RPS Chatter September (2) 2025

Where did Term 3 go? It may have only been 9 weeks, but we made sure it was action-packed… I think we are ready for some warmer weather and a rest to recharge the batteries!

I’ve been having lots of conversations with parents in the yard about the use of social media and young people. Two books I highly recommend for all parents and individuals working with young people are:

• “Risk” by Fleur Ferris
• “Sexts, Texts & Selfies” by Susan McLean

I have mentioned them both before, but if you’ve forgotten (or your children are a bit older, and you consider them more relevant now)…

Risk is a fictional story about two friends who cover for each other while one of them goes off to meet a “boy” they met online. Its author, Fleur Ferris, is a former police officer and paramedic who was concerned about some of the online stories she was hearing. Her novel is based on some of these experiences. It raises many concerns about young people and their unsupervised use of social media (and not really understanding who they are communicating with).

I was introduced to this book by my stepdaughter a few years ago. Not being an avid reader herself at the time, I was wondering why she was so interested in this book. I wasn’t being a sticky nose; I wanted to make sure it was appropriate (and I also remember some of the books I read as an early teen that weren’t exactly appropriate for my age group…. anyone else old enough to have read “Go Ask Alice”?). As a family, Risk gave us some great topics of conversation. Yes, some of them were confronting, but we preferred she talk to us about these topics rather than someone we didn’t know.

Sexts, Texts & Selfies is an eye-opening, informative, and practical book every parent should read. There is no fluff, just straight-to-the-point advice that offers valuable parenting insights. Some of the advice may seem a bit harsh (but fair) to some, but Susan is a leading expert in online safety. She’s one of Australia’s top cyber safety advocates, a former police officer with over 20 years of experience, and an FBI-trained professional in cyber safety, and someone deeply passionate about keeping children safe online. The online world is constantly evolving, and to ensure our children stay as safe as possible, we need to stay informed.

As you may be aware, planning for 2026 is in full swing! To assist us in making sure we are ready for next year, if you or anyone you know still hasn’t enrolled or intends on not being part of our school in 2026, could they please let us know as soon as possible.

As it’s the end of term, I use this time to get on my soapbox about Road Safety and Helmets… So here I go…

During the school holidays, please be aware of an increased number of children out and about, riding their bikes, skateboards, scooters and playing around the streets. It doesn’t matter how many years you have been riding for; accidents can still happen. From personal experience, I know that my bike helmet not only saved my life, but also my ability to walk and function the way I still can. Helmets don’t work if they are being held in your hand while skateboarding or sitting on your handlebars when riding your bike. They also don’t work if they are not done up correctly, or the straps are loose and just hanging around your chin. What we do need to do is make sure that our children are careful on the roads, follow the rules, and ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET CORRECTLY.

Please remember that it is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that our school is looked after over the holiday period. It’s great to see people using the school facilities by making use of the basketball courts, ovals and playgrounds. We have a wonderful community resource and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that our grounds are used appropriately.

That’s all from me until next term.

Have a happy and safe holiday, and we will see you in Term 4!

Megan 😊

Last year in Australia, 3.4 million people struggled to put food on the table. So how can we help?

We are going to hold a food drive in partnership with Foodbank Victoria. From Monday the 13th of October to Thursday the 30th of October. We will collect donations for families in need. We will have labelled boxes in the front office area, and you can drop off goods between the hours of 8:45 am to 3:30 pm during the duration of the food drive. Please see the list of items that Foodbank accepts on the poster below.

We hope to collect lots of donations from our R.P.S. community, so that we can make a small difference.

Thank you for supporting this cause.

Anna W, Cece D & Melika G

 

• Monday, 6th October – Term 4 Begins
• Sunday, 26th October – Working Bee
• Monday, 3rd November – Student Free Day
• Tuesday, 4th November – Melbourne Cup Day
• Friday, 19th December – Student Free Day

 

I am thrilled to announce that the Spring Holiday Program will be running at Richmond Primary School!

Bookings are now open—please secure a spot for your child/ren if you require care. Spaces are filling up quickly, especially now that we’re back at RPS! – https://www.commosh.edu.au/richmondps

For any inquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact OSH.

Warm regards,

Ryoko

Foundation 🌟

• Max C – For your resilience and problem-solving skills. You have made amazing strides in the classroom, Max. Well done!
• Charlotte W – For making incredible progress with your writing goal! You are a superstar learner, Charlotte!

 

Year 1/2 🌟

 

• Ted K – For the amazing effort you have put into your playground construction during Inquiry! Well Done
• Atteo F – Congratulations on your engaging book review and innovative work on your playground construction! Bravo Atteo, you’re a star!
• Ruby L – For the way you have handled challenges in completing your Inquiry playground project. You have been resilient and mindful, and you have also supported your classmates with their creations. Keep it up!

 

Year 3/4 🌟

 

• Gabe P – Congratulations to Gabe for his excellent persuasive writing and enthusiastic approach to learning. His effort, creativity, and positive attitude make him a wonderful role model.
• Chloe S – Great enthusiasm for looking at street art.
• Charlie C – For all his extra help and effort he has shown in PE lessons over the last few weeks! Well done, Charlie!

 

Year 5/6 🌟

 

• Harrison D – Congratulations on demonstrating exceptional focus, determination and enthusiasm with your historical fiction text!
• Floyd P – For his kind, selfless attitude and always being willing to help out his peers. You’re Auramaxxing, Floydie!!
• Jamie T – For her determination and positive growth mindset. Well done for taking on challenges, Jamie!
• Hirono S – For the wonderful effort she has been putting into her learning. She has shown persistence and determination to complete her work, even when it feels challenging. Keep up that positive attitude!

 

Chess Club – Fridays, 8:00 – 8:50 AM

Hot Shot Tennis – Fridays, 8:00 – 8:40 AM