Principal's Message

CONNECTED, POSITIVE & INVOLVED

The Ripponlea spirit is unwavering as we continue to stay connected, stay positive and remain involved in each other’s lives and learning opportunities. Our students outstanding efforts in managing remote learning have not gone unnoticed even eight weeks into the term. Who would believe that we have reached September, with Spring finally here and only two weeks away from the school holidays?

Every conversation we’ve had with our teachers, education support staff and members of our leadership team, gives a very good sense of each student’s personal journey throughout this period. Accessing all activities and posts on Seesaw, we continue to witness highlights of student engagement, perserverance, enthusiasm for learning and the building of conceptual understandings. For some of our students remote learning has been managed extremely positively, whilst for others a range of modifications and adjustments has made things more palatable. This is largely due to the tremendous work of our teachers who are continuously adapting and evolving their remote teaching practices to meet the needs of their students, as well as our incredible parents and carers who are supporting this process in their homes. We know that support has come in various forms so what each of you are doing to get through this period needs to be acknowledged and celebrated. 

Speaking to a number of our families recently they often referenced the blurring of roles between the parent/teacher and how this is starting to put a strain on those critical relationships our children value. Let’s just think for a moment of the losses our children have endured in such a short period of time; does our role as parents need to be another loss in our homes? We would always say that doing things in balance and reaching out to your child’s teacher for support is the best solution to move forward. If a teacher doesn’t know what is occurring in the home, they cannot begin to support you and your child. 

We are pleased that things in Victoria are starting to turn for the better as numbers are significantly reducing. We are all awaiting what is hopefully a return to school at the start of next term.

WHAT FUTURE WORK/LIFE SKILLS ARE BEING DEVELOPED IN A REMOTE ENVIRONMENT?  

We recently read an article that places emphasis on the skills our students might be developing in a remote learning environment and how some of these skills might help our students in their future work life. A lot of learning takes place outside the classroom and spending some time teaching practical life skills at home will help set your child up for the future.

Here are some examples of what some of our students have been learning in lockdown:

cooking, baking, sewing, woodwork, mechanics, gardening, photography, pet care, laundry, housekeeping, financial management- spending & saving, how to light a camp fire, hand rearing calves, mitering - picture framing, making mini clay bricks, observing and recording the life cycles of frogs, jewellery making, mask sewing, pattern design – clothing making, garden beds for vegetables, fashion designing clothing for dolls, robotics, song writing – beat boxing, animated music videos, preparing the farms for the fire season, pickling and making jams, just to name a few.   

Here are some other important skills they might be developing as well:

• SELF PACING – BUILDING INDEPENDENCE SKILLS 

Some students might be doing really well and getting a taste of more independence. They’re taking more ownership because they’re no longer under the micromanagement of the school day. This flexibility to make their own hours is also giving students a chance to exercise, take breaks, or even be bored, all of which research shows is beneficial. Students might enjoy the freedom to work at their own pace and decide how they want their day to look.

• ADAPTIVE THINKING

Remote learning and navigating all the new tools we use has been a big shift for many students. Adapting to this new way of learning has been a challenge, but for some the ability to adapt and change their thinking has enabled greater success. 

Future employees will need to continuously adapt to changing conditions as well as be able to learn new things quickly and efficiently. We need our students to learn how to learn. 

• COMMUNICATION & COLLABORATION SKILLS 

Our ability to communicate with others is a critical life-long skill. In the digital age, we have access to a wide variety of new ways to communicate from video-conferencing to social media. Future employees need to be able to communicate with people within their team, as well as people outside of the team and organization. Our students have started to utilise video conferencing and other tools to effectively communicate and learn. 

Have their skills increased and have they used those social media platforms wisely to enhance their ability to communicate, connect and learn with others? 

• PERSONAL MANAGEMENT – TIME MANAGEMENT, ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS 

It doesn’t matter what age a child is, they can manage themselves using a variety of strategies that have been taught to them. Have our children managed to maintain their own hygiene practices, select their own meal, make their own meal and get dressed? Do they organise their work station, charge their device, organise their snacks, take a break and manage their day so they have enough time to rest and enjoy their afternoon to themselves after completing at least half a day of learning? 

• CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS 

Just picture this, both mum and dad working and children are left to complete their own remote learning for the day. They know they cannot turn to an adult for help in the home as this would interrupt their parents. How do they deal with this challenge and what problem solving will they undertake? Will the eldest help the younger, will they look at googling information, will they reach out to the teacher or will they just continuously interrupt mum and dad? What skills would they adopt pretty quickly? 

There is a decreased emphasis on employees following directions and an increased emphasis on employees thinking critically and solving problems. In a rapidly changing world, employers need employees who can solve problems, provide ideas and help improve the organization.

• INQUIRY SKILLS 

Through passion projects and units of inquiry, students have developed a repertoire of wide-ranging and probing questions to deepen their understandings of a range of concepts. Teachers are encouraging students to use Who, What, When, Where, Why and How questions to take their learning to a new level.

The ability to ask great questions is a critical skill that is desperately needed in a culture which requires constant innovations.

• TECHNOLOGY SKILLS 

In the digital age, technology is everywhere. Our students have been working on using a range of online tools and platforms, but more so they have been taught to use technology safely. This lesson is emphasised, over and over again.  Seesaw, Google forms, Padlet, Webex, just to name a few. Did we ever think they would be exposed to so many digital tools in one year? 

• CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

How much of our days are normally devoted to creativity, curiosity and exploration? One of the key reasons behind our tech-free, creative Wednesdays has been promoting imaginative and experiential learning with our students. 

Employers will be looking to employees more and more for creative and innovative solutions to issues that exist.

• EMPATHY AND PERSPECTIVE

Students have been constantly reflecting and showing appreciation, gratitude and empathy for what they have in their lives at this present moment. The ability for our students to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, to understand their feelings, and to help solve their problems is a life-long quality that cannot be undervalued. 

Employers will be looking for employees who can demonstrate these qualities in an ever-changing and expanding world as they connect with people across the globe from different countries and cultures.   

KEEPING OUR STUDENTS MOTIVATED 

Over the last few weeks we have set our teachers a challenge to continue to keep students motivated as this prolonged period of lockdown endures, creating a sense of "Groundhog day" in everyone's schedule. 

Some of the strategies we are using include:

• Acknowledgement of our students; every special message counts
• Powerful feedback that inspires and motivates as well as drives the learning
• Reaching out to students on a personal level; video messages and wellbeing check ins with other staff across the school
• Building connections and celebrations online
• Live classes that are not just about the teaching but about creating connections and motivating us to keep pushing through and make every day “sparkle”
• Reaching out privately to families to provide further support and additional strategies
• Increased small group teaching opportunities for students to share their learning with others, extend their thinking, clarify their understandings and connect with peers.

WEBEX CHATS - SCHEDULE A CHAT

Mrs Rose had the pleasure of meeting with a number of parents over two days last week to chat about their experiences, worries and how they were navigating this brave new world. If you would like to discuss any of the points below with Mrs Rose, please reach out and we can organise another session. 

Some of the things discussed included:

1. How to build independence, allowing children to experience the learning pit versus rescuing children (even with young children) through setting boundaries and expectations to support life skills.
2. Children’s behaviours being a direct correlation with their brain functioning – seeking to have immediate needs met, any attention feeds individual needs and how this looks different for different age groups.
3. The impact of remote learning on academic skills and social emotional wellbeing.
4. Transitions to high school – building readiness in a remote environment and how to prepare children.
5. The benefits and pitfalls of live classrooms– how does the curriculum differ today and what does differentiation mean.
6. How to maintain focus on what matters and ensuring children come out of this situation with no long term impact on mental health.
7. Students possible fears and anxieties – the hidden monsters.
8. What battles are worth the fight?

CELEBRATING 100 DAYS OF LEARNING IN FOUNDATION

What a milestone to reach and what a year in the lives of some of our youngest students across the school! One day they will be sharing the story of how they started school and remember things that no other child would dream of in their lifetime. We believe they have spent more time learning remotely longer than attending school.  

These little superheroes make all their teachers, parents and buddies very proud with how they have managed all of this and their outstanding resilience. Throughout last week the celebrations were endless as they reflected on 100 days in lots of different ways. They were crowned as our little royals - the queens and kings of RPS, if only for a day or a week. We hope they enjoyed their special week of activities and share their one desired wish to be back at RPS. 

