Department of Education Update -School Saving Bonus

You may have seen the recent announcement of the School Saving Bonus, as part of the Victorian Budget 2024/25. We are sharing more information about how families will be able to access and use this support. This one-off support will include $400 for each eligible student to help families cover the costs of school uniforms and activities in 2025.

It will be available to parents and carers of every child enrolled in a Victorian government school in 2025. Cash will not be paid directly to individuals or families. Instead, families will receive the bonus as credits on their school accounts that will help meet the costs of your children’s activities and uniforms.

There will be more information and guidance about the School Saving Bonus in Term 3, 2024, ahead of its implementation in 2025.

Victorian Auditor General's Office Report

The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO) has reported on the department’s work to improve literacy and numeracy achievement outcomes for all Victorian government school students.

The report released on Wednesday 1 May 2024 shows there has been clear improvement in literacy, but more work is needed to improve numeracy achievement and learning outcomes for Aboriginal and disadvantaged students.

The report found Victorian schools have made improvements on NAPLAN scores for literacy over a 10-year period. The report includes reference to the fact there are areas where student outcomes have clearly improved, such as reading for years 3 and 5 students.

Reporting by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority shows that in 2023, Victorian students achieved the highest NAPLAN scores in the country, with Victoria ranked first or second on 16 of the 20 NAPLAN domains. Aboriginal students have seen an improvement in outcomes. Between 2011 and 2022, the Year 5 NAPLAN mean scores for disadvantaged students improved in Reading. Over the same period, Year 5 reading for Aboriginal students improved and while this has not been sufficient to close the gap, it is important to remember that progress is being made, albeit not at the pace we all want to see.

The report also highlights that further work is required to lift numeracy achievement across all cohorts, and literacy and numeracy outcomes for disadvantaged and Koorie students.

Open Night - Monday 27 May

This year Victoria will celebrate Education Week from Monday, 13 May to Friday, 17 May. As we are currently in the middle of our camping program, with our Year 3 students away early next week, Park Ridge is holding our Education Week Open Night on Monday 27 May.

Please join us in this year’s theme, Spotlight on STEM, highlights the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in our everyday lives, in the classroom and beyond. We will be holding a sausage sizzle outside the Library. There will be sausages in bread and drinks available to purchase. Also, our EarlyAct student team will be holding a bake sale, raising money for The Make a Wish Foundation and Back Packs 4 Vic Kids.

Classrooms will be open from 5:30pm to 7:00pm, with a fun family activity trail in the classrooms and specialist areas across the school.

Here are the activities planned for our classrooms:

Foundation	Maths games: get out of my house, race to 20 Literacy: initial sound games and word building
Level 1	Boggle and connect 4
Level 2	Math Games (addition strategies) Four in a Row, Doubles Bingo, Making 10 (Channel nine logo), High Card -addition
Level 3	Maths Games: Double Double
Level 4	Maths games: Traffic light maths, roll and add
Level 5	Spaghetti and marshmallow tower challenge
Level 6	Camp video and maths time activity.

On Open Night this year there will also be a whole school display of Art in The Wentworth Building to celebrate both Education Week and Reconciliation week. This term Mrs Oakham has been working with students across all year levels on a range of Art work, both 2D and 3D, inspired by Indigenous artists. There will be samples from Foundation to Year 6 for you to enjoy looking at on the night. We hope you pay a visit to the display during the night to see what our amazing Park Ridge artists have created.

A reminder about Parking, Traffic Management & Active Travel

Please continue to be ultra-cautious and safe around our school at drop-off and pick-up times. Also remember to be courteous and respectful.

We have continued to receive reports from neighbours and members of our school community who report dangerous driving and illegal parking.

Please remember, if you want to avoid traffic congestion in the mornings and afternoons, active travel is a great option! Walk with your children, get them to walk with friends, or park a few blocks away from the school and walk the rest of the way to school.

Your children will be exercised, socialised and much more ready to learn when they get to school, and you will not have to deal with potential traffic infringement notices, or other hazards related to trying to drop your child off at the front gate.

Before and After School Yard Supervision

Student safety at Park Ridge Primary School is our highest priority and the safe and appropriate supervision of students is an important element of our duty of care to students. Part of this duty is ensuring parents and students are aware of our student supervision arrangements before and after school.

Before school: School grounds are supervised at 8:30am until 8:45am each day, with three members of staff on duty, covering the school grounds and main exits and entry points to the grounds.

After school: School grounds are supervised from 3:15pm to 3:30pm each day, with three members of staff on duty, covering the school grounds and main exits and entry points to the grounds.

Students on school grounds outside these times will not be supervised (unless they are attending a before or after school care program).

Parents/carers are requested to ensure that students do not attend school outside of these supervised times unless they are attending before or after school care, or a pre-arranged supervised activity.

Families are encouraged to contact TeamKids via the information on our website for more information about the before and after school care facilities available to our school community or contact the office if you would like any further information about our student supervision arrangements.

It's Cool to Be at School! Attendance Matters

The Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic), requires all children and young people aged from 6 to 17 years to attend school, unless an exemption has been granted. Parents/carers must ensure the child attends school when the school is open for instruction. Students are expected to attend the school in which they are enrolled, during normal school hours every day of each term.

A student who is absent one day per week, is absent from school for an average of 40 days per year. If this pattern continues, they will miss 280 days of school between Foundation and Year 6, equalling over an entire year of schooling missed!

To help our students have the best opportunity to reach their potential and prepare them for future learning in their secondary years, please ensure your child attends school every day, unless unwell.

2025 Foundation Enrolments

Enrolments are open for Foundation in 2025. We encourage prospective parents to complete an online tour via the school website where you can learn about our wonderful school and meet our staff and students. Prospective families can also attend an in-person tour where we can show you our wonderful school and answer any questions you might have or discuss your child’s individual needs.

This year our school is using an online system for 2025 Foundation enrolments called VicStudents. VicStudents is available for students who are enrolling in a Victorian Government School for the first time. This includes Foundation (Prep) enrolments for 2025.

For more information about enrolling your child into a Victorian government primary school, visit Enrolling in Foundation (Prep).

Please contact our school office on 03 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.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Please feel free to pop in for a chat with either Carrie, Brendan or I, should you wish to discuss anything.

Take care,

Mr. Dale Blythman

Important Dates