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.
School Holidays
School Holidays
Monday 6th April 2026 - Friday 17th April 2026
Monday 6th April 2026 - Friday 17th April 2026
Staff Return - School Development Days - 20 - 21st April
Staff Return - School Development Days - 20 - 21st April
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 Wednesday 22nd April 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.
Did you know you can still enrol your child in Ryde Public School for 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
.......and this is what parents are saying about Ryde Public School:
.......and this is what parents are saying about Ryde Public School:
Principal's Message
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we reach the end of Term 1, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what has been a highly successful and positive start to the 2026 school year.
Across the school, students have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to learning. Classrooms have remained calm, focused and purposeful, reflecting the strong routines, high expectations and positive relationships that have been intentionally established from the beginning of the year. It has been particularly pleasing to see students embracing new challenges, engaging deeply in their learning and supporting one another as they continue to grow as confident, resilient and self-directed learners.
Our school vision "Lifelong learners: How good can we be? Strive today, succeed tomorrow..." has been evident in action throughout the term. Whether in literacy, numeracy, science, the arts or sport, students have shown curiosity, persistence and pride in their efforts. From Kindergarten settling into school life, to Stage 3 students stepping into leadership roles, there has been a consistent sense of purpose and enthusiasm across all year levels.
A highlight of the term has been the strength of our extracurricular and enrichment opportunities. Students have enthusiastically participated in PSSA trials, creative arts programs, debating, gardening, music and a wide range of clubs. These opportunities not only allow students to develop skills and talents, but also build confidence, teamwork and a strong sense of belonging within our school community.
Our Welcome Back BBQ and Lunar New Year celebration was a standout event, bringing together students, families and community members in a vibrant and inclusive environment. The cultural performances, student showcases and strong attendance reflected the pride and diversity of our community. Feedback from families highlighted an increased sense of connection, reinforcing the importance of creating opportunities for meaningful engagement and partnership.
I would also like to acknowledge the ongoing support of our P&C and wider community. From organising events and fundraisers to supporting initiatives such as active travel through the installation of bike racks, your contributions play a vital role in enhancing the opportunities available to our students and strengthening our school culture.
Importantly, wellbeing continues to underpin all that we do. When students feel safe, valued and connected, they are better prepared to learn and thrive. This term, our staff have prioritised building strong relationships and creating inclusive environments where every student feels a sense of belonging. Alongside this, regular attendance remains essential. Every day at school matters, and consistent attendance ensures students can fully engage in learning and maintain their progress.
As we look ahead to Term 2, we remain committed to working in partnership with you to ensure every student continues to grow and succeed. Thank you for your ongoing support, engagement and trust. Together, we are building a strong, connected and thriving learning community.
I wish all families a safe and restful holiday break and look forward to welcoming students back for another exciting term of learning.
Warm regards,
Thanh Ta
Principal
Road Safety
Road Safety
As we head into the school holidays, many of our students will be out enjoying bike rides in their local neighbourhoods. I encourage all families to ensure children are wearing properly fitted helmets every time they ride, as this is one of the most effective ways to prevent serious injury.
Here is a short video that I recommend you watching with your children to reinforce the rules around wearing helmets. CLICK HERE
Please also take time to remind your children about road safety, including being aware of traffic, using safe crossings, and riding in appropriate areas. Active supervision, especially for younger children, is key to keeping them safe.
By working together, we can help ensure all students enjoy a safe and active holiday break.
This is the URL to the link above: https://youtu.be/hIkQTPzHBjM?si=LgsC_4lofhfIQ9FL
Attendnace
Attendnace
Regular attendance at school provides many important benefits for students-NSW DoE "School Attendance – Policy and Procedures
Sense of Belonging
Friendships
Engagement
Learning Progress
Career and Life Options
We acknowledge your support in helping the school improve our overall attendance figures.
In Term 1 2026, we have over 67% of students attending school above 95% of the time with many students having attended every day to reach 100%.
An amazing result. ✨🎊😃
We seek your continued support to make further improvements in fostering punctual attendance habits.
