Principals' Page

And the Winner is .......Great Ryrie Primary School 

Last Friday, we attended the Victorian Education Excellence Awards. 

As mentioned previously, we were thrilled to be named as one of three finalists. The awards now in their 25th year, recognise outstanding work across Victorian government schools with this year's winners selected from 37 finalists from across the state.

It was a wonderful evening celebrating the achievements of educators and school teams, and a real privilege to be part of it. However, nothing quite prepared us for hearing Great Ryrie announced as the winner of the

 Outstanding Provision for High-Ability Students – Primary Award. 

We made our way to the podium, surrounded by fellow educators and dignitaries, as Mrs Watson proudly accepted the award on behalf of our Learning Enhancement and Achievement Program and the school. 

Congratulations to everyone involved in making LEAP such a valuable part of Great Ryrie. We are very fortunate to have these additional opportunities for our students and, most importantly, the dedicated staff who make them happen.

After watching so many of our students receive academic achievement awards at assembly last week, I was reminded just how important these programs are. They provide opportunities for students to be challenged, extend their thinking, explore their interests and reach their full potential.

It was wonderful to see this work recognised at a state level, particularly alongside so many other outstanding educators and schools. 

Our New Playground is Ready

The wait is finally over. Our new playground is ready to open and we will be having a special opening ceremony on Monday with our Prep to Year 2 team and some special guests.

A huge thank you to Jackie for all the work that has gone into bringing this project together, and to Safe Play Australia for making the whole experience such an enjoyable one.

I know the children are going to be very excited about the pirate ship, castle and trampolines. I suspect keeping the adults off the trampolines might be just as tricky, including myself. We had a little test run of the playground last week and can confirm it is great fun.

The playground has been designed around imaginative play and make believe, with plenty of opportunities for climbing, jumping and balancing, all while giving the children somewhere to burn off some energy. We can't wait to see the children enjoying their new playground!

Exciting Building Works

You will also have noticed the new building and project work taking place around the school. We have some wonderful news, with two additional classrooms and two new toilet blocks being built to accommodate our growing enrolments.

These additional facilities will make a real difference to our school, and we are looking forward to having everything ready for the start of the 2027 school year. 

Year 4 Campers

Our Year 4 students have had a wonderful time at camp and returned with plenty to talk about. They packed a lot into their few days away, from the flying fox and initiatives course to a visit to the Koala Park and the Penguin Parade, where they got to watch the penguins come ashore at night. They also enjoyed time playing together, sharing cabins and experiencing all the fun of camp life.

It was lovely to see the children getting involved, having a go at new activities and enjoying time away with their friends. There were certainly some tired faces by the end of camp, but also a great sense of achievement particularly from those who challenged themselves to try something new.

A big thank you to the staff and parents who gave up their time to accompany the children and to our parents for their help and support with the preparation. We really appreciate the time and effort that goes into making these camps possible.

Congratulations Hiromi

Congratulations to Hiromi, who recently competed with her club Boronia Calisthenics, at the Royal South Street Society Calisthenics Competition in Ballarat on 27 October. 

Hiromi and her team achieved first place, which is a fantastic result.

Well done, Hiromi. We love hearing about the wonderful achievements of our students outside of school too. 

Congratulations Mabel

We are excited to share that Mabel has been selected for the School Sport Victoria (SSV) Team Vic Team for Track and Field. Mabel will be competing in the Long Jump & 200m Sprint.

After speaking with Mabel this morning, it was lovely to hear just how excited she is about the upcoming training sessions and the opportunity to compete alongside the Victorian team.

We are very proud of you Mabel and look forward to hearing all about your experiences. What a fantastic achievement.

Have a wonderful weekend with your family and friends 

Warm regards

The Principal Team 

Karen Rouda Principal

Jean Maxwell and Jess Steer Assistant Principals