The Ryde Community inFocus is a simple way of communicating some insights and observations from the weeks past. It is written to celebrate and share the work that we do and to connect with community around some thoughts and insights into the learning culture at Ryde Public School.

Our School Vision

Lifelong learners- How good can we be? Strive today, succeed tomorrow

At Ryde Public School we believe that every student should be challenged to learn and continually improve in a respectful, inclusive and engaging environment of high expectations.

Our vision is to be partners in learning and collaboratively empower all students to become confident, resilient, self-directed and successful learners.

Wellbeing is the bedrock for all activities across all strategic improvement strategies, reflecting our core beliefs that success and acceptance breeds a culture where all stakeholders feel valued and cared for and prepared to take on challenge.

Lifelong learning, excellence, and happiness are the states of mind promoted in classrooms with the ever present question of 'How good can we be?' being asked across our community daily.

School Holidays Monday 07 July - Friday 18th July 2025

Staff Return - School Development Days - Monday 21st July

School development days are used by schools to build on the knowledge and skills of our teachers, school leaders and school administrative support staff through a targeted professional learning program. These will operate the way they always have. Students do not attend on these days as there are no timetabled lessons so staff can engage in professional development and planning.

K-6 Students Return Tuesday 22nd July 2025

The Best Education Money Can't Buy...You can find it here at Ryde PS.

For 175 years, NSW public schools have been at the heart of education, preparing today’s children to succeed and build better communities for tomorrow.

We do this every day at Ryde Public School by ensuring that students are at the heart of everything we do.

So for the best education money can't buy, choose your local public school.

Find out more: https://education.nsw.gov.au/schools-near-me

Did you know you can still enrol your child in Ryde Public School for 2025 classes?

If you have a friend or a neighbour who is unsure about enrolment eligibility, please share this link or tell them to call us. We are here to help!

https://ehub.enrol.education.nsw.gov.au/schoolenrolment/?schoolCode=3021

Click ENROL NOW to start! Its never too late!

.......and this is what parents are saying about Ryde Public School:

"I really appreciate how warmly and respectfully the teacher treated me. Her support and encouragement made a big difference in my experience "

"All teachers are welcoming, enthusiastic and engaging. I am confident in my their ability to support and nurture my kids"

"Our child had joined Ryde Public School last year. We are very happy with his progress in school , both academically and socially. We offer our profound thanks to the teaching and administration faculty at RPS."

School Captains' Report

Welcome back to Term 2! We started the term with Winter PSSA! With students having fun and cheering our teams on, our school is ready for sport this Winter!

The Footsteps dance program has started, as part of our CAPA unit! With new songs for our students to dance to, the students have the chance to show their dance skills in the upcoming dances that Footsteps have provided for our school. This is a great chance for our students to grow their spirit of dancing.

In Week 2, the Cross Country took place at Ryde Park. Well done to all the students that competed, and good luck to our Zone finalists! Students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and 2 participated in the K-2 Fun Run.

On the 8th of May, our school ran a Mother’s Day and Special Person’s Day stall. The stall had lots of items, including socks, bottles, bags, totes, candles and designer earrings, giving plenty of options for students to choose from and give to their mum or special person. Each class got a turn to purchase their gifts, walking out of C block hall buzzing with excitement. We would like to thank all of the P&C parents for helping us run the store. We would also like to thank all the students who bought something from the store.

Our school got into a musical spirit with the starting of the Band! The group was announced, and put into action, with our Junior Band being newcomers to their instrument, and the senior band, consisting of people who were confident with their instrument. The Junior Band has made quite a lot of progress, and the Senior Band has already completed more than 2 songs!

By Aryaa, Elijah, Hansen and Raleigh

Attendance Matters!

Let us know if your child is absent

The wellbeing of our students is extremely important to us. One way we protect the wellbeing of your child is by fulfilling our responsibilities as both parents/carers and school staff by reporting and monitoring student absences.

