Principal's Page

Happy International Women’s Day!

The theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is Inspire Inclusion.

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Worldwide, groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality.

On this International Women's Day, I am deeply moved to reflect on the  influence my own mother has had on shaping the person I am today. Her unwavering work ethic and relentless pursuit of equality have been a constant source of inspiration for me. From a young age, she instilled in me the importance of resilience and determination, showing me through her actions what it means to strive for one's dreams despite the odds.

Who has been your inspiration?

Swimming Stars 

On Monday 26th February, seven GRPS students competed at the Ringwood North District Swimming Carnival.

Unfortunately, no one made it through to Division but Hans came 2nd in three of his heats, Cam received a 2nd  and a 3rd in his heats and we had a number get 4th in their heats.

Spencer  – 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly & Freestyle relay

Kieran -  50m freestyle, 50m backstroke & Freestyle relay

Katie  – 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke & Freestyle relay

Bodie  – 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, Medley relay & Freestyle relay

Isla  – 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, Medley relay 

Cameron  – 50m freestyle, Medley relay & Freestyle relay 

Hans 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly, Medley relay & Freestyle relay

Congratulations to you all for giving it your best and doing a fantastic job at representing GRPS. 

Thanks to the parents who came along and cheered loudly. 

Facilities Update 

Have you noticed our new sign with our school values?

It certainly has brightened up a very dull corner of the school reminding us about our school values. It looks amazing !

Use of Student Toilets

It has been great to hear so much positive feedback from students and the school community about our toilet upgrade. The second phase will begin in the next holiday period with the Brian Allen toilets being refurbished. 

 I just wanted to remind all parents, grandparents, and other adults in the community that our student toilets are for the use of Great Ryrie students only. If any adults need to use a toilet when picking up or dropping off students, please pop in via the office and you are welcome to use our staff toilets. This is an important part of our Child Safe practices at Great Ryrie.

Team Kids 

In the last week of term, Team Kids will be offering a Walkthrough Session for any new or prospective parents, which will give you the opportunity to see what the Before School Care sessions are like and how TeamKids works. The sessions are completely free, and will be run on either the 25th or 27th of March. 

Please see the link in the Team Kids page for further information. 

NAPLAN

NAPLAN for our year 3 and 5 students will be commencing next week. The teachers have been supporting the students to understand the processes of NAPLAN testing,  as the conditions for NAPLAN are completely different to the everyday classroom.

 A strong message we are reinforcing with our year 3 and 5 students is to give it a go and try their best.

NAPLAN Dates for Years 3&5  GRPS 

March 13-18th 

Why do students do NAPLAN?

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake.

As students progress through their school years, it is important to check how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and numeracy.

NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national standards.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.

NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

Your child will do the NAPLAN tests online

Online NAPLAN tests provide more precise results and are engaging for students. The tests are tailored (or adaptive), which means that each test presents questions that may be more or less difficult depending on a student’s responses. This helps students remain engaged with the assessment. 

Tailored testing allows a wider range of student abilities to be assessed and measures student achievement more precisely. A student’s overall NAPLAN result is based on both the number and complexity of questions they answer correctly. Your child should not be concerned if they find questions challenging; they may be taking a more complex test pathway. 

All Year 3 students will continue to complete the writing assessment on paper.

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What does NAPLAN assess?

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through their regular school curriculum.

Students sit assessments in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The questions assess content linked to the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics.

All government and non-government education authorities contribute to the development of NAPLAN test materials.

Participation in NAPLAN

NAPLAN is for all Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students. ACARA supports inclusive testing, so all students have the opportunity to participate in the National Assessment Program.

Adjustments are available for students with disability who have diverse functional abilities and needs.

Schools should work with parents/carers and students to identify, on a case-by-case basis, reasonable adjustments required for individual students with disability to access NAPLAN. Adjustments should reflect the support normally provided for classroom assessments.

To help inform these decisions, you may consult the NAPLAN public demonstration site, the Guide for schools to assist students with disability to access NAPLAN (PDF 96 KB), and our series of videos where parents/carers, teachers and students share their experiences in using NAPLAN adjustments.

In exceptional circumstances, a student with a disability that severely limits their capacity to participate in the assessment, or a student who has recently arrived in Australia and has a non-English speaking background, may be granted a formal exemption.

Your school principal and your local test administration authority can give you more information on adjustments for students with disability or the process required to gain a formal exemption.

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What can I do to support my child?

Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is a part of their school program and reminding them to simply do their best. Some explanation of NAPLAN is useful to help students understand and be comfortable with the format of the tests; however, it is not necessary for parents/carers to do this. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance. 

ACARA does not recommend excessive preparation for NAPLAN or the use of services by coaching providers. 

See the types of questions and tools available in the online NAPLAN assessments at the public demonstration site.

How is my child’s performance reported?

From 2023, NAPLAN results are reported against proficiency standards. There is a standard for each assessment area at each year level. Proficiency standards provide clear information on student achievement. They are set at a challenging but reasonable level expected for the student at the time of NAPLAN testing, based mainly on what has been taught in previous years of schooling. Student achievement is shown against 4 levels of proficiency: Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs additional support. 

A NAPLAN individual student report will be provided by your child’s school later in the year. If you do not receive a report, you should contact your child’s school.

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What if my child is absent from school on NAPLAN test days? 

Where possible, schools may arrange for individual students who are absent at the time of testing to complete missed tests at another time during the school’s test schedule.

How are NAPLAN results used?

• Students and parents/carers use individual results to discuss progress with teachers.
• Teachers use results to help identify students who need greater challenges or extra support.
• Schools use results to identify strengths and areas of need to improve teaching programs, and to set goals in literacy and numeracy.
• School systems use results to review the effectiveness of programs and support offered to schools.
• The community can see information about the performance of schools over time at My School.

Enjoy the weekend with your family and friends

Kind regards 

Karen Rouda  Principal