Principal's Desk

Open Night – Thursday 22 May

As part of Education Week 2025, which runs from Monday 19 May to Friday 23 May, we are looking forward to welcoming our school community to Open Night on Thursday 22 May.

This year’s theme, “Celebration of Cultures,” is a timely reminder of the rich diversity that makes our community so special. It also reinforces the importance of ensuring that every child feels safe, valued and has a sense of belonging at school.

Our Open Night will run from 5:30pm to 7:00pm, with classrooms open for families to visit and celebrate student learning.

Like in previous years we will be holding:

A sausage sizzle, sold outside the Library (sausages in bread and drinks available for purchase)
Our EarlyAct student team will be running a bake sale, also for sale outside the Library.

We hope to see many of you there for what promises to be a wonderful evening.

2025 Attitudes to School Survey – Years 4, 5 and 6

Over the coming weeks, our students in Years 4, 5 and 6 will take part in the 2025 Attitudes to School Survey, an important opportunity for us to hear directly from students about their school experience.

The survey:

Is completed online during school hours
Takes around 20 minutes
Is not a test, but a tool to help us improve engagement, wellbeing and teaching practice
Ensures student responses are confidential, with data only reported at a group level

This survey, offered annually by the Department of Education and Training, helps us reflect on what we’re doing well and where we can grow to support our students. Results will be shared with the school later in Term 2.

Looking Ahead – 2026 Foundation Enrolments & School Tours

At this time of year, many families are considering the next stage in their child’s education—whether that’s starting Foundation or transitioning to secondary school.

We encourage all families to explore the schools they are considering by attending tours, open nights and transition events. This is one of the best ways to determine the right learning environment for your child.

At Park Ridge, we are now accepting enrolments for Foundation in 2026 and for all other year levels. We offer:

An online tour on our website, where you can hear from staff, students and families
In-person tours with Mrs Chalmers, Mr Garvey or myself—we love showing families our school in action!

To book a tour, visit our website at https://parkridge-ps.vic.edu.au or call our office on 9752 8555.

More information on school enrolments across Victoria can be found here: https://www.vic.gov.au/how-choose-school-and-enrol

If you know of a family currently looking for a school, please encourage them to take a look at what Park Ridge has to offer. We’re proud of the inclusive, supportive and dynamic learning community we’ve built—and we love welcoming new families into it.

Before and After School Supervision

Student safety is always our highest priority at Park Ridge Primary School. We would like to remind families of the school’s yard supervision arrangements:

Before school: Supervision begins at 8:30am and continues until the bell rings at 8:45am
After school: Supervision runs from 3:15pm to 3:30pm

During these times, three staff members are on duty, covering key areas of the school grounds.

Students should not arrive at school before 8:30am or remain after 3:30pm unless they are:

Enrolled in the TeamKids before/after school care program
Participating in a pre-arranged, supervised school activity

Families seeking care outside of these times are encouraged to contact TeamKids, whose details are available on our school website. If you have any questions about supervision or care arrangements, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the school office.

As always, thank you for your continued support in creating a vibrant and inclusive learning environment for our students.

Take care and have a great week ahead.

Take care,

Mr Dale Blythman