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. Possible Industrial Action (This Page)
2. Celebration of Learning Afternoon (School Leaders Page)

Principal's Message

Welcome to the start of Week 3 of a 10-week term. The term is well and truly in full swing, and I’m extremely proud of the way our students are applying themselves to their learning.

I received some very good news on Friday. We have been planning our Expansion Project for many months without certainty around funding for its commencement and completion. The funding has now been confirmed, and we are extremely thrilled that our school will expand through the acquisition of adjacent land and the construction of a new building. This new facility will accommodate approximately 200–250 additional students.

There is no doubt this project will present both challenges and opportunities. Being a glass-half-full person, I see significant opportunity ahead. The new architecture will be far more conducive to focussed learning, particularly through the inclusion of more discrete classroom spaces. While our staff have worked exceptionally hard to make our current open learning environments function effectively - and have done so without fuss - these environments do present inherent challenges. The new building will provide opportunities that we simply do not have in our current context.

At this stage, I anticipate that our early years will be located in the new building, allowing younger students to learn in more focused, less distracting environments. The projected timeline includes demolition and construction phases, with completion targeted for the beginning of the 2029 school year. This will allow for a gradual expansion within our current facilities, followed by a transition into the new spaces when ready.

We expect further residential development in our area between now and 2029. Our school zone is already tightly managed, and this is likely to remain the case. Our expansion is, in part, a reflection of the quality of our programs. We continue to perform at the top of the state across student learning, parent opinion, student opinion, and staff opinion surveys. 

This is a credit to our community, who prepare their children so well and hold strong expectations, and to our staff, who consistently apply themselves to high-quality curriculum design and teaching practice.

Education Support Day

Very soon, we will be celebrating Education Support (ES) Day. This is an opportunity for us to acknowledge the significant contribution of our Education Support staff across the school.

This includes our Learning Support Officers working directly in classrooms, as well as our Administration team, facilities staff, and our librarian. These are the people who often work quietly behind the scenes, yet their impact is felt in every corner of the school.

They support students to access learning, assist teachers to deliver programs effectively, and ensure that the school functions in a way that is organised, safe, and welcoming. 

Quite simply, the school does not operate without them.

ES Day is a small but important moment for us to recognise and thank them for the professionalism, care, and consistency they bring to their roles each day.

Celebration of Learning Afternoon

On Wednesday, May 20, we will hold our Celebration of Learning afternoon. If possible, I encourage you to look ahead in your diaries and make time to join us for the final hour of the school day, and to stay afterwards in the forecourt as we celebrate our community together.

Possible Further Industrial Action

At the time of writing, the dispute between the Australian Education Union and the State Government of Victoria remains unresolved. As a result, there is a possibility of further industrial action between now and a resolution.

Practically, this may involve rolling half-day strikes, where classes are without their teacher for part of the day. For our school, this would mean that a class may not have a teacher from the beginning of the day until approximately 12:45pm.

For our area, the currently flagged date is Thursday, May 21. I ask that you pencil this into your diary, as it may cause some disruption. Depending on the scale of any industrial action, we may not be able to staff classes as usual. In such a scenario, we would likely ask that only children of essential workers attend school on that day.

I am sharing this early so families have time to plan ahead where possible. At this stage, details remain uncertain, but I do not want to leave communication until the last minute. This includes preparing families for a range of contingencies, including the possibility that children may need to remain at home for part or all of the day.

There are already some low-level actions occurring across schools in Victoria, including non-responses to certain communications and non-attendance at some meetings.

I want to reiterate my position clearly. Every individual has the right to take lawful action they believe is necessary. I do believe that teachers and Education Support staff should be appropriately remunerated for the work they do. I also understand that members of the community will hold a range of views on this matter. I have no interest in engaging in public debate on the issue, beyond respecting the rights of individuals within our society.

At the same time, I empathise with families. Disruption is never the intent of our staff, and decisions of this nature are often made with a heavy heart. There is a genuine tension in balancing competing responsibilities.

I know the South Melbourne Primary School community is broadly supportive of our staff and the work they do in sometimes challenging circumstances. Our role is to communicate as early and as clearly as possible so we can be fair to all those we care about - our families, and most importantly, our children.

Swimming

Later this term, our Year 3–6 students will participate in a swimming program at MSAC. This is an important part of our broader physical education curriculum, not just from a fitness perspective, but also in developing water confidence and safety - skills that are essential in the Australian context.

Here are the thumbnail details:

• Week 7: Monday 1 June – Friday 5 June
• Compass events will be published shortly

Once the events are live on Compass, please ensure that you provide consent in a timely manner so that we can finalise groupings and logistics. If you are unsure how to do this, please speak with your child’s teacher or contact the office and we will assist you.

We are also always appreciative of parent support for programs such as this. If you are available to assist, please email Mr Callum via the school email (Attention Mr Callum) at south.melbourne.ps@education.vic.gov.au. 

Your involvement makes a tangible difference to the smooth running of these opportunities for our students.

Noel's Editorial

I write this early on a Saturday morning, prior to heading to a small town called Terang in Western Victoria to visit my mother and father’s gravesite. I periodically go there to clean the gravesite and place some flowers in memory of their lives. It is a reflective time for me, as I try to live by the values and standards they brought me up with. I often meet my brothers and sisters there.

Although my parents passed away some years ago, I reflect that they were my first teachers. Without their influence, I would not think and act in the way that I do today. From time to time, I still ask myself the question: What would they want me to do in this situation? The power of their influence echoes through the ages - as will your voice within your own children.

I suppose the rhetorical question is this: What are you doing, saying, and modelling now that is worth your children remembering? Especially long after you are gone, when they are navigating life independently.

Having been in the game a long time, I have come to realise that children are never truly independent of a parent's influence.

I wish you all well as you navigate this complex life of ours.

Key Dates for Term 2

• Tuesday 19th May: Open Day for Prospective 2027 Families (9:30am–11:00am)
• Wednesday 20th May: Celebration of Learning – Current Families Welcome (2:30pm–5:00pm), followed by Community BBQ and Games
• Friday 22nd May: Whole School Assembly (2:40pm–3:30pm)
• Monday 8th June: King's Birthday Public Holiday – No School - No OSHClub
• Friday 12th June: Whole School Assembly (2:40pm–3:30pm)
• Thursday 25th June: Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews
• Friday 26th June: End of Term 2 Assembly – Rockstar Day (1:30pm–2:30pm). 2:30pm finish on this day!