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.
Embedded Files
Our School Vision
Our School Vision
Lifelong learners- How good can we be? Strive today, succeed tomorrow
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.
Important Dates & Upcoming Events
Important Dates & Upcoming Events
School Holidays
School Holidays
Monday 28th September 2026 - Friday 9th October 2026
Monday 28th September 2026 - Friday 9th October 2026
Staff Return - School Development Day - 12th October
Staff Return - School Development Day - 12th 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 13th October 2026
The Best Education Money Can't Buy...You can find it here at Ryde PS.
The Best Education Money Can't Buy...You can find it here at Ryde PS.
ENROLLING NOW for KINDERGARTEN 2027
We have non-local enrolment availability.
Enrolments are welcome throughout the year. If you know a family considering their school options, please share our website or encourage them to contact the school office. We'd be delighted to answer their questions and show them around our school.
https://ehub.enrol.education.nsw.gov.au/schoolenrolment/?schoolCode=3021
Principals Report
Principals Report
Principals Report
Principals Report
What a Wonderful Term at Ryde Public School!
What a wonderful term it has been at Ryde Public School! As we head into these final weeks, I want to take a moment to celebrate just how much our school community has achieved together.
It has also been a real pleasure for me personally to step into the role of Relieving Principal this term. I have genuinely enjoyed getting to know our school community more deeply in this capacity, and I would like to thank our staff, students and families for the warmth and support you have shown me along the way.
Book Week was undoubtedly a highlight, with author visits from Debra Tidball and Deborah Abela sparking excitement and enthusiasm for reading across every stage. This was followed by a fantastic Dress Up as Your Favourite Book Character day, which brought so much colour, creativity and imagination to our playground. It is always a joy to see our students so genuinely excited about books and stories.
Our students have also had plenty to be proud of beyond the classroom. Congratulations to our Senior Dance group, who competed brilliantly at The Hills Dance Spectacular, achieving an outstanding score of 90 points against 17 other schools. A special mention also goes to Nathan L, who represented our school with confidence and clarity at the Jordan Lane Public Speaking Competition at Parliament House. This was a wonderful achievement and one of which he should be very proud.
This term, we also held staff and parent/carer focus groups as part of the process of refreshing our Behaviour Support and Management Plan. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their thoughts so openly. Your feedback is helping us shape a plan that genuinely reflects the needs of our school community, and we look forward to sharing the outcomes with you soon.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to our incredible SASS team, whose dedication and hard work help keep our school running smoothly every single day. Thank you also to our entire school community for getting behind our Crazy Hair Fundraiser, which raised an amazing $436.05 towards the Year 6 Farewell.
It is this generosity, enthusiasm and community spirit that makes Ryde Public School such a special place. Thank you for everything you continue to do to support our students and our school.
Mrs Jessika Duffy
Relieving Principal
UPcoming dates:
UPcoming dates:
Tuesday 13 Oct - Students Return (Term 4 begins)
Monday 26 Oct - World Teachers Day
Tuesday 27 Oct - Free Parent Workshop
Thursday 10 Dec - Presentation Day Assembly
Friday 11 Dec - Year 6 Farewell, Year 6 Graduation
Tuesday 15 Dec - Big Day In event, Year 6 Fun Day
Wednesday 16 Dec - Ryde’s Got Talent
Thursday 17 Dec - Student Last Day
(All dates can be found in Sentral Parents Portal)
School Highlights
School Highlights
Zone Athletics Carnival
Zone Athletics Carnival
On the 17th of August, students from different year groups represented Ryde Public School at the Ryde Zone Athletics Carnival. They competed in a range of track and field events throughout the day. All students showed dedication to their own events, but also teamwork and sportsmanship, cheering for all students in their events. It was so exciting to see many of our students compete in the finals! A big congratulations to Rishaan from 6GY who won both the 100m and 200m races. Good luck to Rishaan as he competes in the Sydney North competition in week 10.
SASS Recognition Week
SASS Recognition Week
Monday August 31 - Friday 4th September was SASS Recognition Week. SASS Recognition Week is a chance to celebrate and thank our amazing SASS staff.
SASS includes our School Administrative Manager (SAM) School Administrative Officers (SAOs), School Learning Support Officers (SLSOs) and General Assistants (GAs). Our SASS staff play a vital role in keeping our school running and supporting our students, families and teachers every day.
Their dedication, care and hard work make a real difference to our school community.
Thank you to our incredible SASS team for everything you do!
