Principal's Message
I know many of you would have fond memories of your primary school teachers.
Growing up in the country, I went to a small rural school and I clearly remember each of my teachers, especially Mr. Hunter in Gr 5/6 with his big burly voice but caring nature.
The work that teachers do can sometimes be immeasurable and the teachers at this school are of the highest standard. We do not take it lightly that you leave your precious children with us each week day.
At St Martin de Porres the whole staff works really hard to make sure every child is receiving what they need to thrive. We plan for every child’s learning needs and we think carefully about the best way to make sure every child is achieving success along the way.
Professor John Hattie is a very famous leader in education and his reputation is known and respected around the world. He now lives in Melbourne. His major study is what makes the biggest difference to student learning.
Not surprisingly, Hattie’s research finds that it is the teacher that makes the difference and that difference can be huge.
What makes a huge difference is the quality of the teacher, the passion, the knowledge, the skills, and the commitment of the teacher. You cannot buy passion. You cannot train people to be committed to making a difference in the lives of our students. You cannot buy a genuine interest in children's well-being. You cannot replace excellent teachers with computers, with software programs, or with any other device. Teachers are the single biggest factor in every student's learning progress.
I am proud to say that I work with some of the best teachers our country has. The staff at St Martin de Porres believe that every student can learn given the right amount of support and resources and they are always working to improve what they do so that every one of our students can achieve their potential. They work passionately together every day to make a difference.
Last Wednesday we celebrated ‘World Teachers Day’ with a special lunch. At our lunch I thanked our SMDP staff for what they do every day, their effort and enthusiasm to enable our students to become the very best people that they can be.
Happy World Teachers Day!
Fees & Levies for 2024
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As we move towards the end of this year we are now able to inform you of the Fees and Levies for the 2024 school year.
Over the past few years, we have strived to limit the increases to our fees and levies to support families through the current economic challenges.
Schools are for educational purposes, but the reality is that we are also a not-for-profit business that relies heavily on families to support the ongoing operational cost of the school.
As a consequence, our fees and levies will increase for 2024.
My goal at all times is to provide accessible, affordable Catholic Education to our families at St Martin de Porres. Our fee structure is aimed at recognising the financial capacity of our families, balanced against the costs involved in education provision.
Our fees are set to provide and maintain existing physical and human resources, to provide for future growth and high-quality education.
With this in mind, the 2024 Fee Structure is outlined below.
SCHOOL FEES - 2024
No: of Children | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children | 4 children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Family Fee | $1450.00 | $1450.00 | $1450.00 | $1450.00 |
Curriculum Levy including Excursion/Incursion Levy | $550.00 | $1100.00 | $1650.00 | $2200.00 |
Capital Building Family Fee | $125.00 | $125.00 | $125.00 | $125.00 |
Technology Levy | $100.00 | $200.00 | $300.00 | $400.00 |
TOTAL: | $2225.00 | $2875.00 | $3525.00 | $4175.00 |
Average per week (34 weeks) - 3 Terms | $65.44 | $84.56 | $103.68 | $122.79 |
ADD THE FOLLOWING IF APPLICABLE TO YOUR CHILD/REN | ||||
Year 5/6 Camp | $350.00 | |||
Year 3/4 Camp | $250.00 | |||
Swimming Program Grade Prep to 5 | $65.00 | |||
Fees can be paid through Direct Debit, Credit Card/Debit Card at School via EFTPOS, Cheque, or cash and are required to be paid in full by the end of Term 3 each year. | ||||
PLEASE ALSO FURTHER: A Concessional Fee Policy has been introduced to all Catholic Primary Schools. This gives eligible families the opportunity to apply for a review of their fees based on the below criteria:
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage
- Holding an HCC and suitable for CSEF
- Experiencing severe financial hardship
- Holding a DVA Gold Card
- Identified as refugees and holding an ImmiCard
- HSS who attend a MACS primary school on a part-time basis, who meet any of the criteria detailed
The above fees cover both tuition fees and levies.
Our aim is not to put any family through financial hardship. If you have concerns about these payments please contact me to make time to have a conversation.
With gratitude,
Dan Ryan
Principal
St Martin de Porres Primary School is committed to creating an environment where the safety, well-being, and participation of all children within our care is paramount.
2023 - School Closure Days
Listed below are our school closure days for 2023. These are student-free days. Staff use these days to develop their learning further and keep informed with current practices and procedures.
DATE | FOCUS |
|---|---|
Monday 6th November | Report Preparation and Writing Day |
Friday 8th December | Planning day for 2024 |
NOTE: These dates may be subject to change that may be outside of our control.