Principal Team Message

OUR DEEPEST THANKS

Words are never going to be enough to acknowledge and thank every member of our community who supported the Centenary Carnival. 

The vision for this special day centred on our students at all times, ensuring an everlasting memory of their time in the year 2022 and the celebration of 100 years of their little school.  

SPECIAL ASSEMBLY - VICKI SMITH

Please join us for a special assembly this Friday at 3:00 pm, as we acknowledge and celebrate Vicki's contributions to the RPS community. 

WE ARE NEARLY AT THE END OF THE YEAR BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE TO COME 

Who would believe we are nine school days away from ending the term? 

Starting the term:

• we watched our Year 3/4 students wave goodbye to their families, some for the very first time
• continued with a Big Night In and Sleepover for some excited Year 1/2s
• excursions and incursions to leave lasting memories 
• competitions not only for Glen Eira Council, but for our Balaclava district and of course who could forget our team at the state championships
• more focus on our well-being with art therapy, cyber safety awareness and
• a spectacular carnival to celebrate 100 years and many lovely alumni visits and memorabilia 
• to finally ending the term with our F-2 Intensive Swimming program. 

No wonder everyone is ready to collapse and embrace the summer holidays. But would you believe there is still more to come.........

INAUGURAL HOUSE MUSIC COMPETITION 

It's been a number of years since we held this event given all the restrictions of the past few years, but our House Captains are ready to entertain our community and proudly lead their teams to battle it out in the annual House Music Competition. We invite all families to join us on Monday 12th December at 2:00 pm in the Barrbunin. The House Captains have been very creative with their choreography this year and we can't wait to be the adjudicators of this special event. 

Who will be the new winning House:

• Bemin – Ring tailed possum (formerly Furneaux) pronounced Bem - in
• Warren – Wombat (formerly Orrong) pronounced Wa – reen
• Booring – Bandicoot (formerly Loch) pronounced Boo – ring
• Tunparrim – Lizard (formerly Carrington) pronounced Tun- parrum

TOTEM POLES AT THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL

Over the last two terms, our Year 5/6 students have been working with Ceramicist Kimberley Mannix. Ceramics are perhaps the most ubiquitous of all art forms to have emerged from human history. The oldest known ceramic figurine, Venus of Dolní Věstonice, traces back to the Czech Republic in 29,000–25,000 B.C., during the Upper Paleolithic period, which means they predated the emergence of agriculture in the Neolithic period by some 10,000 years. 

The ceramic installation at the front of the school was inspired by local native plants, acorns and seedpods. Year 5/6 students created rings that explore and celebrate individual expressions coming together as one community. They also made a special piece to take home for their families. This installation will leave a lasting legacy for our community to mark the last one hundred years of our little school. We thank our creative students and hope their experience will provide lasting memories for them as well. 

1/2 BOTANTICAL GARDENS EXCURSIONS 

On Monday 21 November, the Years 1/2s journeyed to the Royal Botanic Gardens in search of Minibeasts! This excursion was designed to complement their study of how living things grow and go through a process of change.

In between sheltering from the rain, students got close to the many mini creatures that make up the majority of the animal kingdom. They walked around the gardens looking for worms and learnt about which indigenous flora have been used as a food source for thousands of years. Students also made potpourri to take home, made from fragrant lavender, rose petals and gum leaves.

Although it was a bit wet, it was a great day to spend at the gardens and we were very appreciative of our parent volunteers who helped make this excursion possible. 

WHOLE SCHOOL 'STEPPING UP' SESSIONS

Our 2023 Foundation students ended their final transition session a few weeks ago. We were delighted to have all families and children so warmly welcomed into our community. The children had an opportunity to meet some of their Year 5/6 buddies, try on their school uniforms, received a special welcome pack from all students across the school and enjoyed a sausage sizzle with their families and buddies. We thank Lee Brennan for organising and catering this special occasion with Jac Holzer assisting on the day. 

Not only was this a 'Stepping Up' for new students, but our existing students also had a similar opportunity. Students met in their new year-level teams and were presented with some shared experiences and highlights to look forward to. Our Year 6 students participated in the Glen Eira Council 'Moving Up' program. On Tuesday 13 December, they will need to enact some of the skills learnt at the statewide orientation day, when they will visit their high schools of choice for 2023. 

This day will give other students a second 'Stepping-Up' session with new peers and teachers who will be a part of their learning communities. We know everyone has been anticipating the announcements of which teachers will be in which year levels next year, so without holding too much suspense we are excited to announce the following: 

YEAR-LEVEL TEACHING TEAMS 2023

On Monday 19th December students will finally meet their 2023 teacher and peers in their new classrooms. We would like to thank our teachers for their extensive work on the class placements process and ask for the support of our families in managing your expectations and that of your child if a request was not accommodated. The more supportive and positive you can be about this transition, the more resilient your child will grow around the challenges and changes in their schooling lives. 

