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. National Alert on Mobiles - Monday (this page)
2. Production (this page)
3. No to Junk Food and Deliveries at Office (this page)
4. Class Updates Page - worth everyone reading!

Principal's Message

Welcome to the start of Week 3 of a 10-week term. It was lovely to see so many families entering the building on Family Friday last week. There seemed to be a spike in our community coming up to the levels to see where their children operate every day. I love the community feeling when this happens, and I want to express my gratitude to those who walk through the entrance at the end of that time with such positive faces and friendly greetings. You are the authors of the start of your children's days, and you are writing a beautiful book.

I want to acknowledge how challenging and potentially frustrating industrial action is for families. We had about 26 children attending school on Thursday last week, which shows that your responsiveness to our communication is strong - but I am not making any assumption that it is easy at your end. As I have said before, I have no political comment to make regarding the merits or otherwise of stop work action. What I do know is that the community responds without playing out any frustration - if it exists - within the school environment. The trust levels between the school, the children, the families, and the staff remain very strong, and this matters. 

In the long run, your approaches to potentially controversial actions are about supporting children and their education, regardless of the lens you put on them. We have a professional staff who genuinely care about the support and education of your children. As a neutral statement, any well-funded system with supported staff has more chance of thriving than one that is not well-resourced. I appreciate that people will have different interpretations of the phrase "well-funded."

I have provided quite a bit of detail in the articles below that I want you to pay attention to. 

One piece to highlight - although it is a very small part of our population, we have seen a small trend towards parents dropping off junk food to be delivered to their children at the office. Please read that article below and consider making some amendments. Junk food now and then is something I enjoy myself - but repeated exposure is harmful, and it is hard to watch. And, the expectation that office staff are delivery people is an assumption that I don't want to promote. They have work to do as well - and this is not a core function.

I hope you have a lovely week. Thank you to the parents who have mentioned to me that they read the Principal Newsfeeds and the articles that I take time to produce - as well as the articles that our staff produce in the following pages. Your engagement is appreciated. It shows an interest beyond the superficial in your child's schooling.

National AusAlert Test – Monday 27th July, 2:00pm

Families are advised that a national test of the new AusAlert emergency warning system will take place on Monday 27th July at 2:00pm.

During the test, compatible mobile devices (including phones, tablets and smart watches) will sound a loud siren-like alert and vibrate for approximately 10 seconds, even if set to silent or do not disturb. The message will clearly state that it is a test and no action is required.

As the test occurs during students’ lunchtime play period, it is unlikely to have any impact on learning or classroom activities. Student phones and smart devices should continue to be switched off and stored securely during the school day in line with school policy.

If students hear or see the alert, staff will be available to provide reassurance and support.

Families who may have concerns about hidden or safety devices should note that devices can be turned off or placed in aeroplane mode before the test to avoid receiving the alert.

For more information, please refer to the Staying safe with AusAlert page. 

Nature v Nurture

In my spare time, on weekends, I try to do some thinking, reading, and wondering about the key drivers of outcomes for children. There is an age-old debate around nature versus nurture. It can trend towards controversial theories, so I am not going to go into those areas.

One of the more neutral ways of looking at this is through the genetic effects on human height. The current science suggests that approximately 80% of height traits are heritable - which seems inherently biased towards the pre-ordained. You will be as tall as you will be. Having said that, studies show that the average height of a person born in Japan has risen by about five centimetres over the last 100 years. The environment - things like nutrition - has had a marked effect on heights in this population, which means that the 20% that is not heritable carries a lot of influence over a long period of time. And there is a virtuous cycle at play: the taller you become, the 80% heritability then kicks in to potentially make the next generation taller.

What does this all mean?

If we assume that intelligence and aptitude of mind is a 50/50 mix of nature and nurture - which current science would broadly support - then there is a great deal we can do to influence the environment in ways that have a profound effect on students' outcomes and their life chances. My current reading suggests that the older a person gets, the less influence that 50/50 mix has on intelligence outcomes. The ability to fundamentally alter an adolescent's intelligence trajectory becomes more of an 80/20 proposition (i.e. less likely) than it was at birth, when it was closer to 50/50.

