Principal's Desk
NAPLAN
Our Year 3 and Year 5 students have shown amazing focus and preparation as they complete their NAPLAN assessments. We are so proud of their efforts and the way they have approached each task.
Their classroom teachers have done an outstanding job in preparing them to achieve their personal best. While we have high expectations for our students, we have worked hard to create a low-stress testing environment. Students have participated in several preparation sessions focused on building confidence and familiarity with the assessment process.
So far, they have completed Writing and Reading. This week, they will finish the Numeracy and Language Conventions assessments. We are incredibly proud of all our students and look forward to seeing them continue to excel!
School Council
Our School Council Annual General Meeting (AGM) is scheduled for Thursday, 27 March. It will be held in the staffroom and will begin at 6pm. As with all School Council meetings, this meeting is open to all members of our school community, and we warmly welcome anyone who would like to attend.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our retiring School Council members. Serving on School Council is an important role that helps shape the future direction of our wonderful school. A big thank you to Lyndell Aylen and Jesse Collins for their time, effort, and commitment over their term.
We are also pleased to welcome our new School Council members: Ursel Kulessa, Sachin Joshi, Caroline Beks, and Sall Kumruyan. We look forward to working closely with them over the next 12 months as we continue to grow and shape Park Ridge Primary School to be the very best it can be.
School Uniform – Increased Female Options
At our most recent School Council meeting, it was approved to expand the range of female uniform options. These new choices are now available through our uniform supplier, both in-store and online.
The additional uniform items reflect the needs of our community by offering more modern and practical options. These include another style of skort, two different types of female-specific long pants, and a winter tunic dress. These items are unbranded stock (no school logo) and provide greater flexibility and comfort for our students.
School Review
Every four years, all Victorian government schools undertake a school review - this year is our year for a review. The review process allows us to reflect on our goals and achievements of the past four years and set new improvement directions for the future.
Our school review panel will include members of the Park Ridge leadership team, our School Council President, our Department of Education Senior Education Improvement Leader, Justin Butler, a DET-appointed School Reviewer, and two current school principals as challenge partners.
Although our school review is scheduled for Term 4, much of the preparation work will take place throughout Terms 2 and 3. We are excited about this opportunity to review and celebrate our achievements and to plan a new direction for Park Ridge Primary School from 2026 to 2029. We will continue to share information relating to our review throughout the year.
Harmony Day
On Monday 24th March, we will be celebrating Harmony Day. This special day is all about building inclusiveness and celebrating the cultural diversity within our school community.
Students are invited to wear something orange (the official colour of Harmony Day) or traditional cultural clothing that represents their family background. Throughout the day, students will be working in multi-age groups from Foundation to Year 6, participating in a variety of activities designed to promote inclusiveness and intercultural understanding.
Please refer to the poster in today’s newsletter for more information about the day. A reminder that our assembly will be held at 8:45am on Monday to coincide with our Harmony Day celebrations. This will replace our usual 2:45pm assembly timeslot.
Please feel free to pop in for a chat with either Carrie, Brendan, or I, should you wish to discuss anything.
Our doors are always open!
Take care,
Mr. Dale Blythman