Principal's

Message

FAREWELL CHRISTINE

It is with heartfelt gratitude that we bid farewell to our Business Manager, Christine Priddle, at the end of this term.

Christine has been an integral part of South Melbourne Park Primary School since its very inception. She played a pivotal role in building the school from the ground up and has an incredible knowledge of every corner. Her dedication to careful financial management has been unwavering, and she has been instrumental in mentoring our administration team while offering support to both teaching and education support staff.

In a small admin team, Christine’s versatility has shone through—stepping into reception duties, administering first aid, and forming genuine connections with almost every child in the school. Her care and support for families have been truly invaluable.

On a personal note, Christine has been a tremendous support to me, especially during my early days as Principal three years ago. Her guidance, wisdom, and quiet strength have made a lasting impact.

We are deeply indebted to Christine for all she has given to South Melbourne Park Primary School. As she embarks on this next chapter, we extend our warmest wishes and sincere thanks.

NOWHERE TO WEAR IT FUNDRAISER

We had a wonderful night last Friday, at Bell’s Hotel, getting a second wear out of outfits and singing and dancing along to some great 1990’s and 2000’s hits. A huge thank you to Louise Pedersen and Emily Tayler for going to great lengths to ensure a fun and profitable night. Thanks too, to Michael Grech as DJ and to all of the other parents who sold raffle tickets, collected donations and contributed to the night’s success. Approximately $5000 was raised on the night which will help fund air conditioning in the Discovery Building. We are in the final stages of the procurement process with the aim to have the systems installed before the onset of summer. 

PLAYGROUND ENHANCEMENTS

Some of our fundraising monies will also go towards the installation of synthetic turf on the terrace. This will create an inviting and comfortable place for our year preps and ones to sit and eat their lunch and to play during break times. The installation is likely to occur in late October or early November. 

CONGRATULATIONS!

Mia Taylor, a talented year 4 student, competed in the Australian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu BJJ Championships in Melbourne last week, one of the country’s most prestigious BJJ events where almost 3000 athletes competed. Her performance was outstanding — she won all her matches by submission and claimed the Girls Gi / White Belt Under 10yrs Australian champion title. This victory adds to her success earlier this year when she won the Victorian Jiu Jitsu Championship in May. As a result of her recent achievements, Mia has been awarded her grey belt and will now compete in a higher grade. She finishes her white belt journey ranked 14th in all of Australia among junior white belts — an incredible accomplishment! 

OUTSTANDING RESULTS

Comparative NAPLAN data sets have now been finalised by the Department of Education, and I’m thrilled to share with you some incredible accomplishments by SMPPS:

• In 8 out of 10 domains, SMPPS out-performed similar schools (schools with similar demographics)
• In 6 out of 10 domains, SMPPS matched or out-performed our network schools (various demographics)
• Across 32 schools in our network, SMPPS demonstrated the following growth in results
  • Year 3 reading – 18% improvement and ranked 1st for growth
  • Year 3 writing – 11% improvement and ranked 2nd for growth
  • Year 3 numeracy – 6% improvement and ranked 3rd for growth
  • Year 5 reading – 17% improvement and ranked 1st for growth
  • Year 5 writing – 7% improvement and ranked 4th for growth
  • Year 5 numeracy – 6% improvement and ranked 5th for growth

These outstanding results are a true testament to our staff’s open-to-learning mindset and our students’ strong engagement, and they affirm the positive direction in which our school is moving.

PARENT, CAREGIVER & GUARDIAN OPINION SURVEY

A reminder that our school is conducting the annual Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education and is seeking your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.

Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies. 

The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday 18 August to Friday 19 September 2025. One parent/caregiver/guardian from each household is invited to participate in the survey. 

You can access the survey at: https://research.orima.com/parent     

Select school and campus name: South Melbourne Park Primary School

Enter the Pin: 971211

Nicole