Principal's

Message

BE INVOLVED, BE CONNECTED

SCREEN TIME

I know that many of you are concerned about the effects of excessive screen time on your children. It is certainly a global problem and I’m pleased to hear governments starting to discuss the proposal to raise the age of social media use. Below is the beginning of an article from the Australian Institute of Family Studies. If you’d like to read the full article, you can find it at https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens

 

In Australia, screen time spent on TV, e-games, digital tablets and smartphones is a regular part of children and young people’s lives. Parents report that excessive screen time is the top health concern they have for their children, and they are worried that their children spend too much time on electronic devices.1,2 This short article provides an overview of the national guidelines for screen time, the effects of excessive screen time and how practitioners can support families to reduce screen time.

 

What are the national guidelines for screen time?

Guidelines for screen time can be found in the Australian 24-hour movement guidelines for the early years (birth through to five years) and children and young people (5–17 years) (introduced in 2018). These guidelines were developed from systematic reviews of the evidence about the effects of physical activity, sleep and sedentary time (including screen time) on children’s development, health and wellbeing. For screen time, the guidelines recommend:

  • no screen time for children younger than two years
  • no more than one hour per day for children aged 2–5 years
  • no more than two hours of sedentary recreational screen time per day for children and young people aged 5–17 years (not including schoolwork).

Most Australian children spend more time on screens than is recommended. Estimates from primary research suggest only 17–23% of preschoolers and 15% of 5–12 year olds meet screen-time guidelines. Screen time has also been shown to increase between the ages of 10 and 14, especially among boys. The types of screen-time that increased was electronic gaming for boys and TV, computer use and social networking for girls. 

 

For children and young people aged 5–17 years, screen time may have negative effects on:

  • weight and diet (especially from TV viewing)
  • behavioural problems, anxiety, hyperactivity, attention, self-esteem and psychosocial health. 

FAREWELL

It is with sadness that we farewell Jess Shillinglaw. Jess has been working at SMPPS for the last 3 years and has supported many students with language assessments and support and student engagement. Jess has also led the work in building Disability Inclusion Profiles. Jess is following a new professional passion and moving into a role at Monash Health. We thank Jess for her service and care. We are also saying farewell to Shane Clark. We thank Shane for his work with our children and wish him the best as he ventures into other professional fields.

WELCOME

I would like to welcome Emily Spehar to our staff for term 3. Emily will be working with year 3A on Fridays and Year 4B on Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

 

A word from Emily…

 

Hello families!

My name is Emily Spehar and I’m thrilled to be a new addition to your school community! I have been teaching since 2011, with most of my experience being predominantly in Years 3, 4 and 5, so I’m very much looking forward to working within the Year 3/4 teams at SMPPS for the remainder of this year. I love the varied challenges that teaching brings and I’m excited to see what eventuates alongside new colleagues and students. I’m sure it will be a rewarding and fulfilling experience.

From what I have experienced so far, the SMPPS community has been nothing but warm, welcoming and genuine which aligns with my values as a teacher and person.

A bit about me on a personal note… I’m relatively new to the Port Phillip area and absolutely love being by the water after having lived in Melbourne’s north-west for most of my life. In my spare time I’m usually found at the gym, going for walks, listening to music, or hunting for unique, vintage finds for my home.

I hope you all have a fantastic end to Term 2 and a refreshing break. I’ll see you all in Term 3!

 

We are pleased to introduce Harper who has joined our wonderful Education Support team this term.

 

I grew up in regional Victoria and have always been passionate about education. I pursued a career in classical ballet at the National Theatre Ballet school and danced at Joffrey Ballet NYC and Oklahoma City Ballet before returning home to teach clinical Pilates and work with the Australian Ballet's Education team. I love reading, dancing, and travelling, and I am very excited to be joining the SMPPS community!  

LATE ARRIVALS AND EARLY DEPARTURES

We are noticing a growing number of children arriving late for school. The time between 8.45 and 8.58 is a great time for your child to connect with their friends and settle into the day. Instruction begins at 9.00am. If your child misses the first part of the instruction, it can be really difficult for them to understand the learning task. Being late can also add unnecessary stress to your child as they have to interrupt the learning time of others. I know there will be times when your morning doesn’t go to plan but I’m hopeful that we can see a reduction in lateness moving forward. Every minute of learning counts. 

Could I also ask parents to make appointments for your child outside of school hours, where possible. We are noticing a growing number of families requesting to pick their children up early. We aim to limit announcements which interrupt learning and will therefore ask parents to collect their child from the classroom, once signed out, if it is essential for them to leave early. A reminder too, that students who arrive before 8.45 need to be booked into TheirCare. There is no staff supervision before this time. 

THANK YOU

A special thank you to CRT Dylan Byrne who has stepped in to the PE role this semester. I am hopeful that I’ll have some good news regarding the PE position in the coming weeks. 

PREP ENROLMENTS

A reminder that Prep enrolments for 2025 are due by July 26th. Enrolment forms are available on the website or in hard copy from the office. 

Nicole

WELCOMING NEW STAFF TO SMPPS