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 29 September - Friday 10th October 2025

Staff Return - School Development Days - Monday 13th October

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 14th October 2025

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

Did you know you can still enrol your child in Ryde Public School for 2025-2026 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:

School Captains' Report

In week 6, the students of Ryde got crazy with their hairdo! From coloured fringes to awesome spikes, we saw it all this year. We had lots of fun creating our best and most bizarre hairstyles and raised a lot of money from the gold coins. This money went towards the Year Six Farewell. Thank you to everyone who donated!

Students who were the speediest in their age bracket in the school Cross Country competed in Zone Cross Country. It was a wonderful opportunity for our competitors to represent our school and showcase their abilities and talents. There was fierce competition between the racers as they strived to obtain 1st place in their race.

The winter PSSA season has come to an end and the new summer season is about to begin! As we congratulate all of our teams, we are also welcoming in the new season! The summer sports include cricket, softball, t-ball, volleyball and newcombe ball. All the students are ready for the summer season.

Aryaa, Elijah, Hansen and Raleigh

Attendance Matters!

Let us know if your child is absent

As we head into the  end of school year, it remains important that your child attends school every single day. School is the best place for students to learn as well as to build social connections and life-long skills. 

We understand that families are eager to see and reconnect with loved ones and take a well-deserved break, or simply avoid travelling during peak times, but please remember that planned travel should only be taken during scheduled school holidays.  

Students should be at school every day during the school terms, until the end of term, unless they are sick or are absent for a justified reason.

Consistently going to school has countless benefits – from learning, to creating social connections and improving wellbeing through access to support and quality education.

Our staff are here to support you and your child to come to school every day. If you have any concerns or questions please talk to me, the front office staff or your class teacher. 

Thank you for working with us to support regular attendance., and wWe look forward to a successful and enjoyable end of term.

Sincerely,

Thanh Ta

Principal

Special Events at Ryde

DLS Tenpin Bowling Competition

Students in year 6 from the Diverse Learners participated in a Ten Pin Bowling competition early this term. We used this opportunity to practice catching a public bus to and from the event. All students showed great maturity and respect when catching the public bus. At the event, a few of the team members started strong with a few strikes and spares. There were 9 other schools from the Metropolitan North district at the event and we ended up coming 15th out of 40 public schools that participated. The students had so much fun and showed great sportsmanship towards each other.

Science @ Marsden

During Week 8, students from Stage Two and Stage Three enjoyed an exciting opportunity to attend the Science @ Marsden excursions. They had a great time exploring hands-on science experiments led by the Marsden High School Science Club. Below, students from Stage Two and Year Six share their reflections on this memorable experience.

We had a fantastic time working alongside the friendly high school students who guided us through a variety of science experiments. They helped us understand concepts behind activities like dry ice, crystal growing, rain clouds, magnetic slime, flame tests, and carbon snake. Our favourites were the crystal growing, where we learned how to cultivate crystals, and the flame test, which showed how different liquids create colourful flames on a Bunsen burner. Working in small groups, we enjoyed the fun atmosphere, with older students making jokes while teaching and gaining confidence themselves.

By Melissa, Jayde and Sissie (4R)

Science at Marsden offered a valuable opportunity to observe and participate in engaging experiments such as the Teabag Rocket and Baking Soda and Vinegar reactions. Clear explanations and worksheets helped us grasp the scientific principles involved, strengthening our knowledge of chemistry and natural phenomena. We appreciated being able to interact with materials safely and actively take part in some experiments after watching the demonstrations. Overall, the excursion was both educational and enjoyable, combining hands-on learning with fun.

By Harry and Emily (6C)

BTN Reporters

During Week 10, our School Magazine Student Editors and SRC TV students participated in an exciting digital session with Nathaniel Kelly, a reporter from the popular children’s news program Behind the News (BTN). The session gave students a unique insight into the world of television and journalism, including how news stories are researched, reported, and produced.

Students had the chance to ask Nathaniel a range of questions about his experiences, the challenges of reporting, and what it’s like to work in children’s media. This interactive opportunity inspired our young journalists and gave them valuable tips for their own school magazine and video projects.

Ms Cardillo and Mr Boustani

School Magazine Coordinators

What we have to offer....

Visual Arts

After an amazing Visual Arts showcase, the Visual Arts Group have gotten together again to work on ‘Still Life’ using watercolours and charcoal. They have been working on their sketches, drawing from real life objects and inspiration from other artist’s work. We continue to be amazed by the outstanding skills that our students have. The attention to detail and creativity that they have included in their work is wonderful. We can’t wait to see the finished product of their artworks!

K-2 Junior Choir

After our hard work leading up to our first public performance on Education Day, the Junior Choir took a well earned break. We have begun meeting again to work on our timing and actions for our two songs, to prepare for performances later in the year.

3-6 Senior Choir

This term, the Senior Choir has continued to put their time and care into learning all of the songs for the Ryde Performing Arts Festival. We have had two exciting practices now with the entire Ryde Choir and we are sounding wonderful. We’ve also been working hard to learn the dance moves and actions to some of the songs that we will do with the dance groups. We can’t wait to see the whole show come together at the Opera House, it’s going to be an amazing night!

