Executive Principal's Report

A Flying Start to Term 4!

You might remember our brief moment of social media fame last term, when we shared a video of the Royal Australian Air Force flying directly over Richmond West as part of the AFL Grand Final flypast at the MCG.

While the social media royalties haven't quite generated enough money to fund our next school upgrade (we're still waiting for that cheque!), we did receive something rather special last week.

The Roulette team from the Royal Australian Air Force contacted us personally to thank our students and staff for sharing the video. They explained that our school was right on their flight path and that they had enjoyed seeing the footage from our perspective.

They also sent us a lovely letter and some incredible photographs taken from the aircraft, showing Richmond West and the surrounding neighbourhood from a perspective we don't often get to see!

It's not every day that the Royal Australian Air Force sends a personal thank-you to your school, and it certainly put a spring in our step.

We thought we'd share their message and these fantastic photographs with our community. You might even be able to spot the school in the images above!

A big thank you to the Roulettes for taking the time to get in touch and share a little piece of their experience with us.Welcome Back to Term 4

Our Staffroom Is Taking Shape

Our staffroom refurbishment has continued to progress, and the space is already starting to feel warmer, more welcoming and inviting. It really is amazing what a coat of paint, some updated (and coordinated!) furniture and a little attention can do to a space.

But beyond the furniture and fresh paint, we also wanted to make sure the room felt like something our staff had helped create, rather than simply a space that had been refurbished for them.

Last Tuesday evening, our teachers and Education Support staff came together under the creative guidance of Susan to produce some collaborative artwork for the staffroom walls. 

For some, it was a chance to rediscover their artistic talents. For others, it was a step well outside their comfort zones. And at least one of us (me!) had clearly forgotten the cardinal rule of the art room: always wear an art smock!

The finished artworks are genuinely impressive, particularly for a group of teachers and support staff who wouldn't necessarily consider themselves artists. More importantly, it was a lovely opportunity to spend time together, do something a little different and create something meaningful for a space we all share. Rather than simply decorating the walls, we've added something that reflects those who use the room every day.

And who knows? What started as a one-off activity to bring our staffroom to life might just have accidentally become a new Richy Dubs tradition. A big thank you to Susan for guiding our collective creativity and bringing the idea to life.

The next stage of the refurbishment involves replacing the carpet and sourcing a few more pieces of furniture to complete the room. 

Can you help us complete the space?

We know we have some very dedicated parents already scouring Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and their networks for furniture. There are a few particular items we're hoping to source:

• Two or three additional couches or chairs, ideally matching the burnt-orange vinyl couches currently in our front office. We believe these were originally sold by IKEA.

• Three small bar-height tables and approximately nine or ten bar stools, allowing us to create several smaller seating areas.

   

See below for an idea of the items we are seeking:

If you have any suitable items you'd be willing to donate, or happen to spot something while browsing Marketplace, we'd be very grateful to hear from you.

Thank you again to the parents and community members who have contributed their time, skills and resources to the refurbishment. What started as a fairly tired room is gradually becoming a space that not only better reflects how much we value our staff, but one that our staff can genuinely feel is their own.

School Review

Last Wednesday marked the first day of our school review. Despite an incredibly busy day, with our Year 3/4 students also departing for camp, it was a very positive start to the process.

Our review panel spent time observing learning in our Prep, Prep–2 and specialist classes. They met with students from our Year 5/6 Student Voice and Action Team, spoke with another student focus group, and heard from our Education Support staff about their experiences, the school's strengths and opportunities for further growth.

The panel was particularly impressed by our student achievement data, the strength of our teaching and learning practices, and the positive attitudes students have towards school.

Our second review day is scheduled for Monday 26 October, and an important part of the process will be hearing directly from parents and carers.

We invite interested families to participate in a parent and carer forum at 2.40 pm, where the review panel will seek feedback about your experiences of the school, our strengths and the areas where we can continue to improve.

If you would like to attend, please email Amanda so we can keep track of numbers and plan accordingly.

Your perspectives are an important part of the review, and I encourage families to take the opportunity to contribute.

Year 3/4 Camp

Our Year 3/4 students returned from Phillip Island last Friday after what sounds like a fantastic few days away.

Heading off to camp in the very first week of term was certainly a big ask of everyone, including students, staff and families. However, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and our students once again represented Richmond West exceptionally well.

Beyond the activities and excitement, camps provide such valuable opportunities for students to develop independence, strengthen friendships, build confidence and connect with their teachers and peers in a different environment.

We could certainly tell that a few students (and staff!) returned a little exhausted, and a few illnesses have made their way through the school this week. Hopefully everyone will be back to full health and fighting fit by next week.

A sincere thank you to the teachers and Education Support staff who gave up time with their own families and friends to make this experience possible. Camps require an enormous amount of planning, responsibility and commitment, and they simply wouldn't happen without staff being willing to go above and beyond their regular roles.

We're very grateful for their efforts.

Vale Robbie Spencer

We were deeply saddened to learn that former Richmond West PE teacher Robbie Spencer passed away during the school holidays.

Robbie taught Physical Education at Richmond West from 2015 to 2022. He was passionate about sport, particularly athletics, and was a much-loved teacher and a favourite of many students.

Those who knew Robbie remember him as a kind, gentle and friendly person who took a genuine interest in the people around him. He made a lasting impression on many students, families and colleagues during his time at our school.

We recognise that this news has been particularly upsetting for members of our community who knew Robbie, and we remind students, staff and families that anyone needing additional support is encouraged to contact the school.

We would like to put together a collection of photographs, videos and memories of Robbie's time at Richmond West to share with his family.

If you have a photograph, a story or a special memory of Robbie that you'd like to contribute, we would be grateful if you could share it with us.

Contributions can be submitted through our dedicated memories collection form: https://tally.so/r/YjDPl5 

We hope this collection will provide Robbie's family with a meaningful reminder of the many lives he touched during his time at Richmond West.

Looking Ahead to 2027

While Term 4 is always a busy time for students and families, there's also an enormous amount of planning happening behind the scenes for the following school year.

We're currently reviewing our anticipated student numbers, considering the structure of our bilingual and non-bilingual learning areas, and working through staffing allocations for 2027.

Our enrolment numbers have remained relatively stable over recent years. However, we have a particularly large Year 6 cohort graduating at the end of this year, and we anticipate this may result in a reduction in our overall enrolments for 2027.

Changes in enrolment numbers have a direct impact on the funding available to schools, which in turn influences staffing, programs and the resources we can provide.

One of the ongoing challenges in school leadership is balancing the things we'd like to do with the resources available to us. Unfortunately, the pool of money isn't bottomless, and every dollar we allocate needs to contribute meaningfully to student learning, wellbeing or the effective operation of our school.

This is also why the financial contributions families make to the school are so valuable. They help us maintain the breadth of programs and experiences that make Richmond West special, while also supporting improvements to our facilities and learning environments.

A practical example came late last year, when several of our air conditioners stopped working during Term 4. With our regular maintenance budget already exhausted, the generous contributions families had made to our Building Fund enabled us to replace them promptly, rather than having to delay the work or decide which classrooms would need to wait.

It's a simple example, but one that demonstrates the very real difference these contributions can make.

As our planning for 2027 progresses, we'll continue to keep families informed about our learning area structures and arrangements for next year.

Until next fortnight,

Trevor.