STUDENT LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS

Our process for electing the 2023 student leadership team, is well underway. Roles include School and House captains as well as our three distinct roles for Year 6 leaders in Student well-being, Sustainability, and SRC. Adding to the overall team will be our Year 5 student councillors. This year a leadership guide was developed, including new questions for applicants as well as a validation process. 

On Monday, all students across the school listened to candidates present their speeches, followed by casting a vote. We used polling booths left over from the election, to allow our students the experience of preferential voting. The in-depth process for electing our student leaders includes an application process, interviews and speeches and of course voting by students and teachers. 

We wish all candidates the best of luck as we look forward to working with the next group of young leaders at Ripponlea Primary School. 

FOUNDATION ZOO EXCURSION

On Monday 21st November the students in Foundation went to the Melbourne Zoo. We were Wild Explorers and learnt all about animals and their habitats. We loved seeing the monkeys and the snow leopards. We saw reptiles and amphibians and learnt that amphibians are animals that can live on land and in water. Thank you to all our volunteers that made our fun day happen. 

Written by Lara, Daisy, Kit, Elai and Henry P

STATE FULLY LOADED SOFTBALL

On Monday the 28th of November, 10 of our year 6 students took their talents and teamwork skills to Waverly State Softball Centre to participate in the State Finals for Fully-Loaded Softball. It was quite the journey to make it to this point in the tournament, starting all the way back in Term 1 – where the team secured victory in the Balaclava Region Round-Robin tournament. This victory qualified the team to progress to the Bayside district championships, seeing yet again another victory – a further qualification through to the South-East Victoria Championships. 

The championships were sadly put on hold for quite some time, due to many logistical reasons, but finally the team was able to play in the South-East tournament, securing victory off the final ball for the day against McKinnon Primary school and gaining a qualification to the State Championships. 

Making the State Finals was an impressive feat in of itself, with so many tournament victories required to secure a qualification, so in that respect, these students have climbed a mountain, for which we are so very proud of them. The day was a wonderful day, with our students displaying great teamwork, comradery, fair-play, being valiant in defeat and modest in victory – values that we here at Ripponlea Primary School hold in high stead.

The team started the day competing against Mt Everlyn Primary School, playing brilliantly, only to fall short by two runs. Final score 16 -14. Game two saw the team taking on Cowes Primary School, which was an even tighter affair, with it going down to the wire and luckily the team was on the winning side of the ledger, securing an 8 – 6 victory. The final game of the day was against the undefeated Rosanna Links Golf Course Primary School. The game started off well for RPS, holding a one-run lead heading into the second innings. Rosanna Links GCPS came back to push ahead by one run heading into the final innings. A dominant performance with the bat by Rosanna Links GCPS saw them score 7 in the final innings – meaning RPS needed 9 runs to secure the win. This sadly did not go our way, finishing up with 4 runs in our final innings, scores 19 – 15 Rosanna Links GCPS taking the win.

Even though this final game meant that it was the end of our time in the tournament, the students had a fantastic day out and will have a memory that will last with them for the rest of their lives, an experience that money can’t buy. An extra special thanks to the families of our competing students that also came along on the day and provided that amazing morale support, providing an extra boost in team spirit for our team. 

In closing a big congratulations to our 10-person squad, you have done an amazing thing, win or lose, you are winners to us. 

Well done:

Rio Keane

Lewyn Banks

Elena Lindewald

Frankie Ablethorpe

Eve Wynen

Lenny Napoleone

Oliver Eyre

Gabe Frangionni

Peter Koumides

Gus Warburton

BUILDING WORKS & IMPROVED SCHOOL FACILITIES

There is no better feeling than to be able to use school facilities that are designed purposefully and modernised in all ways. Not only do we have new staff and community toilets, an accessible shower and breastfeeding room, but a first aid room, staff resource room and a newly designed sensory space for all students to use. 

We are so pleased that we can end the year with so many positive changes. We look forward to the work on our new learning deck, and who knows what other opportunities lie around the corner. We thank families who continue to make voluntary financial contributions to the school which allow us to upgrade our school facilities and play spaces for our students. 

2023 VOLUNTARY FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS 

As per the DET parent payments policy, our School Council have diligently reviewed the proposed contributions and have disclosed for full transparency all costings that will provide rich curricula, resources, experiences and quality education for all students in 2023. 

We have released information for each year level via COMPASS and have attached this information for your convenience here in the newsletter and on our website. We ask for your urgency on the purchase of book packs from Office Maxim Group by the 20th of December. All contributions can be via the QKR app, B-Pay or alternative arrangements. We thank Kate Crawford (Business Manager), Tarryn Holland (School Council president) and Lee Wallace (Treasurer) our finance committee for overseeing this process and the endorsement from all members of the council.  

We thank our families for your continued contributions and we look forward to your support in 2023 and beyond.

2023 Voluntary Financial Contributions: 

Please follow the links for each year level.

Foundation

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Until Monday 19th December when we release our final newsletter of the year!

Natalie Rose             &                        Marta Campbell 

             Principal                                    Acting  Assistant Principal