Principal's

Message

FUNDRAISING

Thank you to all the families and friends that supported our major fundraiser for the year, the Wacky Walkathon. I’m pleased to announce our final tally of $18,205.  A final figure for Gala on the Grid will be shared once all monies are reconciled. These important funds will go towards playground enhancements with the ultimate goal being to add synthetic turf to the kick off. We will be finalising the licencing agreement with Parks Victoria shortly. 

LEVEL ONE DISCOVERY BUILDING

We are excited to have the remaining three classrooms enclosed on Level One over the Term 2 break. This will provide our youngest learners with calm, sound‑proof environments that better support their focus and engagement. We will also be able to temporarily relocate Art to Level One while the Art Room works are underway.

Thank you to the families who have already made voluntary contributions to the Building Fund. We have experienced a shortfall in voluntary parent contributions this year, compared with previous years. If your family is in a position to donate, please do so via Compass, and with the end of the financial year around the corner, remember that all Building Fund contributions are tax deductible.

PREP ENROLMENTS DUE NOW

A reminder that our final school tour for 2027 Prep families is this Wednesday, please book here.

Enrolments for 2027 are completed online through the VicStudents portal and are due by July 31st. Additional details, including step‑by‑step instructions, can be found in our enrolment information pack.

PHONICS IN ACTION

Last Friday, we welcomed 20 educators from across our network to observe our Phonics instruction as part of our broader network‑improvement initiative. Their feedback was both affirming and insightful, and we look forward to implementing the constructive recommendations over the next two terms.

BOOM-GATE                                                                     

The boom-gate project is set to commence in the Term 2 break. The boom-gate will be installed on Albert Road Drive South in the interests of child safety.  It will be a dual arm boom-gate which operate independently for each lane of the road.  

The boom-gate will be automated and programmable to operate during certain times (ie lowered during school hours and raised at other times allowing public access). The boom-gate can be controlled by the school reception area during school hours when accepting visitors and deliveries.  For vehicles departing the school when the boom-gate is lowered, a sensor will trigger it to lift.   

ANNUAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN MID-YEAR MONITORING

Our Learning Goal is to build teachers’ capacity to embed our instructional model while strategically using planning resources and routines to foster deep cognitive engagement and intellectual challenge in Mathematics.

To support this work, the curriculum team has been engaging in professional learning facilitated by La Trobe University, with a focus on the Science of Teaching Mathematics. We have also drawn on insights from the Centre for Independent Studies and the Grattan Institute. This learning has provided valuable guidance that strengthens our professional practice and builds naturally on our extensive work in the Science of Reading over the past two years.

The Instructional Hierarchy has become a key framework for how we plan and deliver a differentiated curriculum, and our Semester Two professional learning will further deepen our focus on intellectual challenge.

Across SMPPS, the focus for Professional Learning Teams has been intellectual preparation; how teachers strategically plan using data and select resources that meet students’ needs while maintaining high levels of engagement. Our Learning Specialists, Melanie Davis and Ben Sandison have been instrumental in supporting this work through team-based collaboration and individual coaching.

This term, we have also completed extensive work on the Priority Standards in Reading. This work enables teachers to focus their planning efforts on what matters most in relation to word recognition and language comprehension. The standards also provide clear guidance to teachers when assessing students and planning for future reading goals. 

Our Wellbeing Goal is to build staff capability to engage students by encouraging expected behaviours, discouraging inappropriate behaviours, and responding with school‑wide consistency. Please see our Assistant Principal section to read about our progress with this goal. 

FAREWELL  

Mr Loong has made the difficult decision to step away from full‑time teaching in order to pursue further study. Nick Lovett will be replacing Mr Loong in 3C. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Eric for the care and nurture he has shown our children.

WELCOME

I would like to warmly welcome our new PE teacher for Semester Two, Tom Murphy. Tom has recently been on placement with us in year 6 and has built a lovely relationship with students and staff. Please make Mr Murphy feel welcome when you see him around the school. 

With this being the last newsletter for the term and no assembly next week, have a relaxing and rejuvenating break. We look forward to seeing you all back on Monday, July 13th. 

Nicole