Please remember to send a message via Sentral Parent Portal or contact us on 98093181. This is best done early in the morning if your child is going to be away or late for school so your child’s absence can be recorded correctly and we can provide appropriate support for you and your family.

If you speak a language other than English and need help talking with our staff, please telephone the interpreter service on 131 450. This service is free. Listen in your language or see How to contact the Telephone Interpreter Service.

For further information on the processes we use to record, monitor and follow-up student attendance and absences please read our  School Attendance Policy.

Special Events at Ryde

ANZAC Day Commemoration

On the 25th of April, we attended the Ryde Council Anzac Day commemoration service at West Ryde Park. There were lots of people from the community and members from the City of Ryde council there to commemorate the lost soldiers in Gallipoli. Lots of speeches were presented, Hansen and Elijah got to share a poem named Lest we Forget by Class 6C Ryde Public School. Later they all got to lay a wreath on the stone slabs.

-- Elijah, Raleigh, Hansen

What we have to offer....

Visual Arts

The Visual Arts Group have kick-started this term with an amazing project focusing on ‘Nature’. Our students have been working on designing a 3D sculpture that captures the essence of nature. We continue to be amazed by their ideas and creativity and cannot wait to showcase their final products.

K-2 Junior Choir

Exciting news from the Junior Choir! We are delighted to welcome some enthusiastic Kindergarten students, who have joined our Year 1 and Year 2 singers in our musical journey this term. Our talented singers are currently learning the classic song "Do Re Mi" from The Sound of Music. This wonderful piece is not only a fun way to explore musical notes, but also fosters teamwork and creativity among our young performers.

3-6 Senior Choir

The senior choir is diligently preparing for the Ryde Performing Arts Festival by learning a diverse set of songs. The choir has been divided into two groups: alto and soprano, allowing students to focus on their specific parts. We are proud of their ongoing dedication and look forward to our first rehearsal with other school choirs later this term. We have also had a small group of students express interest in auditioning for a solo at the festival and have been working hard towards this goal.

Drama

This term, students are collaborating to create a group-devised piece of theatre for performance early next term. Following an exciting brainstorming session, we have whittled down the ideas to focus on one core concept. Over the next several weeks, students will work together in small groups to devise several vignettes that we can weave together into a cohesive whole. It should be very exciting!

3-4 Junior Dance

The junior dance group are enjoying learning their new dance routine and are working hard getting ready for upcoming dance events. The dance students are demonstrating amazing, continued resilience and commitment. They are very excited to perform the routine. Congratulations to the junior dance group for making it into the North Sydney Dance Festival!

5-6 Senior Dance

The senior dance group have been working hard with their dance choreographer in preparation for their upcoming performances this year. Students have been learning choreography that emphasises rhythm, coordination, and expression. Students have also shown great commitment and enthusiasm. They are very excited and are looking forward to showcasing their hard work and dedication later this year.

Gardening Club

This term, Stage 3 students have been invited to participate in Gardening Club every Wednesday at lunchtime. The students have come to the club so eager and knowledgeable about nature and gardening. We have so far planted a new round of herbs and vegetables including spring onion and carrots. Some students have even brought their own plants including Yarrow and Marigold. We are utilising our gardening times to also experiment with cooking using our produce from the garden. The first thing on the menu will be tabouli using the fresh parsley from the garden.

Music/Band

We are excited to share that students have begun participating in our new school band program, delivered in partnership with specialist music education provider TSA. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm as they start learning a variety of instruments and developing their musical skills.

The program is thoughtfully structured to support students at different stages of their musical journey. Those with previous experience are diving straight into learning songs as part of the band ensemble. Meanwhile, students who are new to band are participating in dedicated lessons where they are explicitly taught how to assemble and care for their instruments, as well as learning simple tunes and foundational musical notes.

We look forward to seeing their progress and sharing more with our school community soon!

SRC

The Student Representative Council (SRC) at Ryde Public School is excited to take the first steps toward enhancing our school environment! Recently, our dedicated members have come together to discuss ideas for cleaning up and revitalising our playground, ensuring it remains a safe and enjoyable space for all students. We are eager to involve our school community in this initiative and look forward to sharing our plans and progress in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for updates as we work together to make a positive impact at Ryde Public School!

