Principal's Message

Headlines - Please Note

We encourage you to read this entire newsletter as lots of effort has been put into its production.  Here are the most urgent and important details to read in this edition (not just on this first page):

1. Book Week (see below and Learning Page)
2. Production (see below)

Principal's Message

Welcome to the start of Week 7 of a 10-week term. The action is coming thick and fast, with Book Week and the School Production dominating the immediate landscape. These are two events that require community support, and I am very optimistic that everyone will get behind them. Our community always rises to the occasion when it comes to supporting whole-school events. I'm sure this will be no different.

I have written a piece below about our visitors who came to the school from various parts of the world last week. They commented on the beautiful spirit that they felt on Family Friday, as parents and students walked through the front door. It may not be known to you, but this is an incredible feature of our school. Our parents are interested enough to support their school and their own children's learning, but not so intrusive that they get in the way of the work unnecessarily. Some schools do not have enough interest from their parents, and that can be an inhibitor to student progression. Other schools have invasive parent attitudes where small things become bigger than they need to be. Ours strikes a beautiful balance.

I usually have an expanded musing in my articles, but to be honest, this week I'm just revelling in the fact that our community really is the heart and soul of why we are one of the great schools in the state, and in fact, across the world.

I hope you have a lovely start to the week, and I hope I get to see you all at the Book Fair and the School Production.

Book Week (Fair and Parade) - This Week 

Book Week is coming up this week (24-28 August), with this year's theme Symphony of Stories. Look out for the Book Week Parade and the Lamont Book Fair, both running this week. Full details, including times and costume ideas, are on the later pages of this iNewsletter.

Production

A quick reminder that our School Production is fast approaching (Monday 7 September - 5:00pm-7:00pm). So far 588 tickets have been sold. That's 54% of our families. If you haven't yet secured yours, keep an eye out for a reminder email coming soon. And as always, if ticket cost is a barrier for your family, please don't hesitate to reach out - we're glad to help.

To support the students, it would be great if we had 100% of the families at the Production. I know you will do your best.

Years 3 and 4 Camp Celebration and Thank You

It was such a pleasure for Mr Callum and I to visit the Year 3-4 camp last Thursday. All the students who attended were cooperative and threw themselves into every activity with real enthusiasm. Seeing children in this setting is quite different to seeing them in the school context - there is a different kind of learning happening when the walls come down.

I spent an hour standing on the balcony, overlooking the natural habitat where the students were playing among the plants and rocks, and in that whole hour I didn't see a single moment that needed intervention. The children were cooperative and kind with one another, without prompting and without anyone watching for it.

Thank you to Miss Megan for her excellent organisation as camp leader. Thank you too to the staff who gave up their own time to attend - goodwill that held firm even with potential industrial action on the horizon. And to the parent helpers, without whom the camp simply would not have happened - thank you.

Educator Tour (Including Visitors from South Korea)

Last week we hosted a delegation of educators from South Korea, along with visitors from Crib Point Primary School and Saint Peter's Primary School here in Victoria. We also had representatives from the state Victorian education system. Altogether, around a dozen educators spent time touring our school, observing our programs and looking closely at how we operate.

This happens more often than most families would realise. In fact, we regularly have to turn visitors away simply because of the volume of interest - schools and educators wanting to see what we do and how we do it. I say this not to boast, but to recognise that SMPS has become a lighthouse for excellence, locally, nationally and now internationally. It is not a small thing, and it is not an accident.

I am immensely proud of what our staff and students bring to this school every day. Proud enough that we are always happy to open our doors and let others learn from it.

Uniform Spot-Check Results

I want to take a moment to thank our parents for their support of our uniform policy. Our students look incredible in their uniforms, and it's clear how diligent families are in getting the details right each morning. Visitors to the school always comment on how wonderfully presented our children are.  

This term, 95% of students were in full, correct uniform. Where we did see a slip, it was almost always the same two culprits: navy socks or black leather shoes.

Uniforms matter for more than appearances. There's real pride in walking through the gate looking neat and put-together, and that pride shows in how children carry themselves. It also builds a sense of teamwork - we are all part of the South Melbourne Primary School team, and dressing as one is a small but constant reminder of that. There's also a practical, safety-driven reason: when our students are out in the community - on excursions, on public transport, anywhere they represent us beyond the school gate - a consistent uniform means a SMPS child can be quickly identified and looked after if something goes wrong.

Key Dates - Term 3

• Thursday 27 August: Book Week Parade (9:30am-11:00am)
• Friday 4 September: House Assembly - Fathers Day Performance (2:40pm-3:30pm)
• Monday 7 September: Whole School Production (5:00pm-7:00pm)
• Friday 18 September: End of Term 3 - Footy Colours Day (1:30pm-2:30pm) - 2:30pm finish on this day!