Principal's Message

Principal's Message

Happy Diwali to all of our families who celebrate this significant event. Our staff gathered early on Friday morning before the arrival of our children and families to chalk some symbols on the pavement to recognise the upcoming celebration. Please refer to the article below and find a video link which captures the spirit.

I also have included a poem below by renown writer Maya Angelou titled "Human Family". It celebrates our differences (and sameness). I wish you all peace and kindness, regardless of your ideas about how the world works. I know you wish the same in return.

It has been a busy week with our Annual Art Show happily stealing the limelight. Still being a young school in terms of history, we are building the quality of this event each year. Miss Phoebe, our Visual Arts teacher, passionately worked away with the students to produce some lovely art pieces. We are extremely grateful for the support of our families who gave generously to the cause. We will tag all of the money we raised to reinvest into the Visual Arts program to make it even bigger and better next year. We will invest in some materials to make the displays even more impressive. Gratitude for your donation of time and money to support our children and staff to be their best.

We are into the start of Week 7 of term and are busily planning for end-of-year events and transitions to 2024. This involves plotting students and staff into new grades. There is a quick survey below which we would be grateful for your input. Please ignore if you have done this already, but its purpose is to give us an indication of your intentions on the last Monday and Tuesday of the year. It really helps our planning when you fill these forms out as we need to cater for the number of students intending on turning up in the last week.

Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th December Intentions

• On Friday 15th December, at approximately 2:00/2:30pm we will be having our Final Whole School Assembly of the year! Parents are welcome to attend. We will finish at 3:30pm. 
• Many families have already indicated that they will be leaving for their holidays that following weekend and will therefore not be attending school on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th December.
• We kindly ask that you state your intentions for your child(ren's) attendance on these dates so we can plan accordingly. 
• Wednesday 20th December is a student-free day and the OSH club will be open for those who need to use their services.
• Click on this link and complete the survey. (only if you haven't done so already)

Diwali

This weekend, many SMPS families will celebrate Diwali. Diwali is a Hindu holiday, sometimes called the Festival of Lights. This special day celebrates good over evil and light over dark. To recognise Diwali at school, our amazing staff used chalk to create some Rangoli on the forecourt of SMPS. If you and your family would like to learn more about Diwali, you can check out this video. We wish a very Happy Diwali to all families celebrating this weekend!

Poem: Human Family (Maya Angelou)

I note the obvious differences

in the human family.

Some of us are serious,

some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived

as true profundity,

and others claim they really live

the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones

can confuse, bemuse, delight,

brown and pink and beige and purple,

tan and blue and white.

I've sailed upon the seven seas

and stopped in every land,

I've seen the wonders of the world

not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women

called Jane and Mary Jane,

but I've not seen any two

who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different

although their features jibe,

and lovers think quite different thoughts

while lying side by side.

We love and lose in China,

we weep on England's moors,

and laugh and moan in Guinea,

and thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland,

are born and die in Maine.

In minor ways we differ,

in major we're the same.

I note the obvious differences

between each sort and type,

but we are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.