Crazy Hair Fundrasier - 19 August
Crazy Hair Fundrasier - 19 August
Ryde Public School looked a little crazier than usual in Week 5! On Wednesday 19th August, students and staff showed off their wild and wonderful hairstyles! From spinning wheels and noodle cups to cupcakes, crayons and bursts of colourful hair, there was no shortage of creativity on display. Together, our crazy-haired community raised an amazing $436.05 for the Year 6 Farewell!
Jordan Lane Speaking Competition
Jordan Lane Speaking Competition
Nathan L participated in the first Jordan Lane Public Speaking competition on Friday 14th August at Parliament House in Sydney. He competed against other students from different schools all around the Ryde area. The competition was very competitive with students speaking on the topic of ‘What is a problem that young people are facing today?’. Nathan spoke about the fact that we should be including more financial literacy in the NSW curriculum. The impromptu topic was ‘Should young children influence decisions in the government?’. Nathan spoke amazingly well and with such clarity. Impromptu speeches can be very tricky, but Nathan approached it with confidence and presented some strong arguments. Congratulations Nathan! Such a huge achievement!
Year 6 Farewell Fundraising Update
Year 6 Farewell Fundraising Update
Our fundraising has been powering forward. The Yr 6 students have been selling iceblocks every 2 weeks and these have been a hit with all the students. We are on track and there are still a few events left that will add to our funds. Thank you to our generous school community for making it possible to have an exciting farewell for our 2026 Yr 6 students.
Stage News
Stage News
Diverse Learners
Diverse Learners
It has been a wonderful and exciting term for our students in the Diverse Learning Space!
Book Week was a particular highlight, with students enthusiastically dressing up as their favourite book characters and celebrating their love of reading. The author visit inspired our students to explore new stories, revisit favourite books and become even more excited about reading. It has been fantastic to see our students engaged, confident and actively involved in our school community!
Our Stage 3 students had a fantastic time at Ten Pin Bowling this term! Students enjoyed the excitement of knocking down the pins, cheering each other on, spending time together and seeing old friends! Ten Pin Bowling has become an annual event in the support unit that our students look forward to and it was wonderful to see so many happy faces and plenty of enthusiasm throughout the day!
Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten)
Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten)
On Wednesday 2nd September (Week 7), Kindergarten were transformed into a colourful cast of sea creatures and scuba divers during a fantastic drama incursion. Our budding actors became jellyfish, Rainbowfish and even some very convincing sharks, using movement, expression and imagination to bring the underwater world to life. There was certainly no shortage of dramatic talent on display, we may just have the next Oscar winner hiding in ES1!
Kindergarten students have also been exploring where food and fiber comes from during science this term. They have learnt how cheese is made, that flour comes from the ear of wheat, discovered that wool is actually hair from a sheep, and investigated how different parts of a plant can be used to make a delicious meal. They matched the ingredients of tabouli salad to the part of the plant they came from before working together to make their own salad. Of course, the most important part was the taste test!
Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2)
Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2)
It's been a term full of colour, character and creativity in Creative Arts!
Our Year 1 students have been running away with the circus, exploring drama through role, character and improvisation as they become ringmasters, jugglers and clowns. In Visual Arts, they've experimented with mixing primary and secondary colours, tints and shades, and line composition, drawing inspiration from artists such as Ken Done, Piet Mondrian and Yves Klein to create their own expressive portraits and paintings.
Our Year 2 students have been reimagining classic fairytales, using tableau, storyboards and pantomime-style performance to bring The Three Little Pigs to life with a twist. In Visual Arts, they've explored printmaking, Mandala-inspired design and Rangoli patterns, learning about Chinese woodblock printing and other cultural art traditions while building beautiful, balanced compositions with colour and texture.
Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4)
Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4)
Our students had a fantastic time taking part in the Gecko Sports Survivor Program! It was a fun-filled day of challenges, games and activities that had everyone working together, getting active and, most importantly, having fun.
Students took on a range of Survivor-style challenges that tested their teamwork, communication, problem-solving and resilience. They encouraged each other, worked together to complete challenges and showed great determination when things didn’t always go to plan.
There were plenty of laughs, some friendly competition and lots of opportunities for students to step outside their comfort zones and give things a go. It was great to see students supporting their classmates and showing excellent teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the day.
Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6)
Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6)
Stage 3 – Sparking curiosity with electricity
Stage 3 has been buzzing with Science and Technology this term as students explored the world of electricity! Across the unit, students built and tested electrical circuits, investigated conductors and insulators, explored electrical safety and considered how electricity can be generated more sustainably. They also brought coding into the mix, using micro:bits and Microsoft MakeCode to create digital conductivity testers before applying their learning to design and build interactive electrical quiz prototypes. A highlight of the term was the Mad About Science Electrical Buzz incursion, where students had the chance to see electricity come to life through exciting demonstrations and hands-on experiences. It has been fantastic to see our Stage 3 students experimenting, questioning, troubleshooting and discovering just how much science is hiding inside the technology we use every day!
OC – Designing solutions for a changing world
OC students have spent Term 3 tackling a big question: how can STEM be used to help communities facing serious problems with pollution and waste? Working through the Design Thinking process, students investigated real communities around the world, explored the experiences and needs of different people, identified the root causes of environmental problems and developed their own practical solutions. From waste collection and recycling systems to cleaner water, alternative fuels and environmental restoration, the range of ideas has been extraordinary. Students pitched their proposals, built prototypes and even used AI-supported Python simulations to generate data and test how their solutions might perform in the real world. The project culminates in our Week 10 OC STEM Fair, where students will share their prototypes, research, simulation results and interactive demonstrations. It has been an ambitious, creative and wonderfully hands-on term of STEM!
Ryde Stage 3 Term 3 Week 10.mp4Learning Across Our School
Learning Across Our School
EAL/D (English as and additional Language or Dialect)
EAL/D (English as and additional Language or Dialect)
After a wonderful effort for their Open Day project, our students have been successfully nominated for the 2027 Calendar for Cultural Diversity. This year the theme for the calendar is “Our community, many stories”. In our Ryde Public School community, over 80% of the students speak another language and therefore share their stories and live their lives in a language other than English. The 56 students who participated in this project shared their stories and their languages with each other, their class mates and their teachers. Empowering students to have a voice is an incredibly important part of the EAL/D program. It strengthens cultural identity, encourages first language literacy and promotes diversity and inclusivity in the wider community. These students are an inspiration. Due to this we have affectionately named our artwork “Around the globe with 56 voices”. Please join us in congratulating these students for the wonderful impact they have had on the school. Regardless of whether or not our artwork is selected for the calendar, their ongoing resilience and communication is commendable
Library News
Library News
Celebrating Book Week at Our School
Our school recently enjoyed a wonderful week full of exciting Book Week celebrations, inspiring students of all ages to develop a love for reading and storytelling!
We were very lucky to welcome two amazing children’s authors who visited our school. For our Kindergarten to Year 2 students, Debra Tidball shared her magical picture books Lights Out Little Dragon and Anchored. She brought the stories to life through fun and engaging storytelling, capturing everyone’s imagination.
Our Years 3-6 students had a visit from Deborah Abela. She introduced them to her latest books, including The Kindness Project, The Book of Wondrous Possibilities, and her thrilling Grimsdon trilogy. After hearing from Deborah, many students were so inspired that her books quickly became the most popular choices in both our school library and the local council library.
The celebrations continued with a special “Dress Up as your Favourite Book Character” day, where students and staff alike dressed up as beloved characters from books. Buddies from different year groups came together for an art and craft and storytelling session, creating beautiful projects based on shortlisted books from the Children’s Book Council of Australia, including Frogs Are Our Friends and The Frog Song.
During recess and lunch, the library was buzzing with fun activities. Students designed their own bookmarks, listened to shared stories, wrote down their favourite books and completed word searches. Some of our enthusiastic Year 4 students helped give the Book Monster a makeover, transforming it into the Book Maestro - a Maestro being a highly skilled musician, composer, or orchestra conductor, just like how our students master their reading journeys!
Please remember that the Premier’s Reading Challenge finishes on Friday 18th September. We encourage all students to finish entering the books they have read this year into the website, helping them complete this wonderful reading challenge.
We hope these activities continue to inspire a lifelong love of reading among our students and thank all the parents and community members for supporting and encouraging our young readers.
If you have questions or need help, please contact the school library.
Happy reading!
Mrs Cohen
Teacher Librarian
More Than the Classroom
More Than the Classroom
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Our Visual Arts Group have been working on some sketching for the last few weeks of this term. We are excited for the new term ahead, as we embark on a different art project to end what has been a successful year. The Visual Arts Group will be experimenting with a new medium, wires, which is extremely exciting for all of us. Stay tuned for updates on how our wire art comes along next term!
K-2 Junior Choir
K-2 Junior Choir
Our Junior Choir has been busily preparing for the upcoming CAPA showcase next term, and we couldn’t be more excited! The students have been putting in great effort learning our new song, “Count On Me” both at school and at home. It’s wonderful to see their enthusiasm and commitment growing every day. We look forward to sharing their hard work with the community at the showcase. Stay tuned for a memorable performance from our Junior Choir!
