Things To 

Know

Junior Playground Update

After a significant number of years of planning, we shared last year that the School Council has received the final concept designs for our new Junior Playground. Alongside the design, we have also received a professional Opinion of Probable Cost.

This is an exciting step forward, but also a challenging one. The works cannot be staged due to the need for full excavation, removal of the existing playground, and extensive ground works before installation can begin. 

As a result, the total cost for the project is estimated at approximately $200,000, a major investment for our community, but one that will create an inspiring and enduring space for our students.

Highlights from the Concept Design

The revised design responds to the feedback from both the School and School Council and includes:

• A custom cubby designed for imaginative and creative play.
• Additional sandpit in the lower terraced garden area.
• Productive gardens with ‘Food Cube’ wicking beds, offering opportunities for hands-on sustainability learning.
• Opportunities for First Nations artwork, with identified spaces where a local artist could help bring cultural storytelling into the playground.
• Play equipment options with vertical elements that maximise play diversity in a compact space, with examples provided at a range of cost points.
• Seating areas, with both formal and informal opportunities for students and families to gather.
• Bluestone ‘crazy paving’ and updated surfacing recommendations for durability and to keep our school buildings free of tracked-in dirt and gravel.

The design team has also suggested that our Garden Committee could help select plant species, ensuring the plantings are both beautiful and sustainable.

Next Steps

The School Council will now turn its attention to funding and fundraising opportunities. While $200,000 is a significant target, this project represents a long-term investment in our students’ play, wellbeing, and connection to nature.

Junior Playground Update – Visible Impact, Future Vision

Following our recent School Council discussions, we are pleased to share how we are taking meaningful and visible steps forward for our students, while still keeping our long-term playground vision firmly in sight.

As outlined, the full redevelopment of the junior playground remains a significant project, with approximately $200,000 still required to bring this vision to life. This includes major works detailed above. While we continue to build towards this goal, we are also committed to ensuring that the funds already raised, particularly through Rippers on the Runare being used in ways that students can see, use and benefit from right now.

Immediate Playground Additions

To support this, we will be investing in two exciting and highly engaging play resources:

Nudel Kart Rover

The Nudel Kart Rover is a mobile, purpose-built cart designed to support loose parts play. It will be stocked with a variety of open-ended materials such as pipes, connectors, wheels and crates, allowing students to design, build and create their own imaginative structures.

This type of play:

• Encourages creativity and problem-solving
• Supports collaboration and teamwork
• Develops resilience and independence
• Allows students to take ownership of their play

Importantly, it brings flexibility to our classrooms and structured play, enabling different play experiences each day.

Gaga Pit

The Gaga Pit is an enclosed, octagonal play space used for the fast-paced and inclusive game of gaga ball. It is simple to learn, highly engaging, and suitable for a wide range of ages and abilities.

The Gaga Pit:

• Promotes active play and physical movement
• Encourages inclusion and participation
• Supports social interaction and teamwork
• Provides a structured yet fun playground option

It has been a highly requested addition and is known to quickly become a favourite in school playgrounds.

Balancing Now and the Future

While we are excited to introduce these new additions, it is important to emphasise that they form part of a staged approach. We are intentionally setting aside funds as we continue working towards the larger junior playground redevelopment.

This approach ensures that:

• Students benefit from improvements now
• Our community sees the impact of fundraising efforts
• We remain financially responsible and transparent
• The long-term vision for a high-quality junior playground remains achievable

We thank our community for your ongoing support, generosity and trust. Every step—whether big or small is helping us create a vibrant, engaging and inclusive environment for our students.

CAMPS, SPORTS & EXCURSIONS FUND (CSEF) - DON'T MISS OUT!

Did you know eligible families can receive $400 per child to help cover school activities in 2026?

The Victorian Government’s Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps reduce the cost of things like:

• 🏕️ School camps and trips 
• 🏊 Swimming and sports programs 
• 🌿 Outdoor education 
• 🚌 Excursions and incursions 
• 🎓 Graduation/valedictory events 
•  

💰 What’s changed? From 2026, funding has increased to $400 per student (previously much lower), making a real difference for families.

✅ Who can apply?

Families holding a valid:

• Health Care Card 
• Pensioner Concession Card 
• Or eligible under special consideration 

📅 Key Dates

• Applications open: 28 January 2026 
• Applications close: 26 June 2026 

📝 How to apply

• Complete the application form (available from the school office or attached here) 
• Submit it to the school as soon as possible 

👉 Families can include multiple children on one form if they attend the same school.

📄 You can also access the official application form here: https://www.vic.gov.au/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund

💬 Why apply?

If you’re eligible, this funding goes directly toward your child’s school costs — camps, excursions, sports — the things that make school memorable.

Even if you’re unsure, we strongly encourage you to apply — we can check eligibility for you.

