Principal's Desk

Here we are; the last few days of the 2023 school year. We all started 2023 with a lot more hopes and dreams compared with our experiences in previous years. With just over three school days left of 2023 and as I write this after again being victorious in the annual Teachers Vs Students Knock'em Over Competition, I see the children smiling, laughing, playing a range of games around the podium area - schools run on the hum of students playing and learning. Our students at Park Ridge Primary School are the most down-to-earth people and they all make this place a wonderful space to learn. As I sit and reflect on my third year as your Principal, I am so thankful of this opportunity. I am thankful for our family community. I am thankful for my colleagues. I am thankful for the students. I am thankful for each individual, no matter how small or large their contribution may be, to our amazing school. It is my vision to continue this culture of wellbeing and success into the years to come. At my very first newsletter piece, back in 2021, I wrote how welcoming everyone is…. and after 1000+ days and over 150+ newsletter pieces, it is still the case. So I wish to thank everyone for making Park Ridge Primary School a wonderful place to learn 😊

Thank you to our Parent and Carer Helpers

Each year, we thank our wonderful parent and carer helpers who have contributed to our school community in a multitude of ways throughout the year. Without the support and assistance of our parent/carer community, we would not have been able to support our students to the same level, nor provide the extensive incursion and excursion experiences that we have throughout this year. 

It takes a village to raise a child and the motivation that children get from seeing their parents and community members involved in their learning has a remarkable positive impact. Our school is known for the great relationships that exist here, and the relationships we have with our parents and volunteer helpers are relationships that we highly value and respect and it is a privilege for us to work with you. 

This year, we want to say a huge THANK YOU to all parents and carers throughout our community for the incredible support you have provided our students and for working in partnership with our teachers this year. 

Getting ready for 2024

Students were all abuzz this week as they bounced around the school, getting to know their new class for next year. It was great to see such excitement and enthusiasm about growing up and moving onto the next challenge.

Moving classes always introduces some challenges for students. A classroom is, in a lot of ways, a lot like a family and love them or not, you grow to appreciate or at least understand the idiosyncrasies of the people around us.

For many years, schools and society in general have discussed the idea of building students' resilience. We talk about wanting students to be able to adapt to change and overcome adversity. Starting in a new class with a new teacher is a great opportunity to flex those resilience muscles. For students who are a bit unsure of what's in front of them, here are some basic things you can do to assist:

• Who are you looking forward to getting to know better?
• Who in the class has helped you or been kind to you in the past?
• What is it about the next year level that will be new and interesting for you?
• What can you do to signify changing a year level? 
• Could you add something to your bag or change your pencil case?
• How have things changed since you started school? 
• What new friends have you made? 
• What did you learn or master that was really hard in Foundation?

In any aspect of life, we want to be able to build anticipation and get excited about what's ahead of us. When this is challenging, it can help to reach back into our past and identify our successes - by seeing how we overcame issues in the past, we can start to plan for how we will tackle the next ones.

I encourage all parents to help students prepare for these changes, even if they're not openly feeling anxious or concerned. Planning ahead and pre-loading some strategies for success is always a good thing and is at the heart of Positive Education.

2024 Transition Process

Like previous years, we have been able to provide a robust transition experience for our students. Students met their new teacher for 2024 on Tuesday and also on Wednesday. To achieve the most out of school, students need to meet new peers and learn how to make new human connections. Living in the comfort zone might sound nice but it doesn’t develop the skills necessary to cope in life. This year we have asked parents for any requests quite early in the piece, and I thank those who have done so within the timeframe – it certainly assistance our teachers in working through this complex task of formulating new groupings for 2024.

Last Day of the 2023 School Year 

The final day of the school year for students and staff is Wednesday 20 December. 

Many families have indicated to classroom teachers and the office that their child’s final day will be Friday 15 December. If your child will not be attending school on Monday 18 December, Tuesday 19 December and/or Wednesday 20 December, please ensure you enter their absence into Compass as soon as possible so we can finalise our student attendance records for the school year.

We hope the Park Ridge community has a great weekend, and we look forward to seeing you all for the final (half) week of 2023!

Take care,

Mr. Dale Blythman