So when your baby was born, you may have looked in the mirror and thought, "There is a 50/50 chance that my child will inherit our intelligence." However, the environment you provide - nutrition, immersion in language, reading, and other mental stimuli - offers a rich playground upon which to alter the intelligence trajectory and life chances of your little one.

What does this mean at the school level? 

I think it is fairly self-evident. If your child does their homework, has minimal distractions when doing focused, concentrated work like reading, returns their books, and follows the school's guidance in partnership with you as a parent - there is a huge opportunity to alter the aptitude and life chances of any child. 

Conversely, a poorly constructed environment - with many distractions, poor diet, lack of sleep, no routines, no reading, and no homework - can profoundly and negatively affect that student's outcomes. Of course, there are children for whom additional factors are at play, and for those families, the school works closely and individually to ensure every child has the best possible chance.

The longer I do this job, the more I see that a partnership between home and school, focussed on controlling the environment of young children in particular, has an incredible effect on outcomes. I have said before that a child struggling with reading in Year 3 has a high correlation with an adolescent struggling with reading in Year 12. A Year 3 struggler does not absolutely become a Year 12 struggler - but the chances are significant. The more work we do early, and the more focused we become when we find those struggles, the greater the chance we give your child to succeed. And that should be - for teachers, parents, and our entire community - the ultimate goal.

As a footnote, I do not claim that everything in this article represents absolute truth because scientific facts evolve over time and remain disputable - but I believe it to be reasonably accurate, both intuitively and scientifically. I say this not to be controversial, but to underline the profound influence that South Melbourne Primary School, and the homes our children come from, have on their futures. The weight of our responsibility remains important regardless.

Production - Monday 7 September

Costume preparation, ticket sales and volunteer assistance callouts will come out soon. There will be a separate Compass Newsfeed in the coming weeks.

Encouraging Healthy Lunch Choices at SMPS

At SMPS, we encourage balanced and nutritious meals to support students’ concentration, energy levels, and overall well-being. Recently, we have noticed an increase in low-nutrition, fast food meals being delivered to students as last-minute replacements when lunch has been forgotten or not ordered.

We understand that sometimes lunches get left behind, orders are missed, or life simply gets busy, and food delivery can be a convenient solution. However, we kindly ask families to consider the nutritional and social impact of these choices.

Healthier Alternatives for Last-Minute Lunches

Instead of fast food options like McDonald’s or Domino’s, we encourage families to choose healthier alternatives such as:✅ Sushi (Sushi Hub, Roll’d)✅ Wraps or Toasted Sandwiches (Subway, local cafés)✅Salads or Poke Bowls (Grill’d, Fishbowl)

Why It Matters

🥗 Balanced Meals for Better Focus – Nutrient-rich meals with protein, fiber, and healthy fats help maintain steady energy levels, improving concentration and mood throughout the day.

💬 Social & Emotional Impact – Receiving a "treat" takeaway meal can unintentionally send the message that forgetting lunch means getting McDonald's, which may create feelings of exclusion among peers.

By making mindful food choices, we can help create a positive and inclusive lunchtime experience for all students. Thank you for your support in promoting healthy habits at SMPS!

Port Sport for Girls – Free Come & Try!

Local sporting clubs are coming together to host a fun Port Sport for Girls “Come & Try” session for girls of all abilities.

Girls will have the chance to try a range of sports including AFL football, soccer, cricket, baseball, basketball, netball and gymnastics in a relaxed and supportive environment. It’s a great opportunity for girls to try something new, build confidence and see what their local community sporting clubs have to offer.

📅 Tuesday 4 August⏰ 3:30pm – 5:00pm📍 Kirrip Park

No experience is needed – just come along and have a go!

We’d love to see South Melbourne Primary students and families there. 

For more details & contact information for the sporting clubs, please visit: https://pmcjfc.com.au/pages/port-sports-for-girls

Key Dates - Term 3

• Friday 14 August: Whole School Assembly (2:40pm-3:30pm)
• Wednesday 19 - Friday 21 August: Year 3/4 Camp
• Monday 7 September: Whole School Production - 5:00pm
• Friday 18 September: End of Term 3 - Footy Colours Day (1:30pm-2:30pm) - 2:30pm finish on this day!