Things To 

Know

Halloween Costume Swap & Mini Parade – Friday 31st October

Get ready for some spooky fun! Ripponlea Primary will celebrate Halloween on Friday 31st October with our Mini Parade. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to get creative, recycle costumes, and enjoy a fun community event.

Last week, some students have brought gently used costume to exchange for our Swap & Scare event. Please be reminded that our big exchange will take place tomorrow Thursday 16th during lunch time.

On the 31st, students will showcase their amazing outfits in a small Halloween parade at 9:15 am around the school. Parents and carers are warmly encouraged to come along and enjoy the festivities.

Year 2 Sleepover Note: Our Year 2 students will be having their school sleepover on the Thursday night before Halloween. To help make the morning smooth and fun, students can either:

• Bring their Halloween costumes in their overnight bag, ready to change into at school, or
• Be collected by families in the morning to get dressed at home before returning for the parade.

That evening, Halloween celebrations will continue across the community, and students can simply head out trick-or-treating after school to keep the spooky fun going!

We can’t wait to see everyone’s spooky, silly, and creative costumes lighting up our school grounds! 👻🎃

CALLING ALL RIPPER TALENTED ARTISTS 

Design 2025 Birthday Card!

We’re inviting all our creative and talented Ripper artists to take part in David Southwick MP’s 2025 Birthday Card Design Competition!

This is a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their artistic skills and celebrate the vibrant community that surrounds Ripponlea Primary School and the Caulfield area. 

Winning designs will be featured on official birthday cards sent to community members throughout 2026!

🖍️ Theme: Celebrating the diversity and connection of Caulfield and surrounds

Think of well-known places and icons like Caulfield Park, Ripponlea Gardens, local schools, and sporting clubs — or anything that makes our community special.

🖌️ Style: All artwork must be hand-drawn. Students are encouraged to explore their favourite styles — whether that’s retro, cartoon, abstract, or something unique!

📏 Specifications: Use the provided template box (210mm x 99mm) for your drawing. Hard copy submissions only.

📅 Deadline: Entries close Thursday, 24 October at 4:00 pm. Please submit your artwork and signed consent form to the school office.

🏆 Prizes: All participants will receive a certificate of participation, and winners will receive a special award from David Southwick MP.

We can’t wait to see the imagination and creativity of our talented Ripper students shine through their designs!

CHANGES TO SEESAW PLATFORM IN 2026

In preparation for the 2026 school year, we would like to inform you that Ripponlea Primary School will cease using the Seesaw platform for communication with families. This includes the uploading of student goals, fortnightly newsletters, and in-class learning activities.

After reviewing our usage, we have found that the platform is no longer being used to its full capacity, and that the cost of maintaining Seesaw outweighs the benefit for our school community. We do not wish to continue passing this expense onto families. Additionally, Seesaw has created a significant administrative load for our teachers and office staff, and feedback from students suggests they have grown tired of the platform since the post-COVID period.

As we prepare to transition away from Seesaw, we invite all families to download a copy of their child’s learning portfolio as a treasured keepsake. Families can easily do this by exporting their child’s portfolio as a PDF.

Please ensure that you complete your download by Saturday, 30 November 2025, after which Seesaw access will no longer be available through the school account.

You can find a step-by-step guide on how to download your child’s portfolio in the attached PDF.

We thank you for your support and understanding as we streamline our communication systems to ensure consistency, efficiency, and reduced costs for our community.

EXCITING NEWS: MENTAL HEALTH IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS INITIATIVE COMING TO OUR SCHOOL

We are delighted to share some exciting news with our community. From next year, our school will be part of the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative, a Victorian Government program that provides every primary school with a dedicated Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHWL).

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This is a significant step forward in supporting the wellbeing of our students and families. We know that children’s mental health is closely linked to their ability to learn and thrive at school. Having a qualified teacher in this leadership role will strengthen our whole-school approach to wellbeing and provide extra support for our staff, students, and families.

What This Means for Our School

• Our school will receive government funding to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader for two days a week in a non-classroom role.
• This person will not be a counsellor, but instead will act as a coordinator and facilitator.
• Their focus will be on promotion, prevention, and building staff capacity to support students.
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What the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader Will Do

The new role will:

• Build the skills of our teachers and education support staff to identify and respond to student needs.
• Create clear referral pathways for students who may need extra help and connect families with local community services.
• Embed evidence-based training and strategies across the school to strengthen student learning and emotional development.
• Lead a whole-school approach so that wellbeing is supported in every classroom and playground space. 

Why This Matters

This expansion of our Wellbeing and Inclusion Team reflects our school’s strong commitment to supporting every child. While the role is non-clinical, it is a vital position that helps coordinate supports, build staff confidence, and ensure that wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do.

The MHiPS initiative is based on a highly successful pilot led in partnership with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the University of Melbourne. It has been shown to make a real difference in schools, and we are thrilled to now be part of this program. 

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Looking Ahead

Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader will begin in Term 1, 2026, and will work closely with staff, students, and families. This is an exciting addition to our school community, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to learn in a safe, supportive, and thriving environment.

SAVE THE DATE: RPS WORKING BEE 

Sunday 26th October | 10:00am – 1:00pm

We are so grateful for the way our community continues to rally behind our school. The incredible energy and teamwork we saw during the production preparations showed just how much can be achieved when we all come together. We are hoping to see that same spirit shine again at our upcoming Working Bee on Sunday, 26th October.

This is a wonderful opportunity for families to roll up their sleeves and help make our school grounds and facilities even more amazing for our Rippers. 

Under the guidance of Colin Smith and Nick Smith, our Facilities and Environment (Sustainability) Team, we’ll tackle a range of projects including:

• Gardening and pruning
• Weeding and yard clean-ups
• General maintenance tasks
• Larger projects to improve our school spaces

Bring the whole family along – students are welcome to help too! We’ll also have a BBQ and some special treats to keep everyone energised throughout the day.

When: Sunday 26th October, 11:00am – 2:00pm

Where: Ripponlea Primary School