Principals' Page

Victorian Education Excellence Awards

I am excited to share that Great Ryrie Primary School has been shortlisted for the 2026 Victorian Education Excellence Awards in the Outstanding Provision for High Ability Students category.

Mrs Watson amd Mrs Steer have been invited to present to the judging panel about the work we do to support and challenge our high ability students, as well as build staff capability. This is a wonderful recognition of the work of our staff and the opportunities we provide for our students.

I am very proud of our staff and the work they do to ensure our students are challenged, supported and given opportunities to achieve their very best.

Wakakirri

Today, 118 of our students are attending the Wakakirri Story Dance Festival at the Frankston Arts Centre. 

Wakakirri gives students the opportunity to tell a story through dance, acting and music. It has been wonderful to see the commitment and enthusiasm of our students as they have prepared for this performance.

A very big thank you to our Performing Arts teachers, Mrs Bishop, Dr Nisbet and Mrs Murray for their wonderful effort and dedication. I know how much work goes into preparing for an event like this, and the opportunities they provide for our students are very special.

Thank you also to all of the staff and parents who are attending this evening to support our students. I spoke at our staff briefing about how grateful I am for the many ways our staff give their time and energy to provide these opportunities.

Empowering students to achieve

We have a sign around our school that says, “Empowering students to achieve”, and I think we are seeing this in action across so many areas.

Some of our students are taking part in the ICAS competitions, which give students the opportunity to challenge themselves academically and test their skills in areas including literacy, mathematics and STEM.

It is wonderful to see students taking on challenges beyond their everyday classroom learning and being proud of what they can achieve. Thank you to Mrs Jacobs for her organiation of the competition. 

Indonesian achievements

Our Indonesian students have also had some fantastic achievements.

Eleven students achieved High Distinctions and six students received Distinctions in their Indonesian assessments. Two of our students have also won the poster competition and have been invited to attend the Indonesian Independence Day ceremony.

Please see the Indonesian page for more information.

A big thank you to Bu Sia for her wonderful work and dedication to our Indonesian program.

Hoop Time Basketball

Our Hoop Time teams have also had some great success.

Congratulations to all of the students who represented Great Ryrie and thank you to the staff who supported them. You can read more about their achievements on the dedicated Hooptime page.

Book Week

We are very excited about Book Week next week.

We started today with a special visit from author Morris Gleitzman. Our Year 4, 5 and 6 students have had the opportunity to read and study his books and today they were able to meet him, hear about his writing and learn more about his stories.

Our Book Week dress up day will be held next Friday, and I am looking forward to seeing the wonderful costumes and, hopefully, lots of students talking about the books and characters they love.

So many ways to shine

There is so much happening across our school, and I am very proud of the way our students continue to take up these opportunities.

Whether it is performing on a stage, challenging themselves academically, representing the school in sport, learning another language or discovering a new book they love, there really is a place for every child to shine at Great Ryrie.

Enjoy your weekend with you family and friends 

Karen Rouda Principal

Jean Maxwell and Jess Steer Assistant Principals