There are still a regular number of students who consistently arrive late to school each day.
We acknowledge children often rely on adults to help them get to school promptly and respectfully ask that timely arrival become a priority.
Arriving late causes students to miss important instructions and settling routines, making it harder for them to catch up and actively participate. Persistent lateness can also affect their wellbeing by reducing their connection with peers and lowering their confidence in their ability to succeed.
Together, we can achieve positve change!
School Captains' Report
School Captains' Report
Ryde Public School has had a great start to the year. We hosted a Lunar New Year Celebrations and Welcome Back Picnic which included lion dancing, a barbeque and many cultural dances. Congratulations to the CAPA students who performed at the event!
In Week 6, the Student Leaders took part in a GRIP conference, which included leadership advice about how to help others and how to show integrity. Many students from other schools also attended the conference. It was very informative but also fun, as there were many games and interactive activities that engaged the student leaders while teaching them valuable lessons.
Additionally, in Week 6, some students participated in a Swim Meet. Many students won ribbons for their houses and everyone tried their best. Soon after, the Zone Swimming Carnival took place and Ryde competed against other schools. Congratulations to everyone that participated.
During Week 8, students in Years 3 and 5 completed their NAPLAN assessments for Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. All students tried their best!
The parent-teacher interviews will occur in weeks 9 and 10. Parents and carers can book face-to-face, phone or Teams interviews.
By Eden, Nathanael, Sebastian and Sophie
Special Events at Ryde
Special Events at Ryde
Primary Debating Workshop
Primary Debating Workshop
Students in this year’s debating program attended the Primary Debating Workshop in Week Six at Rose Bay Public School. They represented Ryde Public School with pride and engaged enthusiastically throughout the day. Below are some reflections from our students about their experience:
Ms Cardillo
Debating Coordinator
When we arrived at Rose Bay Public School for the debating workshop, we were greeted by Mr Tony Davey from the Department of Education’s Arts Unit, who works in Debating and Public Speaking. He was friendly and funny, and helped us understand the rules of debating, including how to structure arguments and use rebuttal. We quickly picked it up, and the session was both fun and educational.
After learning the basics, we split into our school groups and took part in practice debates. Our group was divided into teams of girls and boys, debating topics such as ‘Social Media Should Be Banned for Children Under 16’ and ‘School Uniform Should Be Banned’. The girls were the negative team (against), while the boys were the affirmative team (for). It was really fun to debate against each other and also interact with students from other schools.
Overall, it was a really enjoyable experience, and we learned a lot about debating.
By Eden P and Sissie T (Ryde Raptors Team)
GRIP Leadership Conference
GRIP Leadership Conference
On Friday of Week 6, the student leaders at Ryde Public School had the privilege to attend the Grip Leadership Conference. The day was jam packed with music, fun activities and most importantly - Education. Many other schools also joined the Grip Conference and we had a fun time interacting with the students, developing our teamwork skills.
The day started off with an introduction where the team of coaches introduced themselves. There were 3 sessions, each covering a different topic to study. We first learned about what leaders should do at our school by discussing many helpful actions that leaders should take and watching movie clips of great leadership qualities.
In the next session, we learned about integrity - A valuable skill for leaders that requires them to do what is right, even when expectations challenge them. There was a drama performance about telling the truth and not cutting corners.
In the final session, we spoke about ideas and the challenges leaders face when introduced to new ideas. We discussed the do’s and don'ts when proposing an idea such as bringing them up too late or making them too unrealistic. We learned how to compromise with teachers and how to speak up as leaders. A good leader never stands there and expects everyone to work for them. They need to put in effort and gather people’s opinions to see the bigger picture.
By Nathanael
Diverse Learners
Diverse Learners
We are proud to share how well our DLS students have settled into the new school year during Term 1. Our Kindergarten students enjoyed their first incursion, engaging enthusiastically with new learning experiences. Stage Two students had a memorable excursion to the zoo, where they explored and connected with the natural world. Throughout the term, students have participated in community access activities and cooking sessions, developing practical skills and independence. They have also settled confidently into their routines and are working diligently in class. We commend all our DLS students for their hard work, resilience, and positive attitudes as they continue to make great progress. We look forward to seeing even more wonderful achievements in the coming terms!
