Dear Parents, Carers and Community Members,

I am incredibly excited and honoured to write to you for the first time as the newly appointed substantive Principal of Seaford Park Primary School. It is a privilege to lead such a wonderful school and I look forward to building on the strong foundations already in place. My five-year vision for Seaford Park Primary School is encompassed by our passion to “ignite the spark”. I believe in fostering curiosity, confidence and connection—and I’m thrilled to be working alongside our dedicated staff, supportive families and enthusiastic students to bring this vision to life. As part of the interview process, I shared the graphic below to illustrate my key priorities for moving the school forward—many of which are already reflected in our Annual Implementation Plan and are well underway across the school.

With a career that’s taken me from Canadian snow to Aussie sunshine, I’ve taught and led in schools across both countries—from primary to secondary, and even at the system level with the Victorian Department of Education. I originally completed an Honours Bachelor of Political Science, but quickly discovered that classrooms, not parliament, were my calling. I completed my Bachelor of Education, with additional qualifications in Special Education, at the University of Toronto and began my teaching journey as a secondary school Humanities teacher in Canada. My shift to primary education happened when I moved to Melbourne and had the opportunity to teach at a school in Broadmeadows where 95% of our students were English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners. This was such a rewarding experience and a great learning opportunity!

Since then, I’ve held various leadership roles in both primary and secondary schools, spent many years coaching school leaders across the state and providing consulting and educational project management for the Department of Education and eventually returned to school-based leadership. Now, I’m thrilled to be at the helm here at Seaford Park Primary School! As a proud local, I’m deeply invested in this community, both professionally and personally—and I couldn’t be more excited to be leading this amazing school.

When I’m not at school, you’ll usually find me dashing between sporting facilities and playgrounds—chasing after my three kids and questioning how many places a parent can be at once! I'm a proud Toronto sports fan (go Maple Leafs, Blue Jays, and Raptors!), and through marriage, have become a Carlton Blues supporter. When I do get a rare quiet moment, I love diving into the latest reads from Australian authors or sneaking away to enjoy some musical theatre both locally and in the city.

But enough about me—let’s talk about something exciting for our students! This year, we’re aiming high—fundraising for a brand-new playground (or two, if we can swing it!). The project will roll out in stages, with the goal of creating fun, inclusive play spaces that inspire joy, creativity, and connection for our students. Many of our fundraising events—like the Mother’s Day Stall, hot food days, and Bingo Night—will directly support this exciting initiative. The school is committed to contributing half of the total cost, and we’re hoping to raise the rest through community fundraising and grant opportunities. If you have fundraising ideas, know of grant options, or have connections in the community who might want to get involved, we’d love to hear from you! We’re also encouraging families to support our 10-cent container collection—either by dropping eligible cans and bottles in our school bins or taking them to a collection point using our school code (available on the Ignite the Spark page). Every little bit helps us get closer to turning this dream into a reality!

We’re also looking ahead with great excitement—Prep 2026 enrolments are now open, and we can’t wait to welcome the next generation of learners into our school family. We have hosted over 27 families on school tours in Term 1 and have another 26 families booked in for our Term 2 tours. There are still spaces available on our tours in Term 2 and families can book in using this link. If there are any families currently at the school with a child who will be joining us in 2026, we ask that you kindly grab an Enrolment Form from the front office so we can get a better gauge on our 2026 Prep enrolment numbers. Please spread the word to any families with little ones ready to begin their learning journey!

This term promises to be filled with exciting events, learning experiences, and many opportunities for our community to connect and be involved. I’m looking forward to sharing it all with you and continuing to grow together.

Warm regards,

Stephania Johnson-Turner

Principal

The Arts @ SPPS