3-6 Senoir Choir
3-6 Senoir Choir
Our talented Senior Choir continues to rehearse in preparation for the Ryde Festival of the Performing Arts. We’re excited to announce that tickets for their much-anticipated performance at the Sydney Opera House are now on sale! Mark your calendars—this special event will take place on October 19th. We look forward to sharing this memorable night with our school community and celebrating the hard work and passion of our students.
K-2 Dance
K-2 Dance
The K-2 dance students are enthusiastically enhancing their end-of-year performance by incorporating new dance elements into their routine. The girls are working hard to master various movements, showcasing their creativity and dedication. We look forward to a great performance!
3-4 Dance
3-4 Dance
The junior dance group is working on their new routine. They are very excited and committed to learn a hip hop dance and cannot wait to start practicing the school’s special flashmob dance next term.
5-6 Dance
5-6 Dance
The Senior Dance group took part in their very first competition at The Hills Dance Spectacular earlier this term. Competing against 17 other schools and groups, the dancers impressed the judges and audience, scoring an outstanding 90 points! With first place at 97 points, the team achieved an incredible result and, most importantly, had a fantastic time. Congratulations to all the Senior Dance performers for their enthusiasm, teamwork and memorable performance!
Gardening Club
Gardening Club
With the warmer weather arriving, it’s the perfect time to get outdoors, enjoy some fresh air and discover the joy of gardening.
This term, we are taking part in the City of Ryde Spring Garden Competition, where students will have the opportunity to grow their very own sunflowers and decorate their own pots. We have already planted our sunflower seeds, and we’ve been watering them every day and watching them slowly grow. We can’t wait to see how tall our sunflowers can grow! 🌱☀️
But that’s not all! Our snow peas, which we planted back in April, have been growing well over the cooler months. We’re very excited to see that one of our plants has now started producing snow peas! 🫛 We’ll continue caring for the plants and watching closely as more peas begin to grow.
Debating
Debating
Our Ravens and Raptors debating teams have had a busy and exciting few weeks as part of the Premier’s Debating Challenge. During our school’s Open Day, both teams prepared a special showcase debate for families and visitors on the topic that all students should complete homework. The Ryde Raptors argued the affirmative case, while the Ryde Ravens presented the negative. With many parents and community members in the audience, students had the valuable experience of debating in front of a large crowd. The debate was adjudicated by our principal, Mr Ta, and proved to be a lively, engaging and closely contested debate, with the Ryde Ravens ultimately awarded the win.
Following Open Day, our teams completed their Round Three debates, with both facing strong opposition from Kent Road Public School. The Ravens took on the Kent Road Public Quokkas, debating the affirmative case that parents should buy their children a pet. Both teams presented thoughtful and persuasive arguments in an extremely close contest, with Kent Road narrowly taking the win. The Raptors then faced the Kent Road Public Kookaburras, arguing the affirmative case that all Year Five and Year Six students should participate in a cooking class once a week at school. Another engaging debate followed, with the Raptors delivering a strong team performance to secure a well-earned victory.
The Ravens and Raptors then faced one another in their final debate of the competition, debating the topic that primary schools should devote one day each week to sport, health and wellbeing. The Ryde Raptors, represented by Avneesh B, Zavyar B, Sam B and Sissie T, argued the affirmative case, while the Ryde Ravens, represented by Ariti P, Alex J, Chuhan L and Ann S, argued the negative. Both teams worked extremely hard and demonstrated strong knowledge of the topic, thoughtful argumentation and impressive debating skills. The adjudicator provided very positive feedback about the students’ polished delivery, clear structure and ability to develop and respond to arguments. It was another very close contest, with the debate ultimately awarded to the negative team, the Ryde Ravens.
Congratulations to all students who participated in the debating program this year: Ravens – Anna H, Alex J, Chuhan L, Ariti P and Ann S and Raptors – Zavyar B, Avneesh B, Sam B, Eden P and Sissie T. We are very proud of the commitment, teamwork and confidence students have demonstrated throughout the competition and hope they have enjoyed
Ms Cardillo & Mr Parthasarathy
Debating Program Coordinators
SRC
SRC
Student Representative Council (SRC) News
The SRC students have been busy helping with the recent Fathers Day stall, making sure everything ran smoothly for all the families. They also worked together to plan a fair schedule for students to set up the chess pieces on the new chess board. This chess board is on the new grassed area near the Year 5 and 6 asphalt space. The SRC students created easy rules to help everyone share and enjoy this new place. We thank the SRC students for their teamwork and care in helping our school community.
