Principal's Message

Catholic Education Week at SMDP

This week we celebrated Catholic Education Week, a special time across Melbourne when Catholic schools pause to reflect on our shared mission to learn with purpose, to act with kindness and to grow together as communities of hope.

This year’s theme, Christ beside me: Walking in the footsteps of Saint Patrick, invited us to think deeply about the qualities Saint Patrick modelled throughout his life. His courage, kindness, sense of welcome and unwavering hope continue to inspire our school community today. These values shape the way we learn, the way we treat one another and the way we build a strong, connected environment for every child and family at SMDP.

As part of the week, we also acknowledged Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17. We extended our warmest wishes to all our Irish staff and families and to their loved ones back home in Ireland. Our school has been enriched over many years by the presence of wonderful Irish educators and families whose warmth, humour and deep sense of community have become part of the fabric of SMDP.

Open Days @ SMDP

We were delighted to welcome many prospective families through our doors during Open Week. It was a joy to share the energy, learning and spirit of our school with so many visitors. Our Year 6 student leaders have been proudly guiding families around the school, and we have received wonderful feedback about their confidence, warmth and the way they speak about their learning. Many visitors commented on what a welcoming community we have and how engaged and enthusiastic our learners are. 

Our Open Days continue next week and we look forward to meeting even more families who are considering joining our SMDP community.

Enrolments are now open for Prep 2027. If you are a current family with a child starting Prep next year, please visit our school website to complete the online application form.

NAPLAN

We are pleased to share that NAPLAN  has now concluded for our Year 3 and Year 5 students. NAPLAN is a national assessment that gives schools and families a snapshot of how students are developing in key areas of literacy and numeracy. It is not a test students can “study” for; rather, it reflects the learning they have been building over time in the classroom.

Visual Arts News

Each year, MACS hosts the Creative Arts Exhibition at the Catholic Leadership Centre in Melbourne, inviting schools across the Melbourne Archdiocese to submit student artworks for consideration.

We are delighted to share that five SMDP students have had their artworks selected for display in this year’s exhibition. Congratulations to Claudia, Yanet, Niven Celine and Lasya on this wonderful achievement.

The artworks will be on display at the Catholic Leadership Centre from March 15 to March 22. Entry is free, and tickets are available to book via TryBooking.

Warm regards, 

Elise Coghlan

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. 

 2026 - School Closure Days

Listed below are our school closure days for 2026. 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.