Principal's Message

I still find it hard to believe that this will be our last newsletter of the year. 

Throughout my career in education I have had the privilege of working in many incredible school settings, but never before have I worked with such a positive and committed team of staff and parents who give generously and contribute willingly. 

We are also blessed with a diverse group of students who love to come to school to be excited about learning. SMDP is a special place where we look with excitement to the future and we continue to improve, grow and strive for excellence. 

We wish all our wonderful staff a very happy Christmas and thank them for their generosity in their roles every day. 

We say goodbye to Andrea Fernandes and wish her luck in her new teaching role at St Mary’s Altona. We wish Olivia Davis safe travels as she heads off to her European adventure. After 40 years in education we wish Denise Kelly a happy retirement. Her passion, commitment and dedication will be truly missed by all at SMDP. 

We give thanks to our Yr 6 students and for those who have no siblings following them, we wish their families all the very best for the future and hope you will always hold a special place in your hearts for St Martin de Porres. It has been a pleasure to get to know each of them this year. They have been an incredible group of students and I am sure they’ll  make such a positive impact in their life journey ahead.  

To the students who are not in Gr 6, but are moving schools, we also send our good wishes.

Finally, a genuine thank you to all our students, as they are the reason we are here. 

We thank them for making St Martin de Porres a special place and ask God to bless them and keep them safe over these holidays and we look forward to seeing them refreshed and re-energised for the start of 2025.  

Introducing our 2025 Staff Structures 

Next year we welcome our new staff who will be joining our school community. Olivia Allan, Marisa Te and Tessa Scott will be joining the SMDP community as classroom teachers. We welcome Tahlia Reed as a new Learning Support Officer. Lauren Middlebrook will be our new Numeracy Leader and Marlene van de Merwe our new Literacy Leader.  

Our 2025 Specialist Programs 

Next year our leadership positions will be made up of:

I look forward to beginning the new year at SMDP before I begin my new position on Monday 3rd March in MACS as a Senior Manager School Leadership. 

Have a safe and peaceful Christmas. Once again thank you for your generosity, I hope time with friends and families brings joy and your homes are full of love and laughter.

Dan Ryan

Principal

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. 

Changes to Eating Time

2025 - School Closure Days

Listed below are our school closure days for 2025. 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.