If you’d like help with the form or have questions, please contact the office — we’re always happy to help 💛

LUNCH ORDER - SERVICE UPDATE TERM 2

As we approach the end of Term 1, we’d like to provide an update regarding our lunch service for the start of Term 2.

Please note that there will be no lunch service during the first week and a half of Term 2. Our service will resume as usual on Wednesday 29th April .

From this date, all ordering, menus, and delivery arrangements will continue as normal. We look forward to returning with fresh, affordable, and healthy lunches for your children.

EDUTHREADS - FREE DELIVERY

How it works:

• Orders can be placed by families at any time before midnight on the above day. The free delivery option will be available for them to select at check-out.
• Each order will be pre-packed and labelled - this will include name and order reference to assist with distribution. Families will receive a notification when their order is completed and a reminder of the date for collection and school/kinder.
• Includes FREE exchanges where the replacement will be sent in the next free delivery. Alternatively, the new items can be sent immediately to a nominated address using paid delivery.

Please ensure we have up to date contact information and addresses - we want to ensure your packages get to you. You can check and update addresses by emailing us or using the below form:

Email - contact@eduthreads.com.au 

Update details HERE

OUR NEXT FOUR YEARS AT RIPPONLEA PRIMARY SCHOOL 

Here we are at the beginning of a new school year and the beginning of a new 

Strategic Planfor Ripponlea Primary School.

Many of our families will remember that last year we undertook a School Review. In simple terms, a School Review is when an independent panel works alongside the school to reflect on the past four years looking at:

• Student learning growth and achievement
• Wellbeing and engagement
• Teaching practices
• Leadership and school culture
• Feedback from staff, students and families

It is not about “passing or failing.” It is about asking:

What are we doing well? What impact is it having? And where can we improve next?

Following our School Review, we developed a new four-year Strategic Plan. This is our roadmap for where we are heading as a school and how we will continue to grow.

The review confirmed that Ripponlea is a strong school with high achievement, strong wellbeing systems and a positive culture. Our next step is not to “fix” things but to refine, strengthen and stretch ourselves further.

Over the next four years, our focus is on two big goals:

Goal 1: Maximise Student Learning Growth

We want every student regardless of their starting point to make strong progress each year.

This means:

Stronger Consistency in Teaching

• Clear, structured lessons across all classrooms
• Consistent literacy and numeracy approaches
• Refining our Instructional Model so every classroom feels familiar and focused

Smarter Use of Assessment

• Using assessment not just to measure achievement, but to drive growth
• Stretching high-ability students further
• Clear feedback so students know their next steps

Stronger Student Voice & Agency

• Students setting learning goals
• Students reflecting on progress
• Students being challenged intellectually

Goal 2: Enhance Wellbeing to Improve Learning

We know wellbeing and learning are deeply connected.

Over the next four years, we will:

• Strengthen respectful relationships between students
• Maintain high attendance
• Ensure classrooms are calm, focused and predictable
• Continue embedding whole-school, evidence-based wellbeing practices
• Build leadership capacity across staff

In simple terms:

We are building a school where expectations are high, learning is explicit, wellbeing is strong, and every child is challenged and supported.

And as always, everything is grounded in our vision:

They care. They create. They connect.

2026 Annual Implementation Plan

(What This Means Right Now)

While the Strategic Plan sets our four-year direction, the Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) outlines what we are doing this year.

Priority 1: Strong, Consistent Teaching in Every Classroom

In 2026, we are focusing on:

• Refining our Instructional Model
• Strengthening explicit teaching practices
• Ensuring literacy and numeracy blocks are structured and consistent

What families might notice:

• More structured lesson routines
• Daily review practices
• Stronger reading and maths focus

Priority 2: Assessment That Drives Growth

In 2026, we are:

• Improving formative assessment practices
• Using data more precisely
• Strengthening moderation across year levels

What this means for students:

• Clearer feedback
• Understanding their goals
• Knowing what “success” looks like
• Being stretched beyond “just finishing the task”

Priority 3: Student Voice and Intellectual Challenge

Students told us they feel happy and connected but they want to be challenged.

So in 2026 we are:

• Embedding goal-setting routines
• Increasing intellectual stretch
• Strengthening learner agency

Students will:

• Reflect more on their learning
• Track their own growth
• Develop independence and resilience

Priority 4: Strengthening Respectful Learning Environments

In 2026 we are focusing on:

• Consistent behaviour expectations
• Clear classroom routines
• Linking wellbeing explicitly to learning success
• Strengthening respectful peer interactions

Families will notice:

• Predictable structures
• Strong language around respect and resilience
• Clear expectations in classrooms and playgrounds

Why We Share This

We believe families should know:

• What your child is experiencing in the classroom
• What our teachers are working on professionally
• Where our improvement journey is heading

Improvement is not accidental — it is deliberate.

2026 is our first strong step in this four-year journey.

Together, we are building:

• Deep thinkers
• Confident learners
• Respectful citizens
• Independent problem-solvers