From the Assistant Principal

Welcome Back to Term 2

Welcome back to all members of our SMPPS community. I trust that the holiday period provided an opportunity for rest, connection and renewal, and that our students are returning ready to engage in a purposeful and productive term of learning.

Curriculum Day – Strengthening Practice Through SWPBS

Our recent Curriculum Day reflects our ongoing commitment to evidence-informed practice and continuous school improvement. Johanne Abbott, our Wellbeing Lead, and I had the opportunity to work alongside staff to deepen our shared understanding of Discouraging Inappropriate Behaviours within our School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework.

A key focus of this professional learning was the intentional use of proactive and low-key strategies to maintain high expectations for behaviour while maximising learning time. Staff explored practices such as strategic proximity, targeted positive reinforcement, and the deliberate acknowledgement of students demonstrating expected behaviours—particularly our Active Learners who consistently model readiness and engagement.

Importantly, this work reinforces a core principle of SWPBS: that positive, consistent, and explicit feedback can shape behaviour and contribute to safe, predictable, and inclusive learning environments. While these strategies are not universally applicable in every context, their thoughtful and timely use allows staff to respond to minor disruptions efficiently, preserving the integrity of teaching and learning across the classroom.

Student Property – Scooters

We currently have a number of scooters and helmets remaining in our bike storage area that have not been collected since Term 1. We encourage families to check if any items belong to them and arrange collection. Supporting students to take responsibility for their belongings is an important aspect of fostering independence and organisational skills.

Trading Cards – Supporting a Focus on Learning

We have observed a re-emergence of trading cards (e.g. Pokémon, AFL cards) among students in the junior years. While these can be enjoyable recreational items, they can also lead to distraction, loss, or conflict at school. To maintain a strong focus on learning and minimise social challenges, we ask that trading cards remain at home. We appreciate your partnership in reinforcing this expectation.

Parent Engagement – Building Capability and Confidence

We value the role of parents and carers as key partners in student learning and wellbeing. Parent Zone continues to offer resources and opportunities designed to support families in navigating the complexities of parenting in contemporary contexts. Engaging with these resources can strengthen shared understanding and support consistent approaches between home and school.  For more information, please see here

Wellbeing and Safety – Accessing Support Through The Orange Door

At SMPPS, student safety and wellbeing remain our highest priorities. We recognise that families may, at times, require additional support, and it is important that our community is aware of accessible services.

The Orange Door provides a free, confidential intake and assessment service across Victoria, supporting individuals and families with a range of needs, including parenting support, child wellbeing concerns, and family violence.

This service can assist by:

• Working collaboratively to identify appropriate supports 
• Supporting the wellbeing and development of children and young people 
• Assisting with safety planning where required 
• Connecting families with services such as counselling, housing, financial support, and legal assistance 

Families are able to access their local service directly, without referral, either in person or via phone during business hours.

As part of our duty of care, there may be circumstances where the school supports a referral to The Orange Door. This is always guided by a commitment to student safety and aligned with legislative requirements.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting a positive, safe and high-expectation learning environment at SMPPS.

Kind regards,

Sam Smrekar Thompson

Assistant Principal