Principal's Desk
Staying Connected With Your Child's Teacher
As we move further into the term, we wanted to share a few simple reminders about how you can stay connected with your child's teacher and the school. There are a few good ways to reach out:
Call the office directly on 9752 8555
Email your child's teacher directly through Compass
Pop in for a chat when classrooms open at 8:35am
We encourage you to use whichever option suits you best, and our staff are always happy to hear from you.
On that note, a reminder that Parent Teacher Interviews are being held next week. Our staff have spent the past week finalising Individual Education Plans for all eligible students, and these will be shared with families during the interviews. We look forward to seeing you there.
Our Approach to Toilet Use During Learning Time
At Park Ridge, we are committed to a calm and focused learning environment where every minute in the classroom counts. As part of this, I wanted to share an approach we introduced last year around how we support students with toilet breaks during class time.
Of course, common sense always applies, and students can access the toilet whenever they genuinely need to. Alongside this, we are also helping students build positive habits and routines around timing their breaks. In practice, this looks like:
Students are encouraged to stay in class during direct teaching time and to save toilet breaks for moments when it is truly urgent.
Where possible, toilet breaks happen before or after explicit teaching, such as during independent work time, transitions or regular breaks.
Before specialist classes, teachers take their class for a toilet break together, so these sessions can start smoothly and with minimal disruption.
For longer specialist sessions, a break is built into the session itself.
This small change helps protect learning time, reduces unnecessary movement around the school, and allows students to stay engaged in the great learning experiences their teachers have planned.
As always, our staff use their professional judgment and respond with care whenever a student needs support. The goal is simple: to build routines that support both strong learning habits and student wellbeing.
NAIDOC Week 2026: “50 Years of Deadly”
NAIDOC Week was celebrated nationally from 5 to 12 July. As a school proudly standing on Wurundjeri Country, it's an important time to pause and recognise the rich histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to deepen our understanding of Australia's First Peoples.
This year's theme, "50 Years of Deadly", celebrates the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC Week as a week-long event. Its roots go back to 1938, when Aboriginal leaders came together to call for rights and recognition, before the celebration grew into a full week in 1975. The theme reflects on five decades of amplifying First Nations voices, honouring resilience and achievement, and looking forward to the next generation who will carry culture, leadership and knowledge into the future. In Aboriginal culture, the word deadly means excellent, strong or amazing, a fitting way to describe the spirit and impact of NAIDOC Week.
Recognising NAIDOC Week is part of how we build respect, curiosity and cultural understanding at our school, and we look forward to marking it with our students in the years ahead.
Lost property around the school
After returning to school this term, there has been a significant amount of lost property accumulating around the school. Jumpers, drink bottles and lunch boxes are found in almost every doorway, and there is a flurry of students searching for their lost belongings after break times. Over the past week, staff have been delivering these named lost school uniforms to their rightful owners. If your child has lost an item, please encourage them to look in our lost property bins outside 2-10.
Preventing and Addressing Racism
At Park Ridge Primary School, we value the rich diversity of culture, ethnicity and faith within our school community. We are proud of this diversity, and everyone is welcome here. Celebrating who we are as a community makes us stronger, kinder and more innovative. We are committed to ensuring students from all backgrounds feel accepted, supported and empowered to learn.
We have taken deliberate steps to ensure our school is a place free from racism, where everyone feels welcome, respected and supported. You can read more about our approach to preventing and responding to racism on our website. Achieving this takes all of us, and we are asking for your support as partners in this important work.
We ask that you support your child or children to:
understand that we celebrate diversity and multicultural inclusion
understand how important it is for everyone at school to be treated with respect
understand that Park Ridge Primary School takes racism very seriously
know that the school will support them if they experience or witness racism
keep talking about our SWPBS School Values and how these connect to diversity, safety and inclusion for all
Your partnership in reinforcing these values at home makes a real difference in building a respectful and inclusive school community.
For more information, please see Racism: talking with children and teens, Raising Children Network.
If you or your child have experienced racism or any other unfair treatment, please know we are here to help. We encourage you to speak with your classroom teacher or a member of our Leadership Team, who can talk you through school policies, support options and how to make a complaint.
If you would prefer not to report an incident directly to the school, you can contact the Department of Education's Report Racism hotline, available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays), on 1800722476 or via email at report.racism@education.vic.gov.au.
If you need an interpreter to call the school, please use the details available at: Guide for Families: How to use an interpreter to contact your school
2027 Foundation Enrolments – applications close on Friday 31 July 2026
Enrolments for Foundation in 2027 are closing this Friday! All enrolments must be submitted via the online system for 2027 Foundation enrolments called VicStudents.
Key dates for 2027 Foundation enrolment applications are:
Enrolment applications opened on Monday 20 April
Enrolment applications close on Friday 31 July
Written confirmation of enrolment outcome is provided between Monday 3 August and Friday 14 August
Enrolment offer must be accepted by Friday 28 August.
For more information about enrolling your child into a Victorian government primary school, visit Enrolling in Foundation (Prep).
Please contact our school office on 9752 8555 or via email to Park.Ridge.PS@education.vic.gov.au should you need any further information or help to complete your child’s enrolment application.
Staff Car Park - reminder
When picking up or dropping off your child, please remember the staff car park is a no pedestrian zone. Throughout the day we have multiple deliveries and staff arriving and leaving work, so it's important that we have no pedestrians walking through the carpark.
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