Early Stage 1
Early Stage 1
Kindergarten have had a very busy and exciting end to Term 1. We have spent time getting to know our buddies, playing games and learning how to say hello in different languages with them during Harmony Week. We also loved showing off our silliest socks in Week 8.
In English, we created our own characters based on stories such as Pig the Pug, Edward the Emu and Thelma the Unicorn. Using imaginative language, we described the human features and qualities that our animal characters had. We had pigs who had jobs as bus drivers and dinosaurs who could sing.
In Science, we have been learning about living things. We planted mung beans and have been watching them grow. We also have learnt about different animals and where they live. We were very excited to have the Zookeepers from Taronga Zoo bring native Australian Animals to Ryde Public School in Week 8 for our very first incursion. We met a Long Neck Turtle named Ninja, Leopold the Python and the cutest Ring Tailed Possum, Tom. The Zookeepers taught us about what the animals eat, how they move and how animals use their body coverings to protect themselves.
Stage 1
Stage 1
On Wednesday of Week 8, Stage 1 students went on an exciting excursion to Taronga Zoo and had so much fun! During a hands-on workshop, students took part in a tree shake activity to discover different insects and arachnids. A crowd favourite was seeing the cute capybara, which left everyone in awe. They also loved watching the lion come up so close and the seals leaping out of the water. Students were fascinated to see the animals in person after learning about various animals in class. It was a fantastic day full of excitement, learning, and unforgettable wildlife experiences!
Stage 2
Stage 2
Stage 2 has had an eventful Term 1, with our whole-school celebration of Chinese New Year and Welcome Back Picnic, the swimming carnival, the NRMA science and road safety workshop, and Harmony Day. We were excited and honoured to have Jessica Cole from Olympic Unleashed share her inspiring swimming journey and achievements with us. Her presentation highlighted the life of a professional athlete, the importance of goal setting, and the value of physical education. Students have participated in many engaging and enjoyable activities and are looking forward to seeing what else we have planned. To end the term, we went on an excursion to Sydney Zoo and participated in the Bungarribee Dreaming program. We learned about Indigenous culture and their connection to the land during our workshop. One of the highlights was crushing ochre and mixing it with water to make paint, which we then used to create handprints at Sydney Zoo marking our own connection to the land and the zoo. The educators also did face painting as part of the experience. After the workshop, we explored the zoo with our class and had a picnic together. It was a fun and memorable day.
Stage 3
Stage 3
Year Five students recently completed their NAPLAN assessments, demonstrating focus, persistence and a positive approach throughout the testing period. The Year Five Teachers are proud of the way students applied themselves and approached each assessment with care and determination.
Across Stage Three, it has been a productive and engaging term of learning in Mathematics. Students have been developing their understanding of key number concepts, including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, whilst also exploring aspects of measurement.
Classrooms have been busy with a range of learning experiences designed to build fluency, problem-solving skills and mathematical reasoning. Students have engaged in differentiated tasks to support their individual learning needs, with extension opportunities designed to challenge and deepen understanding. Across the stage, students have been encouraged to explain their thinking, apply their knowledge in new contexts and work collaboratively to solve problems.
We look forward to continuing to build on these skills in the coming terms as students further develop their confidence and capability in Mathematics.
Year 6 Farewell Fundraiser
Year 6 Farewell Fundraiser
Our Year 6 students are excited and working hard to raise funds for the Year 6 farewell and graduation! Recently, Stage 3 SRC students assisted in selling bubbles and raffles at our Lunar New Year Celebrations and Welcome Back Picnic event, and we sincerely thank the P&C for generously donating $100 to support our Year 6 fundraiser. Our upcoming Silly Sock Day on Wednesday 25th March will be a fun way to raise funds and show your support.