Library

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is a special event that took place on Wednesday 21 May. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, bookshops and many other places around the country. This year there were over 2.2 million participants at 16,632 locations!

Our school takes part in NSS with teachers sharing the story with all our students. This year’s book is The Truck Cat written by Deborah Frenkel, illustrated by Danny Snell.

Students also have a variety of related activities they may choose to participate in within their classrooms. We’re also excited for our students to continue to contribute to our collaborative Truck Cat artwork in the library, by designing their own cat to add to the big truck display!

Another update in our library are our new picture book series tubs. These have been hugely popular with our students, with these books being borrowed more often than any others in the library since being organised into their new tubs! Some of the most popular series include all of the Pig the Pug books, the huge range of Macca the Alpaca books, the hilarious options in the Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus series, and the variety of Bluey books available, amongst many others!

Thank you to all families for continuing to return books on time! Most of our books consistently get returned before they are overdue. This ensures that our valuable resources continue to be available for the benefit of all of our students and families.

Diverse Learners

As we settle into Term 2, it's wonderful to see our students thriving and embracing new opportunities! The exciting dance program, Footsteps, is in full swing, allowing our students to express themselves creatively and develop their fundamental movement skills.

Looking ahead, students are eager to explore ways to incorporate fresh produce from our school garden into their weekly cooking lessons. Additionally, we're excited to start our new Art projects on recycling, reusing, and repurposing everyday materials. Each week, students will delve into a different material, emphasising sustainability while nurturing their creativity and artistic skills. It’s an inspiring time for our students, celebrating innovation and environmental awareness!

Early Stage 1

In Kindergarten Science this term we have been exploring the fascinating world of materials! Kindergarten students have been learning to sort and group materials based on their observable properties, using a variety of vocabulary to describe what they see. They are actively engaging their senses to identify these properties and discuss different sorting methods. Additionally, students are honing their observation skills by manipulating objects and using tools like binoculars and magnifying glasses to discover the materials that make up everyday items.

Stage 1

This term, our Stage 1 students are excited to embark on a vibrant journey through dance with Footsteps! Students have been engaging in fun and interactive dance experiences designed to learn about the elements of dance, enhance their rhythm and coordination while fostering a love for movement. We look forward to seeing our young dancers shine as they learn new skills and enjoy the joy of dance together!

Stage 2

In Term 2, our Stage 2 students are having lots of fun! They are exploring dance with Footsteps and learning about different styles each week. These dance sessions are enjoyable, as they help students learn essential dance skills such as time, dynamics, space, and relationships. It's wonderful to see how excited they are about dancing in every class!

Stage 3

This term, Stage 3 students have been eagerly participating in the Footsteps program, which offers students a fun and engaging way to develop their movement skills through various dance styles. They are learning to use their bodies in different ways, combining movements such as walking, jumping, bending and twisting. Students are enjoying a diverse range of dance styles from various cultures and eras, fostering an appreciation for global dance traditions.

Year 6 Farewell

Fundraising Update

Our students have demonstrated remarkable dedication in their efforts to fundraise for the Year 6 Farewell. On May 22nd, K-6 students participated in a themed dress-up day, showcasing their favourite heroes and heroines, which resulted in an impressive fundraising total of $512.

The overall amount fundraised for the Year 6 Farewell stands at an outstanding $2,947. The Year 6 students extend their gratitude to the P&C, fellow students and teachers for their generous support.

We invite you to take a look at our fundraising thermometer to see our progress!

English as and additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D)

This term we welcome two new students from Nepal and one from China to our EAL/D withdrawal groups. The EAL/D team are currently supporting 56 students from 14 different countries with their speaking, listening, reading and writing. Last term we held an information session for parents of our new EAL/D students which was well received by parents. Students are continuing to make significant progress with their English skills through a variety of games and activities.

