Principal Team Message

WELCOME TO THE START OF TERM 3

We hope everyone enjoyed a most relaxing holiday break with their loved ones. This term we welcome new families to our school from across Victoria as well as international guests. Settling into a new school and community can be overwhelming but with an open mind, resilience and our Ripper spirit, please know we are all here to support each other. 

Term 3 is an exciting, uninterrupted full term of sensational events and learning at RPS. Just in the three days alone, our return to school has been very positive. 

Last week marked the start of NAIDOC week recognising the important role Elders play within indigenous and our communities. They are the cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, and leaders. Future generations draw strength from their knowledge and experience, in everything from land management, cultural knowledge to justice and human rights. Across multiple sectors like health, education, the arts, politics and everything in between, they have set many courses for others to follow.  

RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS, HUMAN SEXUALITY & BODY SAFETY - SAVE THE DATE THURSDAY 3 AUGUST 

Vanessa Hamilton is a Sexuality Nurse Educator and Mum to three wonderful boys. She is the founder of Talking The Talk Sex and Health Education working as a highly respected and sought after speaker, writer and educator. 

Vanessa has spoken to literally tens of thousands of people about Sex and Sexuality during her 24 years experience as a Sexual Health Nurse and has also spent 16 years educating children and adults. 

She has immersed herself in helping parents, teachers and health professionals understand Human Sexuality and how it relates to children. By providing simple explanations, tools and tips she reduces the fear that many people have and facilitates conversations that support children as they grow up in this hypersexualised society.

HOUSE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL 

All students from Foundation to Year 6 will participate in the school's annual House Athletics Carnival at Duncan Mackinnon Reserve. Students will participate in a variety of track and field events relevant to their respective year level and age group.

The House Athletics Carnival is an integral component of the House program at Ripponlea Primary School. Students represent their Houses and accrue points. The House with the most points at the conclusion of the carnival is declared the winning House. Students from Years 3-6 who qualify in each event can progress to compete at the District level. 

Who will it be?

Date: Friday 4 August 2022

Venue: Duncan MacKinnon Reserve - Athletics Track, North Road, Murrumbeena

All students will be transported to and from the venue. The cost for this event was included in the 2023 Financial Contributions.  Please contact Kate Crawford for any queries and payments. 

Families will be contacted via COMPASS if they have previously paid for this event. Permission and payment will need to be provided by the due date for a student to attend this carnival. 

CONGRATULATIONS - RPS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS 

Congratulations to both Rosie R. and Asher K. who qualified for the Divisional Cross Country after our school's cross country event at Caulfield Grammar last term. 

Following this event, Asher who came fifth overall qualified to compete at the Regionals and finished 21st out of 80 competitors. He ran 2km in 7 minutes and 30 secs. An outstanding achievement and we cannot wait to see him compete in future years. 

SCHOOL-WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT 

At Ripponlea PS we care about ourselves, others, our learning and our school; we create an environment where we can grow and learn; we connect our actions with outcomes which helps us make good decisions.

Students and staff selected three key values to underpin all the expected positive behaviours we expect to see within our school:

• Respect
• Pride
• Safety

In 2022, we held a school-wide competition to help create our PBS Mascots. The winning designs emphasised our school’s connection to indigenous culture and through the Bunerong Land Council, our animal mascots were officially named. 

The goal of PBS (a shortened abbreviation we have chosen) at Ripponlea PS is to create and maintain a positive and safe learning environment that enhances our school culture and our community. Our approach aligns academic and behavioural systems to create an emphasis on explicitly teaching, monitoring, and acknowledging appropriate behaviour.

PBS provides teachers and students with more time to focus on relationships and classroom instruction. All students, teachers and staff will benefit from:

• increased respectful and positive behaviour;
• increased time focused on instruction;
• improved social-emotional wellbeing;
• positive and respectful relationships among students and staff;
• increased adoption of evidence-based instructional practices; and
• a predictable learning environment with improved perceptions of safety.

The PBS approach is comprised of evidence-based behavioural interventions and practices that can be implemented by staff to effectively address and support the socially and educationally important behavioural needs of students and their families. 

These matrices help to guide students and staff in demonstrating, teaching and rewarding appropriate and expected behaviours.

There are also matrices for all other areas of the school to help our students understand and follow expectations. Please have a look through this Parent/Carers and Student Handbook for further information. 

Until next fortnight .........

Natalie Rose             &                        Marta Campbell 

             Principal                                     Assistant Principal