all together. Such a great time for our kids!

Dress Code Reminder

There are a number of students who are not wearing the correct school uniform. Robinvale College School Council has a compulsory School Uniform and it is expected that all students will wear the uniform. I would ask that parents support our school by reminding their children that they are to wear the school uniform as detailed in our policy. Bandanas, slides etc. are not part of our school uniform.

State Schools Relief supports families financially to purchase uniforms. If you would like to access SSR please contact the Office.

SCHOOL SAVING BONUS

Information for government school parents and carers

About the School Saving Bonus

The Victorian Government is making life that little bit easier for families by providing a one-off $400 School Saving Bonus.

This support will help cover the cost of school uniforms, textbooks, and school activities like camps, excursions and sports.

The School Saving Bonus is in addition to existing and continuing means-tested supports for Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) and the Affordable School Uniforms Program.

The School Saving Bonus will be provided to schools and families in Term 4, 2024.

Who receives the School Saving Bonus

The School Saving Bonus is available for parents and carers of all Victorian government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025, except for full-fee international students, home schooled students, TAFE students and students attending kindergarten in 2025.

Actions for parents and carers

Parents and carers of children who meet the School Saving Bonus eligibility above are required to do the following by Friday 18 October 2024:

Complete enrolment

If your child, or children are changing government school for Term 1 2025, or starting Prep or Year 7 in 2025, please complete enrolment. For more information, read about Enrolling in School.

Check your contact information

Ensure your contact information is up to date with your school. You can check this information by contacting your school directly.

Accessing the $400 School Saving Bonus

You do not need to apply for the School Saving Bonus.

The Department of Education will email you in November 2024 with your $400 School Saving Bonus. You will be able to access it via an online system.

You can decide how to best use the School Saving Bonus for your family's needs. You can choose how to allocate the $400 in the online system.

The bonus can be used towards 2025 school costs, which may include:

camps, trips, excursions and incursions
swimming and sporting programs
outdoor education programs
graduations
school uniforms

The bonus can be used at your school’s approved textbook or uniform suppliers either in-store or online, or through State Schools’ Relief. The list of suppliers may include a school uniform or bookshop. Any amount that you choose to allocate to textbooks and uniforms will be valid until 30 June 2025. It will then transfer to your child’s school account for future activities.

Funds will roll over for use in future years if it is not all spent in 2025.

Families with more than one eligible child

Families who have more than one child at the same school can combine their School Saving Bonus payments to use on one child, or for a specific activity. So, for example, a family with 3 children who are all government school students would receive support to the value of $1,200 and choose how they spend those funds. The School Saving Bonus cannot be combined across different schools.

More information

To learn more about the School Saving Bonus visit vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus. Translated information will also be available on the School Saving Bonus website in the next few weeks.

MARY GAIDES SPORTS AWARD

Congratulations to Joziah Dunrobin-Rowe who was awarded the Mary Gaides athletics award

NORTHERN MALLEE STEM IDOLS 2024

On Thursday 5^th September, seven of our eager year 9 students joined with other many other schools across the region, to take part in the annual STEM Idols Event.

Students were invited to hear from guest speakers in the industry, including the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change and participated in hands on workshops, delivered by some of our leading agricultural industries including, ALTSA, Lower Murray Water, NMLLEN, Raygen Resources and Digi.Ag.

During these workshops students were able to gain firsthand experience into some of the exciting and rapidly expanding careers in the industry, including Ag Voltaics, digital technologies, engineering, electrical and laboratory careers.

CONGRATULATION STEPHANIE BAKER

Year 11 student Stephanie Baker competed in the final round of Mildura Riverside Golf tournaments for the 2024 season and is the Ladies Riverside Golf Club Champion for 2024. Stephanie plays off a two handicap and has had extensive guidance and coaching from her coach.

MALLEE DIVISION SECONDARY ATHLETICS CARNIVAL DAY

Congratulations to the following students who attended the Mallee Division Secondary Athletics Carnival day. the following student will now complete in Bendigo next term, Sasha Togo-15 girls 200m, Latu Ale- 12/13 Boys Shot Put, Matt Phajongdee-14 Boys 100m, Andre Anand-14 Boys 200m, and Lincoln Brown-15 Boys Shot Put

FATHER'S DAY BREAKFAST

What a fantastic morning we had for Fathers and Special Persons Day at school! We were thrilled to see such a wonderful turnout and to share a delicious breakfast with all the amazing dads and special people who make a difference in our students' lives. Your presence made the event truly special. Thank you for joining us and making the day memorable!

YEAR 9&10 FOOD TECHNOLOGY

Year 9/10 Food Technology students have truly outdone themselves! Last week the students prepared, cooked, and served a delicious two-course meal for someone special in their lives. From planning the menu to plating the dishes, every student showcased their culinary skills and creativity. A big congratulations to our young chefs for their hard work and dedication!

PYJAMA DAY

Student and Staff came to school for the day wearing their Pyjamas. In the afternoon we had a movie afternoon along with activities, popcorn and teddy bear picnic for our younger students. The day was a fundraising event and all money that is raised went to our Year 6 students to help with their year 6 graduation.

CONGRATULATION CHRISTINA

Another L2P Program participant Christina Ale obtained their P Plates last week, this program is vital for our young people in the Community. We are short on mentors here in Robinvale at the moment so if you are able to assist in helping a young person with driving hours please contact Narelle McClure L2P Program Co-ordinator on 0437 698 778.

YEAR 12 HOMELESS PROJECT

The Year 12 VCE Vocational Major class are leading a project called “The Homeless Project”. It involves supporting the Red Cliffs Community Resource Centre on their endeavours of helping people by donating food to them. The Year 12s are looking for parents and students to donate any non-perishable foods listed on the poster below. It would be very much appreciated if anyone able could support our Year 12s on their journey to make the world a better place! Donations will be accepted up to next Tuesday 10th September.

THE BEAT IN MILDURA

The Beat Sunraysia State School Showcase is an annual event celebrating the enormous talent of local students in Victorian Government schools, bringing together 14 Sunraysia primary and secondary schools.

This year’s theme Retro-Tastic aims to engage the positive involvement of young people in the Arts through a variety show formats highlighting the areas of Dance, Drama and Music.

The event was funded via Mildura Rural City Council FReeZA Program - part of the Victorian State Government funded FReeZA initiative – which provides young people with an opportunity to lead the planning and staging of live music and cultural events in our community. The College Brass Band represented the school
with a Brass Band Performing a Grease Melody and a Tongan song. More than 350 students performed on the night from the Sunraysia area.