English as and additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D)
English as and additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D)
Ryde Public School celebrated Harmony Week with the conclusion of our wonderful Harmony Day Showcase on Tuesday 24th March. Throughout the week, students participated in a variety of activities celebrating culture, diversity and belonging within our school community. Keep an eye out for our Harmony Week slideshow, which will showcase many of the activities and special moments from the week.
We also continue to warmly welcome new students into our EAL/D program and school community. It has been wonderful to see students supporting one another and helping new classmates feel included and confident as they settle into their learning.
A special acknowledgement goes to our Year 3 and Year 5 students for the perseverance and resilience they demonstrated during NAPLAN. We are incredibly proud of the positive attitude and determination they showed, even when tasks felt challenging.
What we have to offer....
What we have to offer....
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
The Visual Arts Group has had a fantastic start to the year. They have been exploring creativity through hands-on sculpture, crafting papier-mâché animals from everyday materials. Using a mix of styrofoam, balloons, and layers of newspaper, students are experimenting with form, texture, and structure to bring their imaginative creatures to life.
K-2 Junior Choir
K-2 Junior Choir
Congratulations to all the members of the Junior Choir who performed at our Lunar New Year celebrations last month! Our hard work and dedication certainly paid off.
The Junior Choir has now been opened to new members from years 1 and 2, and we have been strengthening our musical skills by playing singing games and learning new songs to perform later in the year. Kindergarten students who are also interested in joining Junior Choir will be invited at the start of term 2.
3-6 Senior Choir
3-6 Senior Choir
We are thrilled to announce that over 100 talented students auditioned for our Senior Choir this year! With only 30 places available, selection was extremely competitive. We commend all applicants for their dedication and enthusiasm. Congratulations to those selected—your musical journey awaits! For those who were not chosen this time, we encourage you to keep practicing and look forward to seeing you at future auditions. Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement.
3-4 Junior Dance
3-4 Junior Dance
The junior dance group is thoroughly enjoying their dance routine and enthusiastically developing new skills. Their dedication and teamwork make them a valued part of the group.
5-6 Senior Dance
5-6 Senior Dance
The Senior Dance group have begun their practice sessions and are showing fantastic enthusiasm. They are eager to learn new routines and have approached every task with excitement and teamwork. We are eager to see what they have in store for us this year.
Gardening Club
Gardening Club
Our Gardening Club has been buzzing with activity lately! Students have been getting their hands dirty with plenty of weeding, making space for new growth, and planting fresh basil and spinach. There’s also been excitement in harvesting, with students enjoying the rewards of picking ripe strawberries straight from the garden. It’s wonderful to see such passion for learning about nature, with everyone working together as a team!
Debating
Debating
Our Stage Three Debating Program has had a fantastic start this term, with many Year Five and Year Six students taking part in the trial process. It has been wonderful to see such strong interest and enthusiasm for debating across our school.
We would like to congratulate all students who participated in the trials. Putting yourself forward takes courage, and we are incredibly proud of the confidence, preparation and sportsmanship shown throughout the process.
Following a highly competitive selection process, we are excited to announce our 2026 debating teams:
Ryde Public Raptors: Eden P, Sissie T, Zavyar B, Sam B and Avneesh B
Ryde Public Ravens: Alex J, Ariti P, Chuhan L, Anna H and Ann S
We look forward to beginning the Premier’s Debating Challenge early next term and are excited to see our teams represent Ryde Public School with skill and confidence.
Ms Cardillo and Parthasarathy
Debating Coordinators
Magazine
Magazine
Our Inspire school magazine got off to an exciting start in 2026, with many students recently stepping forward to interview for positions on the editorial team. It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm, creativity and confidence as students shared their ideas for shaping this year’s publication.
We congratulate all students who applied for a magazine editor role year for their efforts. We are excited to officially announce our student editorial team for 2026!
Fiction Editor: Avneesh B
Non-Fiction Editor: Arla V
Marketing Editor: Anna H
Puzzles Editor: Nathan L
Well done to our new editors, Arla and Avneesh, who will be joining our seasoned editors Anna and Nathan. Excitement is building around the upcoming issues, which promise to showcase the voices, talents and stories of our school community.
