While classrooms have been busy with learning, our staff have also been quietly doing the behind-the-scenes work that keeps a school running well. Over the past fortnight this has included refining teaching practices, strengthening student supports and planning ahead for the year. Not always visible, but definitely important!

School Council

Last week we held the final meeting of our 2025 School Council. Alongside reflecting on the strengths of the past 12 months and the progress our council has made in supporting teaching, learning and engagement at Richmond West Primary School, we also acknowledged the contributions of our outgoing members: Bronwyn Green, Michelle Pollock and Marika Ruzyla.

Marika has been pivotal in reinvigorating our Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee, strengthening connections with the Kitchen Garden program and advocating for our school within the wider community and local political networks.

Michelle has served two years on School Council, but her involvement with our Finance Subcommittee stretches back almost a decade. Her financial stewardship and knowledge have helped the school maximise available resources and ensure a strong cycle of continuous improvement.

Bronwyn has served four years on School Council, including three years as President. She has been a consistent supporter of our school, bringing a calm, measured presence to council discussions and always helping ensure our decisions remain focused on the educational and wellbeing needs of our students.

Thank you to all three for your contributions, both visible and behind the scenes. They are greatly appreciated.

Fundraising 2026

Last year our community celebrated the completion of our new playground, the result of almost four years of fundraising and the incredible generosity of our families. Reaching that final target in 2025 was a fantastic milestone for the school.

After reflecting on the scale of that effort, School Council has agreed that our next fundraising priorities will be a little smaller in scope. This will allow us to direct funds toward improvements that can benefit students in our classrooms right now.

In 2026, our fundraising focus will be on upgrading some of our classroom learning spaces. This includes replacing a number of older classroom TVs, many of which are now too small for our rooms, with larger models mounted on mobile trolleys so they can be used more flexibly across learning spaces. We’ve purchased a set from our technology budget to trial in our Year 3/4 area, and they have been very well received by both students and staff.

With many of our older interactive whiteboards now removed and decommissioned, some classrooms are also missing adequate whiteboard space. We are planning to begin replacing the mismatched boards currently in rooms so teachers and students have better spaces to work and collaborate.

We are also hoping to gradually update some of our older classroom furniture, including tables, flexible seating, teacher chairs and bookshelves.

These projects may not sound as glamorous as a new playground, but they will make a real difference. Improving our classroom environments helps ensure our learning spaces match the outstanding teaching and learning that takes place at our school every day.

School Council Elections

Our nomination process for the 2026 School Council is currently underway and we will communicate the next steps very shortly.

A big thank you to those who have already expressed interest in joining Council, as well as those who have indicated they would like to be involved in one of our subcommittees.

For families new to the school, particularly our Foundation families, joining a subcommittee is a great way to become involved in a specific area of interest or expertise and play an important role in our school improvement journey.

To ensure subcommittees are able to “hit the ground running”, each one already has a 2026 Action Plan. These plans were developed by last year’s subcommittees and endorsed by Council.

This is a deliberate shift we introduced over the past eighteen months to give our subcommittees clear direction, ensure their work is focused, and help align new ideas with the school’s broader strategic priorities. While this doesn’t mean plans can’t evolve or respond to new ideas, the intention is to make sure our collective efforts remain centred on what benefits students and the school community as a whole, rather than individual interests.

Student Learning Data: The Bigger Picture.

For a brief period last week, our front fence was adorned with a particularly interesting piece of graffiti (IYKYK). While we were waiting for it to be cleaned, we decided to make the most of the moment and use the fence as an impromptu display board for some of our 2025 writing data.

As it turns out, the numbers tell a slightly different story to the claims from our unofficial artist-in-residence.

Our 2025 NAPLAN results show strong achievement across Years 3 & 5, with students performing above the state average in nearly every assessed area. Literacy continues to be a standout, particularly in Writing where 94% of Year 3 students and 87% of Year 5 students achieved in the strong or exceeding categories. Reading, Spelling and Numeracy results were also above the state average across both year levels, reflecting the strong focus on consistent, high-quality bilingual teaching and learning across the school.

While the front fence probably isn’t the communication channel we would normally choose for sharing our NAPLAN results, sometimes you have to work with the canvas you’re given.

In this case, it provided a timely reminder of just how proud we are of our students and the progress they continue to make in their learning.

Sovereign Hill Camp

Students in Years 5 and 6 were looking a little bleary-eyed this morning and we did notice a few late arrivals. Their trip to Sovereign Hill was a fantastic adventure that saw them travel back in time to experience life in the 1800s, pan for gold, learn about the First Nations history of the goldfields and deepen their understanding of the role the gold rush played in shaping our state.

I’m also pleased to report that students successfully completed their most important homework task: returning with an impressive assortment of lollies. Even Amanda and I managed to benefit from this assignment.

Despite the tired eyes and the occasional hastily packed suitcase, the trip was incredibly successful. I’m always over the moon to hear how well our students conduct themselves outside of school, and on this occasion the Year 5/6 cohort exceeded expectations and should be incredibly proud of how they represented Richmond West.

A huge thank you also goes to the staff who travelled with the group:

Kai, Shea, Vicky, Rita, Lex, Sarah G, Echo, Sonia and Amanda Murray.

Camp is truly a 24-hour job for staff. Over the course of a few days they take on the roles of teacher, carer, nurse, personal assistant, lost property organiser, mealtime supervisor, crowd controller, travel agent, historian, bedtime negotiator and occasional snack confiscator.

Without the dedication of our staff, camps simply wouldn’t be possible. While these experiences are now recognised as work beyond normal duties, they remain a significant commitment. We are very grateful for the energy and care our staff bring to making these experiences possible for our students.

LA8E Assembly Performance

At our most recent assembly, LA8E treated us to an incredible reimagining of Mem Fox’s book, "I Am Australian Too."

Even more exciting was the fact that a copy of their creative work made its way to Mem Fox herself. In response, the school has now been gifted a signed copy of the book, which is a wonderful acknowledgement of the students’ creativity.

It’s also a great reminder of the power of mentor texts and how quality literature can inspire students in their own writing.

If you missed the assembly, you can check out the performance on our Instagram page. Don’t forget to give us a follow while you’re there - @richmondwestps.

Looking Ahead

It’s hard to believe that the term is already approaching the tail end.

A reminder that Monday is a public holiday for Labour Day. We look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday morning for Week 7.

Thanks for another great week at Richy Dubs, where the writing is strong and the graffiti critics have been duly noted.

Until next time,

Trevor

TeamKids - OSHC