Principals' Page
Book Week
What a wonderful Book Week we have had at Great Ryrie.
I loved getting dressed up as one of my favourite book characters this year, Snow White. I still have the Snow White book I had as a child, so it seemed only fitting. I am still looking for my seven dwarfs though, so if anyone has seen them, please let me know.
There was so much happening across the week. We had visits from authors Coral Vass and Morris Gleitzman, and the children were very excited to hear about their writing and have books signed. There were lots of reading activities, our Book Swap, dressing up as favourite book characters and our very popular "reading in unusual places" photographs. Some of the places chosen looked so comfortable that I think a few adults might like to join in.
Our Book Swap was also for a great cause, raising money for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, which supports access to books, literacy resources and culturally relevant stories for children and communities in remote First Nations communities. It was lovely to see the children enjoying books while also thinking about children who may not have the same access to books as they do.
Thank you to Miss Hamilton and the whole team for organising such a wonderful week. There is always a lot that happens behind the scenes to make these events run so well, and it is very much appreciated.
Make sure you have a look at the Book Week door displays before they come down. There were some very creative classrooms and we are just waiting on the results. I particularly loved seeing the families who made their own costumes or came up with clever creations from things they already had at home. There were some very impressive efforts.
Most importantly, I loved seeing so many children genuinely excited about books and reading. That is what Book Week is all about!
Swimming Program
We are about to launch our two week swimming program for students from Prep to Year 6.
Getting more than 560 students, teachers, support staff and parents organised across a swimming program is no small task. The timetable alone is a work of art. Thank you to Mr MacCartney and Miss Beddome for the timetabling jigsaw and the organisation of the whole school event.
Swimming is an important life skill and one that we cannot take for granted. The block of lessons gives our students the opportunity to develop basic water confidence, skills and awareness and, hopefully encourages families to continue swimming lessons outside of school as well.
Swimming is not just about having fun in the water. It is about knowing how to be safe around water, understanding what to do if something goes wrong and developing the skills that could one day save a life.
I hope all of our students enjoy the program and make the most of their time in the pool.
A Very Special Achievement for Jackie
Talking about swimming, our very own Jackie Kapoor, who heads up our wonderful office team and really is one of the great leaders of our school, has been recognised as
" Swimming Victoria's Volunteer of the Year."
Jackie is the Club Secretary at her swimming club and her enormous contribution and dedication have been recognised through this very special award. The Ringwood Swimming Club also received the award for Club of the Year.
Jackie is not someone who likes the limelight and would much rather quietly get on with things in the background. Those of us at Great Ryrie know just how much Jackie does for our school, so I wanted to make sure we celebrated this achievement with our community.
Congratulations, Jackie. We are so proud of you and very lucky to have you.
UR Strong Family Night
Our Year 2 and Year 3 UR Strong evening was very well attended and it was wonderful to see so many parents joining their children.
The evening began with a session explaining the program and then families headed into classrooms to take part in some great activities together.
The children absolutely love having their parents involved at school and they were very excited to share what they have been learning.
Thank you to Miss Atkinson and our Year 2 and Year 3 teachers for giving up their time to support the evening. It was a lovely night and a great opportunity for families to see the program in action. ( Please see more on our Wellbeing page)
Victorian High Ability Masterclass
You may have heard that Great Ryrie has been shortlisted for the Victorian Education Excellence Award for Outstanding Provision for High Ability Students.
This week Great Ryrie is hosting the Victorian High Ability Masterclass.
It is wonderful to see our high ability students being challenged, extended and given opportunities to work with other students from network schools who enjoy being stretched in their learning.
Winners Are Grinners-Heathmont Jets
"Stop the Press"
We have Great Ryrie students, both past and present, who play football for our local Heathmont Jets and what a weekend they had.
The Jets had three junior teams make their grand finals, with the Under 12 Girls, Under 13 Boys and Under 15 Boys all going on to win their grand finals.
We had some very excited Under 12 girls proudly showing off their cup, medals and most importantly their winning grins.
Congratulations to all of the players, coaches and families. What a fantastic achievement.
A New Little Pratt
And finally, some very exciting news to finish with.
Congratulations to Mrs Pratt and Cal on the arrival of their beautiful baby boy, August Elijah, born on 13 August.
We are absolutely thrilled for you both and very excited to welcome another bouncing baby into the Great Ryrie family.
Congratulations, Claire and Cal. We cannot wait to meet August.
Enjoy the weekend with your family and friends
Warm Regards
Karen Rouda Principal
Jean Maxwell & Jess Steer Assistant Principals