3-4 Junior Dance

Our Junior Dance students have been demonstrating exceptional dedication and enthusiasm as they work tirelessly to perfect their routines. Recently, they embraced the challenge of learning a brand-new dance, which has sparked excitement and creativity among the group. In addition to their regular practice sessions, our students were thrilled to participate in a special dance workshop, where they had the unique opportunity to learn directly from talented industry professionals. This immersive experience exposed them to a diverse range of dance styles, broadening their understanding and appreciation of the art form. We are incredibly proud of the progress our Junior Dance students have made and look forward to seeing their continued growth and passion shine through in upcoming performances.

5-6 Senior Dance

Senior Dance students have continued to show great dedication, commitment and enthusiasm to our weekly dance practices with our choreographer. Students have been continuing to refine their dance movements and timing in preparation for their Ryde Schools Performing Arts Festival performance at the Sydney Opera House in early Term 4. It is an incredible opportunity for our dance students and they are greatly looking forward to it. We are incredibly proud of all of them and have seen immense growth in their dance ability and skill across these past 3 terms. We are confident that they will continue to flourish as we move into our performances nearing the end of the year.

Gardening Club

This term, the stage 2 gardeners have come to the gardening club eager to grow some herbs and vegetables. A few weeks ago, we had a big planting day where we planted a variety of herbs and vegetables. Now that we’ve come into spring, it’s the perfect opportunity to be able to do some solid growing. The students planted basil, coriander, spinach, cucumber and mint. The carrots are almost ready to harvest and the students are looking forward to seeing how big the carrots have grown. We will replace the carrot planter box with tomatoes towards the end of term.

Music/Band

Our junior and senior band students, now approaching the end of their second term together, have continued to make impressive progress. Both bands are continuing to rehearse new pieces to add to their repertoire for the end of year performance. At the final rehearsal for this term, students performed for their parents and friends, which was warmly received.

Technology

As part of our ongoing commitment to providing teachers and students with the tools they need for effective learning, we are looking to refresh some of our existing classroom technology in 2026. As part of this initiative, some of our teachers will be trialing new EdTech equipment in their classrooms throughout term 4 - as we seek to further enhance classroom workflow and maximise time available for instruction.

SRC

Recently, the SRC met to share ideas on how to improve our school and continued exploring the development of a school mascot. We also discussed ways to enhance the environment around our school, aiming to make it a cleaner and greener place for everyone. A few students had the opportunity to meet with Mr Ta, our principal, to present their mascot ideas on behalf of the SRC. We’re excited to keep working on these projects and making a positive difference!

Library

At Ryde Public School, we are incredibly grateful for the generosity and support of our wonderful parent community, and the many different ways they contribute to our library.

Each Wednesday morning from 9:00 to 10:30am, a range of dedicated volunteers have been kindly assisting in the library, enriching our school environment with their time and effort. We sincerely thank them for their invaluable contribution to our community.

We warmly invite any other interested community members to join us and be part of this rewarding experience.

Library

At Ryde Public School, we are incredibly grateful for the generosity and support of our wonderful parent community, and the many different ways they contribute to our library.

We warmly invite any other interested community members to join us and be part of this rewarding experience.

Diverse Learners

What a busy and exciting Term 3 it has been for all our students in the Diverse Learning Space!

We kicked off the term with the Athletics Carnival, where students participated in a variety of fun sporting activities. It was wonderful to see everyone giving their best and enjoying the spirit of friendly competition.

Our excursions this term were truly memorable. Some students visited the Sydney Opera House and were thrilled to experience a live concert in this iconic venue. Another highlight was the First Contacts Experiences excursion, where students explored the history of Sydney and compared the old and new city landscapes, deepening their understanding of our local heritage.

Stage 3 students began learning Taekwondo this term, which was a fantastic way to build confidence, coordination, and discipline. They also enjoyed an exciting Science Incursion filled with spectacular experiments and many explosions that sparked curiosity and learning.

Amongst all of the learning, we had lots of fun dressing up too! Students embraced the joy of Book Week by celebrating their favourite stories and characters, and Crazy Hair Day brought plenty of laughs and creative hairstyles in the unit.

We look forward to what Term 4 has in store!

Early Stage 1

Our Kindergarten students had a fantastic time during their recent weather and science incursion! They got to see how steam turns into clouds, watched “rain” fall from their own mini water cycles, and even made snow erupt using cool polymers. Everyone tested T-shirt and sunglass materials to find out if they block harmful UV rays, and created their very own UV detectors to take home.

The workshop also wowed the students with instant clouds in a bottle, a swirling tornado simulation, and hands-on models showing how the Earth’s rotation causes our seasons and changes the way air moves around the globe.