COMMUNICATION  

Like many of our families, our teachers savour time with their families and being away from technology especially on the weekends. Whilst they are very responsive and would do anything to support families in need, this is sometimes to the detriment of their own wellbeing. 

Please be mindful of our communication protocols and avoid emailing our teachers on the weekends. We appreciate that this might be a more convenient time for working parents, but at the same time our teachers are not working on weekends, but constant emails and alerts are still coming through. We encourage a message to be saved in draft format and sent through during the start of a working week. More than ever, we really need to monitor the burnout and stress related to excessive digital communication. Above all please remember to be kind and respectful to everyone during these difficult times.  

Communication Protocols

In place of face-to-face exchanges, parents are encouraged to maintain communication with the school in the following ways:

A. For urgent matters, to ring the school during office hours (8.30am-4.30pm, Mon-Fri). 

B. For general enquiries, to ring the school during office hours or email the school account. 

C. Use Compass where possible to report a child’s absence (for example, due to illness). 

D. For teacher-specific enquiries, to email the teacher between 8:45 to 4:30pm. Teachers will endeavour to respond as quickly as possible and usually within two days (excluding after-hours, weekends and public holidays). 

E. Read notifications on Compass and, where possible, regularly check their child’s learning on Seesaw. (While parents/carers can send private messages to teachers on Seesaw, for any such message that requires further correspondence, teachers will request that it is done via email.) 

Limited communication options will see a marked increase in email exchanges for teachers and other school staff. Parents are asked to be understanding of these unprecedented demands placed on educators and be considerate when determining whether direct communication with the teacher is necessary and be patient in awaiting responses. 

The school phone has been diverted, so please be patient as we now only have one line. Please note that if your call is not answered, please try again a few minutes later. If you still can’t get through, please send an email notification. 

FATHER’S DAY – SUNDAY 6th SEPTEMBER 

This weekend many of our fathers and special people in our lives will be receiving a little lockdown love and celebration. By writing letters to your special person with a special message for him will let him know how much you appreciate all of his priceless advice and unconditional support. 

To make dad feel special, celebrate all the joys he brings to your life and mark the occasion in the best way possible that has something for everyone to enjoy. Let us know how you celebrated and we can include this in our last edition of the newsletter for this term. 

See here some ideas for dad:

THEIRCARE HOLIDAY PROGRAM

Nancy and her team are gearing up to offer our families an exciting holiday program. A little respite for any working parent or anyone who needs a good break from being stuck at home for the last 10 weeks. 

Please contact TheirCare to make all bookings. 

To see their newsletter please see the attached document.

NATIONAL E-SMART WEEK – CONNECTING SAFELY

Held this year from 6 September – in line with National Child Protection Week – National eSmart Week is a week where schools around Australia come together to promote cyber safety and positive online connections.

"By creating awareness about cyber safety, bullying and wellbeing, we can reduce online harm" – Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, National eSmart Week Ambassador.

“Teaching students about safe and responsible use of technology should be a central part of their education,” Dr Carr-Gregg said. “This will ensure they have the skills, knowledge, strategies and basic competencies to help curb online bullying and encourage respectful relationships."

As rates of online cyber bullying, child exploitation and image-based abuse skyrocket in COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns and isolation, it’s critical we do everything we can to ensure our children – our most vulnerable Australians – are safe online.

This year’s theme is Connecting Safety, looking at all the good work which has come from remote learning and lockdown.

“National eSmart Week is the perfect opportunity for our community to share knowledge and celebrate work around being smart, safe and responsible when using technology. By creating awareness about cyber safety, bullying and wellbeing, we can reduce online harm.”

Next week our teachers will be highlighting eSmart behaviours in their program. 

PLANNING FOR 2021 – TRANSITION PROCESS - FOUNDATION STUDENTS

We will begin our transition programme in Term 4, but this year (given the current circumstances) it may look a little different. Rest assured we are still planning to bring kinder children onsite to allow them to experience school life and meet their lovely teachers for 2021. 

We will use the start of the 2021 school year to further transition children into the school and make those all-important connections with their teachers, peers and their senior “buddies”. We will take a very slow and steady approach to ensure every child feels welcomed, safe and happy coming to school each and every day. This will help to optimise their academic learning and social and emotional development – core attributes we value at Ripponlea. 