Ms Cardillo and Mr McMahon
School Magazine Coordinators
Library
Library
The RPS Library has been very busy this term. During our Lunar New Year celebrations, we invited librarians from Ryde Public Library. They made our students happy with storytelling and songs. As part of Harmony celebrations, The Huggables have visited many families recently. Next term, you can see The Huggables and Books during your library visits.
We have many new books in our library collection, and students have been borrowing them quickly. So far this term, students have borrowed 3,721 books.
It is important to return library books on time so everyone can enjoy them. Library books are due back 7 days after borrowing. This week is the last week for borrowing books for students in Years 1 to 6. Kindergarten students will return their books this week because they will not have a library lesson next week due to the public holiday. Everyone else, please return all your library books next week. We want to collect all the books before the school holidays.
Remember, your local libraries are open during the school holidays, so you can continue reading. Please also remember to add your books to the Premier’s Reading Challenge.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Cohen (Teacher Librarian).
SRC
SRC
This term, the SRC have met several times to share their ideas about activities for RPS this year. It is important that students have a voice and can help make decisions for our school. For the Easter colouring competition, students provided examples of colouring designs and voted on which ones they thought would work best. The colouring sheets will be made available to students later this week.
P&C Report
P&C Report
Dear Parents and Carers,
Term 1 has gone so fast! The P&C has had some ‘behind the scenes’ things happening recently that we would like to share. Firstly, we attended the P&C Forum on March 2, organised by Jordan Lane (our local state MP) and the P&C Federation. It was an awesome opportunity for P&Cs in the area to get together, discuss relevant issues and learn more about grants and funding opportunities from government and local organisations. With the P&C and Mr Ta’s support, we raised these new fundraising options at our P&C general meeting and have taken the first steps in forming a grants committee! Thank you to those who have put their hand up! We have a solid team now to begin in Term 2.
Ryde P&C sent two executive committee members to the P&C Federation AGM on March 23 at Willoughby Girls High School. They learnt a great deal about the 2026 objectives of the Department of Education as well as the power of past P&Cs in working with the Department of Education in the past, ensuring that land was not sold and works such as halls or additional classrooms were funded. It was inspiring. There is a renewed enthusiasm for grass-roots engagement within the P&C federation, and we are excited to see how we can partner with not only our school but the wider P&C community.
On March 30, Mr Ta invited the P&C to consult with the school about school fees and how they are used to maintain the high standard of education at Ryde Public School. We thoroughly support the school’s ethos of quality and equity and appreciate the opportunity to provide input into creating a school community that supports everyone.
Finally, thank you to the families who supported our Bakers Delight Hot Cross Bun fundraiser! We had 174 orders placed! We also offered gluten free options this year for the first time and had 16 orders for gluten free buns, which is fantastic! We are always looking for ways to be more inclusive, so thank you for the feedback as it has benefitted so many who would otherwise have missed out. We look forward to distributing them on April 1!
Next term, we are looking forward to our Mother’s and Special Person's Day stall in Week 4 on May 4 and 5. If you would like to get involved please email us at RydePandC@gmail.com or join our P&C Helpers WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HqR6AoxC3CS5evWIWeDxgL
Thank you and enjoy your school holiday break!
Cathrine Isaacs
P&C President
Community Information
Community Information
Team Kids
Team Kids
Meet Matt Stanton Best Selling Children's Author at Ryde Library
Meet Matt Stanton Best Selling Children's Author at Ryde Library
City of Ryde Libraries would like to invite your students and their families to join us in welcoming best-selling children’s author Matt Stanton as he launches his new book Duck! Look Who’s Talking?
Matt, the creator of the popular Funny Kid series, will be joining us at Ryde Library on Saturday 2 May at 2:30 pm to celebrate the release of his latest title.
We would love for your school community to be part of this special event.
Bookings are essential via the link below.
Giving us Feedback
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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