Principal Team Message

RIPPER COMMUNITY - LET'S GET TOGETHER! 

The Ripponlea Primary School community is coming together for our first big event of the year – the Annual Welcome Picnic! 

This is a fantastic opportunity to reconnect after the summer break, meet new families, and celebrate the start of another wonderful year.

When & Where:

📅 Date: Tuesday 25th February

⏰ Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

📍 Location: Back Oval, Ripponlea Primary School

Bring along a picnic blanket, your favourite afternoon snacks, or dinner, and enjoy a relaxing evening with our school community. We’ll have delicious cupcakes and baked treats for sale, refreshing soft drinks, and a classic sausage sizzle to keep everyone well-fed and happy.

We are honoured to welcome special guests from the Bunurong Land Council, who will perform a traditional Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony. This significant cultural experience acknowledges the thousands of years of learning and community gatherings that have taken place on these lands. 

We are especially excited to have our Ripper Kinder students and families join us for this special occasion.

Our Foundation families and students will be celebrated as we welcome them to their very first community event. We hope to see as many of them as possible, creating a sense of belonging from the very start of their journey at Ripponlea.

To keep the energy high, our very own parent band – The Rippoffs – will be performing live! 

We are also on the lookout for a resident DJ who can keep the tunes rolling and provide some fun music for our students to have a little dance.

🎉 Can You Help? 🎉

To make this event a success, we need volunteers to help run stalls and assist with entertainment. If you can lend a hand, please email the school office or put your name down in this spreadsheet – we would love your support!

Let’s come together, celebrate, and make this Welcome Picnic a night to remember. We can’t wait to see you there!

BUILDING STRONG PARTNERSHIPS: THANK YOU FOR ENGAGING IN 'YOU TELL US' MEETINGS 

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all families who took the time to engage with their child's teacher during the recent You Tell Us meetings. Your participation in these discussions plays a vital role in establishing a strong partnership between home and school, ensuring the best possible support for your child's learning and development.

For those who were unavailable on the scheduled day, it is not too late to arrange a meeting. We encourage you to reach out to your child's teacher to schedule a time that works for you. These conversations are an essential first step in fostering collaboration and shared understanding of your child’s strengths, interests, and areas for growth.

During these meetings, families and teachers explored various aspects of each child's learning journey, including:

• Academic strengths and areas needing support
• Learning preferences and engagement strategies
• Social and emotional development
• Interests and extracurricular activities
• Hopes and goals for the year ahead
• Any additional support or adjustments needed to enhance the learning experience

These meetings provide valuable insights that help teachers tailor their approach to best support each student’s individual needs.

For some students, ongoing meetings may be required throughout the year. If a teacher identifies that a student would benefit from an Individual Education Plan (IEP), families will be contacted to collaborate on this process. Not all students will require an IEP, but for those who do, this document outlines specific learning goals and strategies to support their progress.

An IEP includes:

• Clearly defined SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound)
• Strategies and adjustments tailored to support the child’s learning
• A structured plan for monitoring progress and reviewing goals
• Regular communication between teachers, families, and support staff

By working together, we can ensure that every student receives the support they need to thrive. We appreciate your ongoing engagement and look forward to continuing our partnership throughout the year. 

If you have any questions or wish to schedule a You Tell Us meeting, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher.

CONGRATULATIONS BEMIN - 2025 HOUSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONS 

The House spirit was certainly shining last week at Harold Holt Aquatic Centre as our Year 3-6 students took to the water like little ducklings, enthusiastically trialling for various events in preparation for the District competition, which will be held tomorrow at GESAC. The weather was perfect, making it a fantastic day to be outdoors.

A huge thank you to Susie for her invaluable support of our House events. Her organisation and experience bring great reassurance, and her depth of knowledge at this competition level is always appreciated.

The inclusion of novelty events added an extra layer of fun, allowing students to earn House points while enjoying a mix of serious heats and trials for different strokes. Thank you to our dedicated parent volunteers and staff, whose support and commitment make events like these possible.

We also extend our congratulations to Jaryn Rambaran, our new PE teacher, for taking on the challenging task of managing placements for the District events. He is excited to see our students give their best efforts in swimming—a particularly demanding event for a small school to fill.

