Principal's Desk
It’s Scientific!
The excitement is building at Park Ridge! After weeks of practice, rehearsals, and plenty of energy, our students are ready to take the stage for this year’s concert: It’s Scientific!
Today, the whole school came together for a final rehearsal, and we couldn’t be prouder of the way our students have worked to bring their performances to life. From singing and dancing to acting and storytelling, they’ve poured their creativity and confidence into making this a show to remember.
Our first performance takes place tonight, and we can’t wait to share this celebration of science, music, and fun with our community. A big thank you to our staff for their guidance and support, and to our families for helping with costumes, encouragement, and practice at home.
To all our performers - chookas! We know you’ll shine under the lights.
Fathers’ Day Stall
Our PCA, as expected, conducted a fantastic Fathers’ Day stall on Wednesday in our Gymnasium. There were heaps of volunteers on hand to service our students who were keen to find a bargain. Catherine and her team are wonderful examples of giving back to the community. Well done to all who helped out! Happy Father's Day to all the special father-figures in our community.
Being Cybersafe
Over the past few weeks, we have seen a dramatic increase in cyberattacks as well as instances in which our students may have not been the best digital citizens. This is a timely opportunity for families to discuss the importance of being safe online. Listed below are 10 tips from the Alannah and Madeline Foundation to help start the conversation. I am amazed by the number of students in Year 6 who have access to Snapchat, Instagram etc that have age restrictions in place. At Park Ridge, we believe students should be having lots of face to face interactions with peers and adults. It is through these conversations that we develop our emotional intelligence. This is only one of many reasons why we are actively working with students to ensure all mobile phones are handed into the office at the beginning of the school day, and picked up at the conclusion. Below is some supporting information of why being Cybersafe is important for all of us:
Care about the Share
Social media wants you to share as much as you can bear! But the share should be rare. NEVER share: passwords, private/personal information, your location.
Privacy Matters
If you care about the share, you’ll protect your privacy, no matter what. Regularly check your privacy settings on social media, and always think before you post. It’s amazing where data ends up – usually all over the internet.
Respect the Privacy of Others
Treat others’ privacy as you would your own. Ask for your friends’ permission before uploading photos and videos of them. It’s not all about you.
Keep Everything Updated
Any idea what causes the most security breaches on the internet? Software that isn’t up-to-date. Seems crazy simple, but it’s true! Be vigilant about updating software, including apps, anti-virus and even the humble browser.
Spam Even with the best anti-spam and malware software – that’s up-to-date – spam is the modern version of junk mail. It’s everywhere! Learn how to tell the difference between real emails and messages, and dodgy things with dodgy links. Sometimes they don’t look so dodgy...always be suspicious of hyperlinks in emails.
Control the Troll Within
There be trolls out there – beware! Don’t feed them, don’t give them what they want: an angry response. Block/Report the trolls. But also: resist the inner troll. If you’re not adding something to the debate online, don’t bother. Don’t be part of the problem.
Cyberbullying and Harassment
If you’re being targeted by this kind of behaviour, know what you can do, and where you can get help. Visit the National Centre Against Bullying website and the Office of the eSafety Commissioner's website.
Keep Your Friends Close and Strangers at Arm’s Length
Do you know how many true friends most people have? Three. Yup, those four thousand and fifty-two Facebook ‘friends’ are a combination of acquaintances, people-you-met-once, people-you-can’t-remember-meeting-once, and probably, some ‘randoms’. They don’t need to know what you had for breakfast, or what concert you went to last night, do they?
Feel the Flow – Keep Your Life in Balance
Technology is incredible. Gaming, networking, apps…online shopping! But make sure you take time out and find the right balance for you. Too long on tech can put the world out of whack.
Have Fun, Friend
Always remember to chill out and keep things in perspective. There’s too much information online to take it all in! Focus on each moment, and enjoy.
(Alannah and Madeline Foundation)
Professional Practice Days - November 2025
Every year, schools, in conjunction with School Council, are in a position to provide four curriculum days per year to support staff professional development. We also have a fifth day for staff (called a Professional Practice Day) to focus on specific aspects of their work for a day - all with no students on-site. Each of these days are invaluable for the ongoing development of our knowledge of contemporary educational practices. For your records, School Council approved the following date for the remainder of 2025 as a student-free day:
Wednesday, 5 November - Professional Practice Day (Report Writing)
Our decision to hold our Professional Practice Day after Melbourne Cup public holiday, like last year, is to support our teachers to write accurate December reports through analysis of key data sets measuring student achievement and growth as well as to support those families who wish to have an extended mini-term holiday before Christmas.
To further support families, TeamKids will also be providing care facilities on Wednesday, 5 November.
2025 Parents / caregivers / guardians survey
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents / caregivers / guardians think of our school. The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage all families to participate. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
All parents/caregivers/guardians are invited to participate in this year’s survey. The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey will be open from Monday, 18 August, and will remain open until Friday, 19 September 2025. A direct link to the survey has been sent to parents, carers, and guardians via Compass.
The survey is conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the survey period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
Please speak to your child’s teacher if you would like more information.
R U OK? Day
Thursday 11 September, is R U OK? DAY. This day is all about checking in on others around you - the theme this year is "I'm here, to hear".
We can all make a huge difference to our loved ones by simply listening - we won't always have the answers and can't always fix every problem, however listening with empathy and understanding, without judgement and even without providing advice (which is sometimes unwanted anyway!) can make a world of difference.
Wishing you a great week ahead. As always, feel free to drop in for a chat with Brendan or me. Our doors are always open!
Take care,
Mr. Dale Blythman