Principal Team Message
AFFIRMATIONS FOR THIS FORTNIGHT
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
We discuss ideas, not people. Spend time with people with big ideas and watch your brain, mind, and soul grow!
INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
We hope students across the school had the opportunity to enjoy a little taste of Italy and practiced language skills Signora Merlino has been teaching them. We also thank her for organising this wonderful experience for our students.
Tradition, culture, and heritage are three terms that are often used interchangeably to mean the same thing. Although they refer to a similar state of being, there is a subtle difference between the three terms. As long as the person lives in a society/community of people, there will always be traditions, cultures, and sometimes heritage depending on the type of group. At Ripponlea we challenge our students to actually find out what culture represents to them, not just through flags, celebrations and foods like today.
The celebration of our multicultural community and building student understanding and awareness of global citizenship is closely linked to the Victorian Curriculum Capabilities. Intercultural understanding combines personal, interpersonal and social knowledge and skills. It involves students in learning to value and view critically their own cultural perspectives and practices and those of others through their interactions with people, texts and contexts across the curriculum.
Intercultural understanding encourages students to make connections between their own worlds and the worlds of others, to build on shared interests and commonalities, and to negotiate or mediate difference. It develops students’ abilities to communicate and empathise with others and to analyse intercultural experiences critically.
It offers opportunities for them to consider their own beliefs and attitudes in a new light, and so gain insight into themselves and others. Intercultural understanding stimulates students’ interest in the lives of others. It cultivates values and dispositions such as curiosity, care, empathy, reciprocity, respect and responsibility, open-mindedness and critical awareness, and supports new and positive intercultural behaviours. Though all are significant in learning to live together, three dispositions – empathy, respect and responsibility – have been identified as critical to the development of intercultural understanding.
You can help your child develop intercultural understanding by:
- understanding the influence of your own cultural values, attitudes and beliefs
- showing interest in and learning about other cultures
- interacting positively with people from diverse backgrounds
- talking about the ways that different cultural groups are presented in the media.
F-6 HOUSE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
What a spectacular day for our students to showcase their athletism and sportsmanship. We can't believe the range of events on offer for our Foundation to Year 2 students. You can witness the skill building from a very young age as we watched the baton relay, 50-100m sprint, long jump and hurdles.
These younger students will one day step up to compete in district events. We are immensely proud of our House Captains who led their teams into the stadium of Duncan Mackinnon Reserve, with loud chanting and House pride. Loch was our overall winner on the day.
Across the school, all students have been practising the skills required to compete in a number of athletics events. Under the guidance of Susie Massey, our P.E teacher, we have 50 students now eligible to compete in the Balaclava District Athletics Championship. We wish all participants the best of luck next Wednesday and thank Susie, Pam, staff and all the parent volunteers who assisted to make the RPS House Athletics Carnival such a success.
BOOK WEEK CELEBRATIONS
Each year since 1945, The Children’s Book Council of Australia has brought children and books together across the country through Book Week. It is with great anticipation we look forward to the fun and celebrations of Book Week 2022 at Ripponlea Primary School.
From Monday 22nd to Friday 26th August we will spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children's authors and illustrators. The theme for this year’s Book Week is ‘Dreaming with Eyes Open’.
We will be holding our annual Book Week parade on Monday morning at 9:10 am. All students, families and staff are invited to come dressed as a character from their favourite book. It's always a special morning filled with joy and a shared love of children’s literature, so we hope to see you there!
Across the week there will be a number of activities and events to honour the wonderful world of books. Please refer to this week's COMPASS post for more details about Book Week 2022 and Ripper Families events.
English PLT
PARENT OPINION SURVEY
WE WANT OUR PARENTS/CAREGIVERS/GUARDIANS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement.
We encourage all families to participate in this survey. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
A random sample of approximately 30 per cent of parents/caregivers/guardians have been selected to participate in this year’s survey.
80 completed surveys is our target to ensure the data is reliable.
The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd August to Friday 16th September.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
If you are randomly selected for this survey, please complete this as soon as possible.
Until next fortnight!
Natalie Rose & Marta Campbell
Principal Acting Assistant Principal