We will work in partnership with families every step of the way to make transition a success - regardless of the current landscape.Some parents have voiced their concerns that their children might not be ready for school because they have missed out on Kindergarten. We have many strategies in place to support all children next year. Research suggests there are limited benefits for children repeating a year level. They perform best when they remain with their peers in the age appropriate level.  

It is our core business to support children at different stages of their learning and development, and to work closely with families to achieve the best possible outcomes for their child. Parents should have strong confidence that our school can meet their child's learning and developmental needs.

STUDENTS LEAVING RIPPONLEA

Whilst we know that our Year 6 students say goodbye to Ripponlea as a positive end to primary schooling in December, we are also aware that some families might experience a change in circumstances with housing or work relocation. 

To assist with our planning for classes in 2021, we ask that families who are aware of such circumstances contact Meagan Brake. This is not often a large number of families at our school, but we are mindful of making sure that when we plan for 2021 class sizes, we know exactly the number of classes across the school that we need to accommodate. 

SAYING GOODBYE – BUT NEVER FORGETTING

Allen Lang – Our Favourite Lollypop Man 

Allen passed away during the Term 1 school holidays. Telling our community, especially in the breakout of the COVID-19 crisis was too much for our children to bear at the time. We reached out to Lara, his niece, and Sally Bradshaw, one of our parents, to ensure that Allen’s family knew how much he meant to us here at Ripponlea. We hope to have a special assembly to commemorate his life in support of the children at Ripponlea. 

RPS will sincerely miss the support Allen gave to our students.

SUPPORTING STUDENTS – PARENT WEBINARS & PODCASTS

There are two helpful new resources to help you support your children during remote and flexible learning.

Raising Learners podcast

The Department of Education and Training has funded a 10-episode podcast series through the Raising Children Network called ‘Raising Learners’. It features parenting experts from organisations including the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Career Education Association Victoria, as well as the Australian eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant.

Raising Learners provides parents with practical advice, tips and ideas for supporting children’s health, wellbeing and engagement at school and at home. Topics include how to connect with your child’s school and community, how to best support your child’s learning, what to expect for VCE and VCAL students and how to keep your child safe online. These topics were drawn from common questions that parents raised via the Department’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) hotline and Parentline.

The first three episodes will be available on 1 September, and the rest throughout Terms 3 and 4. Raising Learners can be accessed via podcast apps and the Raising Children Network website.

Managing the Coronacoaster webinar

Renowned child psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg is back by popular demand to repeat his Coronacoaster webinar.

On 15 September, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg will again present "Managing the Coronacoaster – Tips for building resilient families in the coronavirus era." His first webinar in August booked out in three days, with more than 12,000 registrations. In this webinar, Dr Carr-Gregg provides tools and strategies for parents and carers to help manage the lockdown period and remote learning. Topics include:

• Your supportive role
• Setting the emotional tone
• Focusing on what you can control
• How to deal with disappointment
• More resources and where to get help.

Webinar details

When: 7.30pm, Tuesday 15 September

Duration: 45-minute presentation, followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer session

Format: Online via live stream

Cost: Free

Register for the Managing the Coronacoaster webinar via Eventbrite

A MESSAGE FROM MS VICKI

To my RPS Community,

I would like to sincerely thank you for the messages of support to me and my family after the loss of my dad, Frank Smith. He was a wonderful father, grandfather and great grandfather who loved his family and friends dearly. A fun fact about Dad was that he grew up in this area. He lived at 11 Gibbs St, Balaclava. He didn’t go to Ripponlea PS, he went to Brighton Road State School (now called St Kilda PS).

Dad fought a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease and handled himself with dignity until the end. 

Keep safe and well

- Miss Vicki

AN ACT OF APPRECIATION

From the bottom of our hearts we wish to extend a HUGE THANK-YOU to Sofie in 1/2E who shared a lovely gift with the staff. It was truly a beautiful gesture that helped put a spring in all our steps. 

The sunshine has been a welcome addition to our day most afternoons this week and we hope families can now make the most of those days for a walk, ride or scoot around the neighbourhood. We hope you take the opportunity to do something nice over the coming weekend for each member of your family. 

Happy weekend!

                                  Natalie Rose                              Jess Grey

                                     Principal                         Assistant Principal