A message from the Principal

This Friday will be a student-free curriculum day at St Kilda Park Primary School. As families in our area know, the week of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix brings significant disruption to our local streets and transport, particularly for schools located so close to Albert Park. Scheduling a curriculum day on the Friday helps us minimise disruption to teaching and learning while also providing valuable time for staff to engage in professional learning together.

The focus of the day will be work connected directly to our 2026 Annual Implementation Plan, which sets out the improvement work we are undertaking this year following our recent School Review and the development of our new School Strategic Plan.

A key part of the day will involve strengthening our shared approach to explicit and responsive instruction. In practical terms, this means continuing to refine how we design lessons so that learning is clear, structured and carefully sequenced. Teachers will be working together to ensure that new knowledge is introduced in manageable steps, that students have plenty of opportunities to practise and apply what they are learning, and that teachers are constantly checking for understanding so that teaching can respond to student needs in real time.

We will also spend time looking closely at how we use assessment and classroom data to guide our teaching. This includes identifying the key knowledge and skills students need to master, monitoring their progress carefully, and adjusting instruction so that every student is appropriately supported and challenged. This work aligns closely with our schoolwide focus on evidence-based teaching practices and ensures that our classrooms continue to reflect the most effective approaches identified through educational research.

Alongside our teaching and learning work, staff will also continue developing our whole-school approach to wellbeing, inclusion and engagement, ensuring that every student feels supported, connected and ready to learn each day.

Curriculum days are always busy and productive working days for our staff. They provide an important opportunity for teachers to collaborate, reflect on practice and strengthen the consistency of teaching and learning across the school.

Finally, a reminder that we are now just 10 days away from the biggest event on the SKiPPS calendar – our School Fete.

The fete is designed first and foremost as a fun community event where families can come together, enjoy the atmosphere and celebrate our wonderful school. It is also an important fundraiser. The funds raised will help us continue upgrading the technology that our students are already benefiting from in classrooms, including new laptops and iPads that support and extend their learning. We are also planning improvements to our school grounds, including landscaping works and the construction of a new seating area where the current basketball benches are located.

The best way families can support these efforts is simple: come along on the day, enjoy the event and get involved. Buy some food or drinks, purchase ride tickets and most importantly consider volunteering for a short shift.

To make the fete possible we need well over 100 parent volunteers across the day. At the moment our roster is less than half full, so if you are able to help we would greatly appreciate it. Even a short slot makes a big difference.

You will find the link to the volunteer roster below. Thank you in advance for helping make this year’s fete a fantastic day for our community.

Neil Scott

Principal