School Magazine
School Magazine
Ms Cardillo and Mr McMahon
School Magazine Coordinators
The Inspire School Magazine team has been hard at work this term. Our student journalists have been interviewing people from a wide range of industries, asking thoughtful questions about their careers, the paths that led them there, and the advice they would give to young people today. The result is a collection of stories that will spark curiosity about the many different futures that lie ahead.
We're excited to share that the magazine is now in its final stages and very close to publication. Alongside the interviews, readers can look forward to a selection of challenging puzzles designed to test even the sharpest minds.
Before we publish, the team is exploring another exciting idea: a special feature on moving into Year Seven. With high school just around the corner for many of our readers, this feature will answer common questions, ease a few nerves, and share practical tips to help students step into this next chapter with confidence.
Stay tuned, because Inspire is almost here!
P&C Report
P&C Report
Dear Families and Carers,
This has been such an eventful term! We have been busy fundraising for the Year 6 farewell and school playground upgrades, and the results speak for themselves.
Year 6 Farewell Fundraising
We have more than exceeded the goals for the Year 6 farewell with $ 8,840 raised at latest count, which is astounding as we started Term 3 with only $1,578 and a goal of $7,000. So, we have more than met that goal already and are now able to support the funding of the Fun Day In, which the rest of the school (K-5) participates in!
Part of that success is due to our Bunnings Cake Stall which had a huge response from families in terms of baking and buying! We made much more in sales than we anticipated and were able to give $1,400 to the school for the year 6 farewell from the cake stall. We also had an incredible donation from Baker’s Delight Top Ryde of not only their bread but also their sweet and savory treats which we were able to add to our cake stall.
Donations by families have also made a huge impact! A Diverse Learners family, who wishes to remain anonymous, donated $300 and the families of 6P collectively donated $2,600! These donations are deeply appreciated and completely unlooked for! Not everyone can donate their time, but the views expressed by these families were that they appreciated the work of the P&C and the school and wanted to show their appreciation through their finances. Thank you so much! Lastly, the P&C has also donated $150 from the Father’s Day stall in thanks to the SRC’s incredible support!
Playground Upgrade Fundraising
Our fundraising goals for the playground this year are humble with the target set to $10,000. This is by no means enough to cover the costs of the upgrade, which are estimated at $149,933! However, we have focused this year on applying for grants to support our goals and are hopeful of receiving $70,000 through a Community Building Partnership grant. We will find out the results in February 2027. We would rather not place the burden on families to fund these upgrades so we are hopeful of a positive outcome and will let you know early next year the results!
Coming into Term 3 we had raised $4,045 towards the playground goal and with the money raised from the Education Open Day, the Bunnings BBQ, Father’s Day stall and winning the Grill’d community fundraiser of $300, we are now at a total of $7,544!
Future Fundraising Plans
Finally, the school and P&C are working together to organise bricks with student names engraved on them that families can purchase to go around the new outdoor chess area. We like this idea as it not only supports the school financially but also leaves a legacy for the future of our children’s time here. More info coming soon!
Halloween Disco
Next term is going to be just as exciting – we hope – as we put on a super fun Halloween Disco on Wednesday the 28th of October! We had record numbers of votes and feedback on whether we should have a regular or silent disco and the results landed on a regular disco this year! We are looking for as many helpers as we can to make the event safe and fun for everyone so if you can sign up to a job – please click the link below!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0444AFAE2DA5FEC61-65709957-halloween#/
Youth Unplugged
We are also very excited about hosting Nick Kenny on the evening of Tuesday the 27th of October. Nick Kenny, a professional speaker and facilitator with over nine years of experience (https://nickdkenny.com/digitalwellbeing/), to parents and carers with information and practical strategies to support healthy use of technology and screens.
If this is something you would be interested in attending, please let us know by filling in the survey below so we can plan numbers and catering. The more families who can learn and share together, the greater the benefit for our school community as a whole!
That’s enough from me! Thank you to everyone who has supported the school through our many initiatives! I am constantly getting positive feedback on how the school has a much greater sense of community and connection and we are delighted to see all our hard work having such beautiful results!
Kind regards,
Cathrine Isaacs
RPS P&C President
Community Connections
Community Connections
TEAM KIDS
Young Engineers
Feedback is a GIFT
Feedback is a GIFT
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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