What a fantastic start we have had to the 2026 school year! It has been an absolute joy to see our students return with such enthusiasm and positivity. Our new Prep students have transitioned beautifully into school life, and across all year levels we have experienced a calm, settled and productive beginning. A smooth transition sets the tone for the year ahead, and I couldn’t be prouder of how our students, staff and families have embraced the new school year.

This year, we are excited to have Mr Mark Holmes stepping into a Student Engagement Leader role two days per week. Mark has already made a significant impact working proactively with students to strengthen wellbeing, connection and engagement. He is facilitating targeted social skills groups, establishing a hands-on learning program designed to support students who thrive in practical, applied settings, and conducting regular 1:1 wellbeing check-ins. This early-intervention and relationship-focused approach is helping us support students before small challenges become bigger ones, and it is wonderful to see students responding so positively.

We also have some incredibly exciting new opportunities across the school this year. Our Year 1/2 students are piloting a Kitchen Garden program, with Wayan and Ms Eason leading the way. Once a week, students are out in the garden learning about planting, sustainability and food production. They have already planted a range of vegetables and will soon begin working in the kitchen to prepare simple dishes using their harvest. This hands-on, real-world learning experience is building responsibility, teamwork and an understanding of where our food comes from.

Our Year 3/4 students have been invited to participate in a truly unique opportunity next door at the Healthy Futures Hub. They will be the first student group to engage with the new intergenerational playground being developed as part of a Monash University live research lab. This innovative project is exploring the impact of young people engaging positively with older adults through shared play spaces. Last year, our students tested early prototypes and provided feedback to support the design process. In Term 2, they will be the very first excursion group to officially use the completed space — an incredible opportunity to be part of meaningful, real-world research.

In Years 5/6, we have introduced student-selected electives to further boost engagement and agency. This term, students are choosing between Robotics, Sport and Drama, with new options to be offered next term. Providing choice empowers our senior students, nurtures their interests and encourages them to take ownership of their learning.

There is certainly plenty of excitement building across the school as our STOMP program gets underway. Students have absolutely loved their sessions so far and are already mastering impressive rhythms and moves! The energy in the room is infectious. We can’t wait to see them showcase their talents at our whole-school concert and meet-and-mingle event on Thursday March 19th at 3:30pm — it promises to be a wonderful celebration of creativity, teamwork and confidence.

I am also thrilled to share that we are putting last year’s fundraising efforts into action. At the request of our 2025 Year 5 and 6 students, who submitted a thoughtful letter and proposal outlining the benefits to student wellbeing and active play, we will be installing a Gaga Pit on our school grounds. Their advocacy, leadership and initiative were outstanding, and we are proud to support student voice in such a tangible way. We are hopeful that installation will be completed by Term 2 — we know it will quickly become a favourite lunchtime activity!

Another exciting initiative currently underway is our mural project led by Ms Jones. Students are working collaboratively to design and create a vibrant piece of artwork that reflects our school values and community spirit. It has been wonderful to see their creativity shine and their pride in contributing to something lasting and meaningful within our school environment. We look forward to unveiling the finished piece soon which will revitalise our rebound wall between the four square courts.

It is also important for us to share some really positive data that the school has recently received. In 2025, the Department of Education introduced a new statewide testing, the Year 1 Phonics Check. This data reflects the change in literacy practices and the mandate of 25 minutes a day of systematic, synthetic phonics teaching introduced last year. As we already have a systematic, synthetic phonics approach embedded at the school through our MSL approach, this was not a change for us. However, the data we have received from the 2025 Year 1 Phonics Check highlights how well embedded our literacy approach is as our students shined bright!

The growth and achievement demonstrated by our students is something to celebrate. When compared to similar schools, network and state benchmarks, our results show significant strength in early literacy skills — a testament to the explicit, evidence-based literacy instruction happening in every classroom. This achievement reflects the hard work of our students, the expertise of our teachers, and the strong home–school partnerships that support learning every day.

Thank you to our families for your continued support in ensuring such a positive start to the year. 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year full of learning, opportunity and connection. I look forward to sharing the journey with you all.

Warm regards,

Stephania Johnson-Turner

Instrumental Music @ SPPS