Principal's Desk

Remembrance Day Ceremony

Today at our school assembly, our student voice leaders spoke about Remembrance Day and the significance of the day. During this speech, our leaders talked about how we can pay their respect to those who have fallen in battle. It was also shared how we have re-established a memorial garden outside the Gym in which a Lone Pine (direct descendant from the Lone Pine at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra) has been planted as well as some Rosemary plants as an ongoing reminder for all our school community to see. As you can see from the picture below, this is a magnificent way in which we can always remember the sacrifice of previous generations. Thank you to all those involved who helped make this garden bed possible.

This week, while organising our Remembrance Day Garden I came across these photos that David Mann found in 2020 that I thought I would also share. 

This has got to be one of the most powerful photographs I have ever seen. Above is a battalion of the Cameron Highlanders in 1914, prior to being despatched to the front line; below is the same battalion upon their return in 1918 after the armistice. On the anniversary of the armistice, I would like to remember the millions of souls who gave their lives defending our shores and preserving our freedom, and to those who survived the unimaginable horrors. 

Lest we forget.

Trust

I want to talk about the word ‘trust’. Presently, teachers are busily developing classes for 2024. Not an easy job when you consider all the variables that need to be taken into account when we make classes, i.e. equal gender, similar academic ability, parent requests, etc. Parents need to have ‘trust’ in our teachers’ ability to make good professional decisions and ‘trust’ in their child’s ability to adapt to new learning situations and that they will have a very enjoyable 2024. Classrooms are predominantly about learning; the playground is where social skills can develop. Resilience is a school value that we need to foster in our children. Life is not always fair or accommodating. We need to show our children that they have the skills to adapt positively to different situations.

Planning for Next Year

We are well into planning our school and classes for next year and need to have a clear idea of exactly who will be here. This information is very important for us as we form classes so we can ensure that are balanced in all aspects including friendships. One child moving away can leave another child without a friend in the new class. If you know that your child will be moving away next year, please send us an email to park.ridge.ps@education.vic.gov.au letting us know where your child will be attending school next year. 

2023 Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge

Congratulations to our students who have successfully completed the 2023 Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge. All students who completed the challenge this year will be provided with a certificate, recognising their achievement. Park Ridge students are among the 66,000 school students who completed the Premier’s Reading challenge this year.

Together, they read a remarkable 2.9 million books in total. 

Supporting children’s reading is one of the most important things we can do to encourage their love of learning – opening a gateway for them to find out more about the world around them. 

The Premier’s Reading Challenge wouldn’t be possible without the support of our passionate and dedicated teachers, support staff and Cheryl Smith and Lauren Kavanagh who coordinated the challenge, and our parents and carers who supported their children’s reading at home. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. 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