From the Leadership Team

Challenges Ahead. (Yay?!)

Today, students in Years 5 and 6 were given the news of the cast list for this year's production, Peter Pan. The feedback from the staff involved in auditioning students has been sensational, with great praise for the effort and talent on display in their auditions. We have no doubt it will be an extraordinary show (August 6-8 at Karralyka) and Mrs Knoll is doing a wonderful job trying to create as many entertaining parts as possible for the students. 

Of course, this is just the first step in the process of them honing their role, perfecting their lines and verses until it is ready to wow us all. Students will be rehearsing for months before we see them on stage and that, more than anything else, is what will determine their success on the night. 

There is a valuable book in our Positive Education collection (ask at the front office if you'd like to browse and borrow a book) called 'Grit' by Angela Duckworth. As the name implies, Angela explores the role that grit, in particular persistence and focus, have on developing skills and then transferring those skills into achievements. We all want our children to be successful and we all take pride in their talents and qualities, but we also recognise as parents that seeing or acknowledging these qualities is not going to be enough to achieve the success we all feel our children deserve. The bulk of the work is going to rest with them. How hard they work and how much stamina they have for working hard, as well as the focus and attention they are willing or able to apply to a task are going to play a significant role in their future. 

I applaud those students who are setting out on this journey and encourage them to apply their Grit to every part, big or small. It won't come easy and each of them will experience some small setbacks, but this is why we give students this opportunity, so they can build this muscle. 

NAPLAN Starts Next Week

Another challenge on the horizon for our students in Years 3 and 5 is the NAPLAN assessments that will be held over the coming 2 weeks. 

Students will sit assessments in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions, Spelling and Numeracy. While the primary purpose of these assessments is for national and state data, to monitor how schools are going, students will of course feel an element of trepidation or pressure to do well. 

Here, too, Grit will play a part as students move forward slowly but surely. Those students who are able to pause when they need to, recognise when they've become a little stuck or nervous, calm themselves and get back on track, are likely to have the best success on the day. 

Of course, the effort in learning comes from our effort every day of every week. Turning up, listening to the teacher, engaging in the tasks, receiving and seeking feedback, making improvements and then reflecting on what has been learned are small things we can do every day to learn more and be more confident in our learning. As Angela explains in Grit, it is the commitment to and stamina of improvement over time that defines grit, not an intense effort for a short period of time. 

For those students participating, we wish you well. Try your best. Don't be afraid of being right or wrong, just focus on trying to bring to the surface what you have learnt over your many years of effort.  

We will share our school results with the community later in the year (usually around August) once they have been released. 

Prep 2026: Parent Tours Open

If you have a child who will start at RNPS in 2026, please let the office know so that we can include you in all the reminders and information for kinder parents.  

We rely heavily on word of mouth from current families to encourage new families to join our school so your conversations at parks, playgrounds and kinder pick-ups can make a huge difference. 

I strongly believe that RNPS offers a truly excellent education that values the whole child and supports everyone to grow in their learning and wellbeing.  

Links to book tours are available on the front page of our website. 

Or click here: https://bit.ly/3w5ksbD 

Government Schools Glossary

RNPS - Ringwood North Primary School

PFA - Our school Parents Association

DE - Department of Education

VSBA - Victorian School Building Authority

NAPLAN - National Assessments

SSB - School Savings Bonus

CSEF - Camps, Schools and Excursions Funding

IEP - Individual Education Plan

SSG - Student Support Group

DIP - Disability Inclusion Profile