Principal Team Message

WELCOME TO TERM 4 @RPS 

Welcome back everyone. We hope you all feel refreshed and rejuvenated after the break, ready to embrace the energy of Term 4! As we adjust to daylight saving time and return to the familiar rhythm of school life, it’s wonderful to see our students reestablishing their routines, reconnecting with friends, and reigniting their curiosity for learning.

A very warm welcome to the new families who have joined our Ripponlea community this term. We’re delighted to have you with us and hope you quickly feel the strong sense of connection and belonging that makes our school such a special place.

This term is always a special one, a time to build upon the rich learning from Term 3, consolidate skills, and continue exploring new ideas across all areas of the curriculum. 

Our senior students are setting their sights on graduation and leadership transitions, while others prepare for the exciting step into new year levels and programs.

Production rehearsals are in full swing, and classrooms are buzzing with renewed enthusiasm and purpose. We are so grateful for the ongoing support of our staff and families as we work together to make this a memorable and fulfilling end to the school year for every child.

WELCOME BABY MILA PAIGE BLAKE

We’re thrilled to share the wonderful news that Mr Blake and his partner Elise have welcomed a beautiful baby girl - Mila Paige Blake!

Mila arrived safely on Friday, 26th September. After restful nights in the hospital, the Blake family is now home and settling into life as a family of three.

Everyone is doing incredibly well, just a little tired, as all new parents can relate! We send our warmest congratulations to Mr Blake and his family on this joyous occasion and wish them plenty of love, cuddles, and precious moments together. 

BATTLE OF THE BANDS SOUTHSIDE SUCCESS

A huge congratulations to The Rippoffs, who absolutely smashed it at the Southside Battle of the Bands! Despite performing last on the night, their incredible talent and energy saw them crowned overall winners of the competition.

The band proudly shared their success at our school assembly last term, and we were thrilled to hear that many of our families were there in the audience, cheering them on right until the final moments. Competing against some much larger schools, our little community of just 171 families certainly made their presence felt; the cheers from Ripponlea were among the loudest in the crowd!

This achievement is more than just a win; it’s a celebration of connection, community spirit, and creativity. The Rippoffs have shown what can happen when parents come together to share their passion for music and support one another.

 Mr James Martin, our Performing Arts teacher,was delighted to learn that, thanks to the strong parent attendance, the school will also receive a portion of the ticket sales to reinvest in our music program at Ripponlea Primary School.

The Rippoffs have promised to perform for the students soon. We can’t wait to see them rock the stage once again!

BHN LUNCHTIME EXPECTATIONS & BODY IMAGE PROJECT AT RIPPONLEA  

About the project:

Better Health Network Health Promotion team is working alongside our teachers, students and their families to create environments where all children grow up to love food and appreciate their bodies. Through deep reflection and capacity building, the BHN team support schools to create value alignment and practice guidance of how to safely support children and young people around food and body image. 

The why:

School settings play a critical role in shaping how children perceive and speak about their bodies, through lunchtime rituals, classroom learning, and staffroom conversations. Teacher attitudes & language, curriculum content, peer relationships, and school culture can either reinforce appearance-based norms or act as protective factors (Tylka & Piran, 2019). Across the BHN catchment (Bayside, Glen Eira, Kingston, Port Phillip and Stonnington), body image remains a primary concern and priority for local schools.

In the early years of a child’s life, research highlights that:

• Children with body dissatisfaction and weight bias are more likely to engage in disordered eating behaviours, with 19% of childcare professionals having seen children reject food because ‘it will make them fat’ (Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years, 2016).
• At age 5, 90% of boys and 92% of girls have indicated a preference for not inviting children in a larger body to their birthday party, and perceiving thin-to-average sized children as ‘good’ (EMBodIED Research, La Trobe University).
• Up to 68% of primary school-age children have reported appearance-related teasing from peers (Damiano et al. 2018).

Seeking Focus Group participation

As a part of the Lunchtime Expectations project, we are seeking parent/guardian participation in key reflective practice focus group sessions. We want to hear from families on their experiences of eating opportunities at home and at the school. 

These insights together with those of the teachers and students will help to contribute to a positive lunchtime environment at Rippopnlea Primary School. 

Date: Wednesday 12th November, 2025 

Participants: Families – Option 1

Date: Friday 14th November, 2025

Participants: Families – Option 2

Your participation will help to shape the school's practices and ensure we are fostering an environment where children grow up to love food and appreciate their bodies. If you are interested in participating, please get in touch and register on this Google Form.

https://forms.gle/YtMyAdwecw3swGuz9

If you are interested to learn more, please get in touch with the team via abast@bhn.org.au and kdimaio@bhn.org.au 

Until next fortnight!

Natalie Rose             &                        Marta Campbell 

      Principal                                         Assistant Principal