Principal's Message
As we draw closer to December and with barely four weeks remaining, we hope many families and our students are looking forward to making the last few weeks of this year as memorable and as positive as possible. The year has been challenging to say the least but our resilience, creativity, community connectedness and optimism continues to shine.
We hope some of our families enjoyed the Diwali celebrations that commenced last week and although all celebrations are very different this year the symbolism and cultural emphasis runs deeper than ever before.
Our student leaders are as enthusiastic and passionate as ever taking on the challenge to inspire, motivate and bring a fun atmosphere to school over the next few weeks. They have a plan of activities to put smiles on many faces throughout the school. See their proposed ideas and initiatives in Ms Jo’s section of the newsletter.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
On Wednesday 11th November we commemorated Remembrance Day at RPS with our Year 5 students leading a whole school assembly via Zoom. Remembrance Day has been observed in the Commonwealth since the first anniversary of the end to the First World War. It is a day to remember the sacrifices made to ensure peace and security in our nation and other Commonwealth nations. The ceremony was very touching with students sharing many of their families personal histories and connections to this significant event. Thank you to our students assisted by Mr Leech.
Lest we forget
HEIDI ROGERS – FREE PARENTING SEMINARS
Over the course of the pandemic we have built a close relationship with psychotherapist Heidi Rogers. She brings practicality and sound advice on all matters related to raising our children and parenting strategies. Feedback from many families who have engaged with Heidi’s strategies has been extremely positive.
Heidi has once again provided the school with two free webinars to support the wellbeing of our families and students. Please see below:
MINISTER MERLINO’S ANNOUNCEMENT
To make sure that our state recovers stronger and fairer, the Victorian Government is investing an additional $6 billion to deliver a world-class education system, create jobs and ensure every child gets every chance to reach their full potential.
The Budget further expands on how far we have come as the Education State. It will make sure all Victorians have what they need to get back to work and build a stronger and fairer Victoria.
They are rolling out the next phase of the state’s biggest-ever school building boom by investing a record $3 billion across hundreds of school projects, ensuring every child has access to the best facilities close to home while supporting 6,400 jobs across the state.
A $1.6 billion investment in Disability Inclusion — Education for All will be life-changing for so many families. It will transform how students with disabilities are supported in government schools across the state and parents can be more confident that children are better understood, included and supported.
Fairer education across Victoria is a priority. No matter their background or circumstance, students most impacted by the pandemic or who are in danger of disengaging can have targeted small group learning support thanks to the biggest single investment to individual learning support in Victoria’s history. More than $250 million for more than 4,100 tutors will provide every school with access to small group tutoring.
As a small school we look forward to these changes and crucial funding.
CYBER SAFTEY NEEDS TO BE ‘AMONG US’ ALL
With many new games and fads we often see good and bad aspects and this is very true of online games in particular. Some players loved the flossing in ‘Fortnite’ while parents were most concerned by the game’s content and themes. Similarly, the newly popular ‘Among Us’ is drawing the attention of parents across the nation for its subject matter and functions whilst a lot of kids like that they can connect with their friends in a ‘whodunnit’ mystery.
The popularity of ‘Among Us’ has surged over recent periods of lockdown around the world which has taken its developers by surprise as the game has limited functionality to report abuse and if played in ‘public’, there is an increased risk that children may co-mingle with adult strangers.
Whatever the device, platform, game or app, being Cyber Safe is an important shared responsibility between all digital citizens. Each year at RPS all students complete learning around staying safe when online and using mobile devices. 2020 has presented an even greater need to emphasise these safety messages with a bulk of learning (and socialising) being engaged in online.
With the festive season just around the corner it is likely that many children will wish for the latest gadgets and apps and it’s not always easy to make informed decisions around what is and isn’t appropriate for children of different ages. This is where resources like the eSafety Commissioner are really useful to provide up-to-date information that assists in protecting the digital safety and wellbeing of all tech users. Please visit https://www.esafety.gov.au/ to help guide your digital decision-making when it comes to your child’s online safety.
IT’S STILL THE SAME SUN
Growing up in 1980s Australia means that the words “Slip, Slop, Slap” are fondly remembered for Sid the Seagull’s jingle but 40 years on, one message stays the same: exposure to UV is harmful. Today in Melbourne, the UV levels are peaking into the ‘extreme’ range which is not at all unusual for this time of year. This is why we take Sunsmart practices seriously at RPS.
So, please ensure you are familiar with our Sunsmart Policy: Ripponleasunsmartpolicy and have your child’s hat named and packed every day between the start of September and the end of April. And if your child asks why, take a stroll down memory lane by visiting https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/causes-and-prevention/sun-safety/campaigns-and-events/national-skin-cancer-action-week and reinforce their message: “Some things have changed since the ‘80s, but it’s still the same sun.”
SUPER MOOPERS
Former RPS parent and all-round awesome contributor to the school, Fiona Harris, was in touch with us recently with a very kind donation of two sets of her book series, The Super Moopers. Fiona and well-known children’s author Sally Rippin started a book initiative during the Melbourne lockdown and donated over a hundred books to kids in the Flemington commission flats, Truganina Primary, St. Kilda Mums, and a bunch of other places in Bendigo, Shepparton and Altona.
The Super Moopers is set in Moopertown where everyone is special in their own special way! Celebrating individual strengths and diversity, these books (illustrated by Scott Edgar) contain a central important message to share with children: finding ways of being happy with ourselves.
Fiona is keen to share the fun of Dramatic Dan, Giggling Gertie and Adventurous Abbie (amongst others), so please reach out via www.fionaharris.com. RPS extends a warm thanks to Fiona for this lovely donation.
MY BROTHER JACK - GLEN EIRA AWARDS
My Brother Jack is a novel written by George Johnston, published in 1964. Johnston grew up in Elsternwick, and his mother Minnie was a Voluntary Aid Detachment member during the war. An Australian classic, the novel brought Glen Eira’s post-war experience into the national consciousness. Johnston’s book won the Miles Franklin Award in 1964. The My Brother Jack Awards, Glen Eira City Council’s annual literary competition, acknowledge the lasting impact of Johnston’s work.
The 2020 My Brother Jack Awards were wonderfully supported by the Glen Eira community this year, with more than 600 entries submitted across eight short story and poetry categories.
A special congratulations goes to current student Archie A and Former RPS student Abbie M for their short stories.
- Abbie M - Junior Secondary Short Story Highly Recommended
- Archie A - Primary School Short Story Highly Recommended
Until next fortnight...
Natalie Rose Jess Grey
Principal Assistant Principal