Principal's Message

Welcome back, teachers, students, and families! 

It was great to hear about all the fun holiday activities during yard duty on Monday morning. 

We hope you had a chance to relax and recharge, as we're in for a busy and exciting Term 4!

Term 4 is the final quarter of the school year. As the Collingwood Magpies "Pies" experienced in last Saturday's AFL grand final,  it is a time when we appreciate the challenges we've overcome and the milestones we've achieved.

In the Grand Final all players were fatigued in the final quarter but they drew on all their skills and experiences to get themselves over the line. They relied on each other to achieve their goal, which was winning the premiership. When mistakes were made and marks dropped, the players didn't yell or put each other down, they patted them on the back and said "let's do better next time!" Teammates helped others when they fell down and congratulated each other when they achieved success. 

The players all tried their hardest and a little bit more, their perseverance and determination was evident, if they missed a kick or a handball they would try again. The game ebbed and flowed. There were highs and lows. One thing that was constant, the Pies never gave up. For those of you who watched the match (as I did as a neutral supporter) it was the joy on the players, supporters and coaches faces at the end of the match when they knew they had achieved the ultimate success, that made me smile. 

The AFL grand final made me think about the similarities with the fourth term at school. 

At assembly on Monday, Denise told the students that there are 47 learning days left this term and for the year. Like Collingwood, we too need to draw on our skills and experiences to continue to learn and grow for the next 47 days. We need to make sure that we continue to work together collaboratively and not put others down when mistakes are made. We need to encourage each other and help others achieve their goals. 

We all need to try our hardest and a little bit more, drawing on our learning powers of motivation and perseverance. When we get something wrong or make a mistake we need to try again and remind ourselves that mistakes help us learn. We too, at the end of the term will be able to achieve success, just like the Collingwood football club. 

We all know how quickly these 47 remaining school days will go. 

For the next 47 learning days all SMDP staff will continue to have high expectations for all of our students. We want them to be focused on learning each day and to give their best effort in everything they do. We need to make sure we make most of all the opportunities that this term has to offer and enjoy the journey.

Welcome Marlene 

Next week we welcome Marlene van der Merwe to our school community. Marlene will be joining us with a wealth of knowledge and experience as a Literacy Intervention teacher. She is looking forward to being part of our community and supporting students to further their literacy knowledge and skills. 

MACSISS Survey

Thank you to all the families who completed the MACSISS survey. We are looking forward to receiving our results in November to find out how we are going and areas we can improve. At assembly on Monday morning we announced the survey award winners. Congratulations to the Pepping and Tedjasurja families. 

Elise Coghlan

Acting Principal | Literacy & Numeracy Leader | Visible Learning Leader

St Martin de Porres Primary School is committed to creating an environment where the safety, well-being, and participation of all children within our care is paramount. 

2023 - School Closure Days

Listed below are our school closure days for 2023. These are student-free days. Staff use these days to develop their learning further and keep informed with current practices and procedures. 

NOTE: These dates may be subject to change that may be outside of our control.