Finally, congratulations to the winning House - Bemin and to all our House Captains for kicking off the year with such enthusiasm and team spirit!

UNDERSTANDING CURRICULUM DAYS: A VITAL PART OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT 

Curriculum days are an essential part of the school year, allowing our educators to engage in professional learning, strategic planning, and collaborative activities that directly enhance student learning experiences. 

At Ripponlea Primary School, these days are approved annually by our School Council and are carefully designed to ensure our staff can continue to provide high-quality education aligned with our school’s vision and priorities.

Curriculum days serve several key functions within our school community. They provide teachers and staff with dedicated time to:

• Engage in Professional Learning: Staff participate in workshops, training sessions, and collaborative discussions to enhance their instructional practices, deepen their understanding of curriculum updates, and develop new teaching strategies.
• Focus on School Improvement Initiatives: These days allow our teams to analyse student data, review curriculum planning, and ensure alignment with the Victorian Curriculum.
• Enhance Student Wellbeing Strategies: With wellbeing at the forefront of education, curriculum days provide an opportunity to refine our approaches to social-emotional learning, inclusion, and positive behaviour support systems.
• Strengthen Collaboration and Teamwork: Teachers work together to share best practices, develop consistent approaches across year levels, and refine instructional methods that benefit all students.

While students do not attend school on curriculum days, the long-term benefits of these professional learning opportunities are significant. By investing in staff development, we ensure that our educators are equipped with the latest research-based strategies, leading to improved student engagement, wellbeing, and academic outcomes.

We understand that curriculum days may require families to make alternative care arrangements, and we appreciate their ongoing support in recognising the importance of these professional learning opportunities. Whenever possible, we communicate curriculum days well in advance to assist with planning.

CURRICULUM DAYS 2025

CALLING NOMINATIONS FOR SCHOOL COUNCIL 

At Ripponlea Primary School, we highly value and actively encourage parent involvement in various school activities. Our strong sense of community is reflected in the many ways parents and carers contribute, including through School Council, classroom programs, working bees, excursions, Snack Shack (canteen), fundraising events, and school improvement projects.

The Role of School Council

Ripponlea Primary School has a strong partnership between staff, parents/carers, School Council, Ripper Families, and the broader community. Together, we strive to achieve the best possible outcomes for our students and celebrate their many successes. As the heart of our community, the school provides a welcoming space for families to collaborate and support student learning.

We invite you to help shape the vision and future of our school by joining our School Council. This important group consists of both parent representatives and school staff and meets monthly to discuss and implement key initiatives. Council members play a vital role in:

• Shaping school policies
• Maintaining facilities and grounds
• Overseeing financial operations
• Ensuring high-quality education for all students

School Council Structure & Meetings

The Ripponlea Primary School Council meets eight times per year and comprises twelve members:

• Eight parent representatives
• Four Department of Education and Training (DET) representatives

This year, we have three parent positions available and one Department of Education (DOE) representative position open for nomination.

Additionally, sub-committees meet separately and report back to the Council. Parents are welcome to join any committee without needing to be formally elected to School Council.

Committees & Areas of Focus

We have the following committees chaired by School Council members:

• Facilities & Environment
• Finance
• Governance
• Ripper Families
• Publicity & Marketing
• Sustainability

Seeking Expertise

This year, we are particularly looking for parents with experience in finance and accounting to support our financial planning and oversight. 

How to Get Involved

Elections for School Council members officially begin in February each year. If you are interested in making a meaningful contribution, please consider nominating for a position.

For further details, feel free to speak to any of our current School Councillors: Tarryn Holland, Colin Smith, Skye Holcombe-Henley, Julie Pearce, Romany Tauber, Kara Merrin, Suzete Ribiero, Lee Wallace, Julie Nield & Braden Leech

Nomination forms can be collected from the school office or emailed directly to you upon request. For assistance, please contact Natalie Rose.

We encourage you to take part in this rewarding opportunity to support our school community!

Until next fortnight!

Natalie Rose             &                        Marta Campbell 

      Principal                                         Assistant Principal