Along the way, students learned that weather is always changing because the air in our atmosphere moves around. Weather affects what we wear, eat, and even where we live or go on holidays! They discovered that clouds are made of tiny drops of water vapour, rainwater is fresh even when it starts in the ocean (which is great for plants), snow is made of frozen water crystals, and sometimes we have wild weather like tornadoes. Plus, they found out why it’s so important to protect our skin and eyes from the Sun’s UV rays.

It was a super fun and interactive way to learn about the weather and the world around us, tying in perfectly with our Earth and Space unit for science this term!

Stage 1

Stage 1 and 2-6T students recently enjoyed an inspiring excursion to the iconic Sydney Opera House, where they experienced the magic of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra performing Prokoviev's enchanting "Peter and the Wolf." This captivating musical journey brought the story to life, allowing students to discover the unique sounds of each character through the orchestra’s vibrant performance. It was a memorable day filled with creativity, learning, and the joy of live music!

Stage 2

This term, Stage 2 saw the light! Our explorations of the way in which light refracts and reflects us led us to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of our physical world.

Using torches and mirrors, we examined how light rays propagated from a source and could be reflected. We experimented with the mirrors to discover how to angle beams of light - allowing us to reflect them onto a chosen surface.

We also used the torches to experiment with shadows, discovering how they grew and expanded as they blocked more of the light emanating from the source.

Stage 3

Stage 3 students have been participating with great enthusiasm and engagement in taekwondo sessions. Their energy and eagerness to learn new skills were evident as they practiced various techniques and movements with focus and determination. The students enjoyed the dynamic nature of taekwondo, which not only helped them develop physical fitness but also boosted their confidence and discipline. Their positive attitude and teamwork created a lively and supportive environment, making the experience both fun and educational!

Year 6 Farewell

Fundraising Update

Our Year 6 students have demonstrated remarkable commitment and enthusiasm throughout our fundraising initiatives for the upcoming Year 6 Farewell celebration. We fundraised $306.40 for Crazy Hair Day.

Collectively, all fundraising efforts have generated an impressive total of $7892.

The Year 6 students would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the P&C, parents and fellow students for their ongoing support, which has been invaluable throughout the fundraising process.

We encourage you to check out our fundraising thermometer to view our progress!

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

This term, our EALD students have been working extremely hard during our dedicated small-group lessons. We have maintained a strong focus on developing both reading and writing skills.The students have been practicing new words, understanding stories and writing their own sentences. They are making great progress and becoming more confident every day. We are very proud of all their efforts!

P&C Report

Dear Parents and Carers.

We are happy to report a wonderful Father’s Day stall on the 4th of September which was run in partnership with the school and many SRC students. The SRC’s enthusiasm and creative sales pitches bring so much positive energy to the event – from helping kindy students work out how much money they have and how much change they should receive with patience and kindness to making students laugh at how products are “exclusive” or “the last orange one in stock”. The event raised a fantastic $1,078.11!

PSA Recognition Week Morning Tea was on 5th September (PSA Staff include those that work in the office, library, school grounds, and those who support the wellbeing of students in and out of the classroom). We partnered with the school to provide some yummy treats for their morning tea and organised for the PSA staff to get a free coffee from The Smelly Cheesecake at Top Ryde shops.

How can you support us in the coming weeks/months?

Buy a burger from Grill’d at Top Ryde and drop your token into our jar! Grill’d splits $500 between three groups and the jar with the most tokens get $300 and the other two get $100 each.
World Teacher’s Day (Oct 31) – donate a gold coin via Qkr! to help us put on an amazing morning tea for Ryde’s amazing teachers which includes a free coffee from The Smelly Cheesecake at Top Ryde shops. The P&C will also support the students in creating an appreciation tree on the staffroom wall where each class can contribute to writing/drawing a leaf for their teacher. If you or your child would like to show your appreciation for their teacher in some other way you are welcome to but like in so many things, we can achieve big things when we all work together.
Halloween Disco (Oct 31) run by the P&C and Bop till You Drop! We will need volunteers to run the event which includes a food stall, glow stick stall and some parents to supervise the children in/around the venue. The children really look forward to this event where they can dress up in their costumes during the day and dance the afternoon away!

As always, if you would like to be involved in any upcoming events or want to learn more about the P&C and what we do. Please join our WhatsApp Helper group on: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HqR6AoxC3CS5evWIWeDxgL. You can also sign up to be a financial member using the Qkr app. which allows you to vote in upcoming meetings.

Warm regards,

Cathrine Isaacs, P&C President

Community Information

Community Builders

Chinese Club

On 6th Oct, Chinese people around the world will celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, a time for family reunions, moon-viewing, and enjoying traditional foods like mooncakes.

In our Chinese class, the children explored this wonderful festival. They learned what the Mid-Autumn Festival is, discovered the traditions behind it, and talked about how families celebrate—from sharing food to lighting lanterns under the full moon. We also created beautiful drawings related to the festival, which made the experience even more fun and creative.

The children were excited and happy to connect their language learning with Chinese culture. It was a joyful and meaningful experience that gave them a deeper appreciation of global traditions.

Young Engineers Club

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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