Community Information

P&C Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

Term 2 has been a busy one for your P&C. We held a federal election BBQ and Cake stall on May 3 and raised an incredible $3,783 dollars! It was Samara’s last year working with us after over 5 years of dedication as the Cake Stall Queen and we will really miss her contribution! We would love to see another parent rise to take her place for the next election. Reach out if you love baking and would like to help our next cake stall thrive! Working closely alongside us, the families and children in the Year 6 Fundraising Team put on a lemonade and craft stall and raised an additional $999. Our Year 6 children made bracelets and keychains to sell and alongside their lemonade and did an amazing job of bringing in customers with their enthusiasm and dedication! We must thank our sponsors too - The Growers Top Ryde who donated 10 kg of onions, Baker’s Delight Top Ryde who donated a trolley full of loaves and bread rolls and Uniland Real Estate who donated an incredible $500 to cover the remaining costs of putting on the BBQ! We are so grateful to Uniland for their support, and I want to thank Andy Lin (0433 433 093) and Neesha Khushalani (0404 391 007) for reaching out to us and being so community minded.

Our second event was the Mother’s Day Stall on May 8, which raised $1,419 for the P&C and an additional $657 which we were able to give back to the school to support the Year 6 end of year celebration costs. It was heartwarming to see just how many dads turned out to help run the event alongside the SRC students. Thank you, Mrs Bellamy and Mrs Milne, for organising the students and the stall set up so capably. We hope all the mums and special women of our school enjoyed their gifts and a day spent with loved ones!

Our final event of this term was our Winter Second-hand Uniform Stall on May 22, which raised $855. In response to feedback from families we trialled an appointment system for those who could not make it on the day and we had several reach out to us which we were able to accommodate later that week before pick up and drop off. The success of these events comes down to the generosity of the school community in donating their old school uniforms that are in good condition so we have stock to sell! So please remember you can donate school uniforms throughout the year to the school office. We are now particularly low in stocks of size 8, 10 and 12!

Finally we are having a P&C meeting on Microsoft Teams on Wednesday June 18 at 7 PM. We will be discussing the coming year as well as how we are supporting the school in upgrading the school playground. Everyone is welcome to join us! If you would like to get involved in any future events please join our WhatsApp P&C Helper chat group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HqR6AoxC3CS5evWIWeDxgL.

Volunteer to Teach Ethics

RongHe Chinese School

These photos as attached, capture a special Mother's day activity where the students prepared a small surprise for their mothers. Kids wrote "mum, I love you" in Chinese on balloons as a gift and recorded short videos expressing their love in Chinese. We believe these pictures and videos beautifully showcase our students' enthusiasm for learning Chinese and their creativity in celebrating Mother's day.

Become a Foster Carer In Ryde

NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) is the lead government agency responsible for children who are placed in out-of-home care (OOHC). There is a shortage of homes for children in out-of-home care with an urgent need for foster carers.

Foster care is provided to children and young people who are unable to live with their own families. Foster carers support families by caring for children while parents get help to change. For a period of time, foster carers take on the responsibilities of a parent to provide a safe, nurturing and secure family environment for children and young people needing care.

There are generally 4 types of foster care including:

Emergency or crisis care - for children who need urgent care because there are concerns for their immediate safety. This can happen at night and on weekends. Due to the urgency of these placements there is often very short notice before the child is placed with carers
Respite care - support for parents and carers who need a break from their caring role.
Short to medium-term care - anywhere from a few months to two years.
Long-term care – permanent family placements for children until they turn 18.

Giving us Feedback

There are many ways that you can give us feedback, such as:

Emailing the school (ryde-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au). Your email will be forwarded to the appropriate staff member through the office.
Access our feedback link via the school website or
the Community inFocus. It looks like this:

High quality feedback from the community helps us to improve. Your feedback is important.

Compliments lets us know what we are doing well and the positive impact it is having on the community.

Your suggestions helps us to evaluate and review our practice and where possible, make adjustments to improve our service.

Please click HERE: Compliments and Suggestions High quality feedback from the community helps us to improve. Your feedback is important.

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