Specialist News 

LOTE (Japanese Program)

Welcome back to 2026 Japanese class!

Congratulations to all students on the successful completion of their first Japanese programme last year. Students can now sing a repertoire of Japanese songs, begin writing hiragana and kanji, discuss their favourite colours or where they went on the weekend. I am very proud of you all. 

I look forward to helping students further develop their skills and foster a love of learning. It has been a great joy to be here at Ripponlea PS. 

We are fortunate to have a wonderful vegetable garden supported by our amazing parent community, 

The Japanese vegetable grew beautifully. I had them in a salad and a stir-fry, and they were absolutely delicious. 

Special thank you to Dani and Rob for sharing the ideas on growing Japanese vegetables. I am pleased to have enjoyed fresh, healthy and delicious vegetables. 

Japanese pumpkins are growing fast right now. Please let me know if anyone is interested in Japanese cooking. While I am not a great cook yet, I would be happy to share some ideas.

Sayako Sensei

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Across all year levels, students have been focusing on team-based activities as they settle back into school routines and strengthen their classroom and team dynamics. Building communication, cooperation and positive sporting behaviours has been a key priority as we launch into an exciting Term 1.

Our Foundation students have jumped straight into their Fundamental Movement Skills rotations. They are developing confidence in balance, running, throwing, catching and teamwork through fun, structured activities that build the foundations for lifelong movement.

In Year 1/2, students have launched into team sports while reflecting on the activities they naturally gravitate toward and why. They are also learning about how different exercises strengthen different parts of the body, building both physical literacy and body awareness.

Our Year 3/4 students have been busy playing kickball, strengthening their team building and communication skills, and identifying scoring opportunities and strategic strengths within team games.

Meanwhile, our Year 5/6 students have been training hard in their interschool sport teams, including hockey, basketball, cricket, softball and volleystars. They have also been extending their skills in netball and basketball, focusing on game sense, structure and teamwork as they prepare for competition.

It has been a fantastic start to the year, with students demonstrating enthusiasm, resilience and pride in their learning. We are excited to see their continued growth throughout the term. 🏅