Assistant Principals' Report

Cathie Sutton, Nick Burley & Denisse Lobos

International Day of People with Disability

International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is a United Nations day, observed each year on 3 December. In Australia, it is a day to promote awareness, understanding and acceptance of the 5.5 million people with disability in the country. 

Schools play an important role in creating a more inclusive and diverse community in Australia. This information kit has been developed to help schools get involved. 

Did you know?

• There are 5.5 million people with disability in Australia – that’s 1 in 5 people 

• 15% of people in Australia aged 0-64 years have disability 

• 52% of people in Australia aged 65 years and over have disability 

• 7.9% of all Australians have a profound or severe disability 

• 9.9% or 1 in 10 people with disability in Australia have experienced discrimination.

The 2025 theme is: Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress. The theme means we all need to work together to make society fairer and respect the rights of people with disability.

Next Wednesday, we invite students and staff to wear a splash of purple to recognise the International Day of People with Disability.

Purple represents dignity, empowerment, and support for the disability community. It’s a simple way for us to show that at RGLPS, everyone belongs.

Throughout the week, classes will also take part in short, age-appropriate activities that highlight inclusion and build our understanding of the different ways people learn, move, think and communicate. We’ll be placing a particular emphasis on empathy, connecting with the wellbeing work already happening across the school.

A huge thank-you in advance to our families for helping us build a community where all children feel included, valued, and seen.

The Resilience Project - GEM Chats

Want to connect more with your child?

Try these simple, meaningful conversation starters to help build gratitude, empathy and mindfulness with your child.

🧠 Did You Know? 🧠

Empathy involves multiple brain systems — including areas for emotional regulation, perspective-taking, and moral reasoning — which means it develops gradually across childhood.📚 Source: Decety, J. (2010). “The neurodevelopment of empathy in humans.” Developmental Neuroscience.

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