Principal's

Message

WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY  

It was a pleasure to celebrate our outstanding teachers last Thursday as part of World Teachers’ Day. Thank you to the parents and carers who contributed such a delicious morning tea, and a special thank you to Amanda McConaghy for taking time away from work to organise and set everything up. Our teachers were genuinely touched by the kindness and generosity shown by our school community.

If you were able to attend assembly, you would have seen our Student Voice Representatives share heartfelt speeches about their classroom teachers and specialist teachers. Their words were thoughtful, sincere and a wonderful reminder of the positive impact teachers have on the lives of our students.

I would like to echo the sentiments of our students and acknowledge the incredible teachers of 2026 for their unwavering commitment, passion and dedication to continuous growth and improvement. I feel incredibly fortunate to work alongside such talented professionals who go above and beyond each day to create engaging learning experiences, nurture student wellbeing and help every child achieve their best. We are grateful for all that they do!

2027 CLASS STRUCTURE UPDATE

Our projected enrolment numbers for 2027 are currently tracking well and indicate the likelihood of having three prep classes next year, with two classes at levels 1-6. We will continue to monitor enrolments closely over the coming months.

INTENTIONS – ARE YOU LEAVING?

If your child will be leaving South Melbourne Park at the end of this year, we would greatly appreciate being notified as soon as possible via email at south.melbourne.park.ps@education.vic.gov.au. Having an accurate understanding of student numbers is essential in helping us plan staffing, class structures and resources for 2027.

CLASS PLACEMENTS FOR 2027

A reminder that we are currently developing class groupings for 2027. Families who believe there are extenuating circumstances that should be considered as part of the class placement process are invited to email the school with the subject line ‘Classes for 2027’ by this Friday 6th November.

Please note that, due to enrolment numbers, we are planning for two classes at each year level in years 1-6 in 2027. This limits our ability to separate particular students, and we are unable to consider requests for specific teachers, classmates or classrooms.

ELECTION DAY – POLLING BOOTH AT SMPPS

The State Election is fast approaching on Saturday, 28 November. We will once again be hosting a polling booth at SMPPS and are seeking community support to help run our Election Day BBQ. 

This is our final fundraiser for the year, and with many hands, we know it will be a great success. Whether you can spare an hour or two or assist throughout the day, your support will help raise valuable funds for our school while bringing our community together.

As you know, we are fundraising to install synthetic turf on the kick-off area, creating a cleaner, safer play space that can be enjoyed year-round, free from dust and mud. We also hope to allocate a portion of this year's fundraising proceeds to some simple playground enhancements while we continue working towards this longer-term goal.

We hope you can lend a hand and help make this important community event a success. Please see the Fundraising section of this newsletter for further details.

SUBSCRIPTIONS - 2027

As you know, parent/carer contributions help support and enhance many programs across the school, including access to a range of digital learning subscriptions. Following a review of the Mathletics program, including its cost, usage within the classroom and the relatively low rate of student usage at home, we have made the decision to discontinue the school's subscription for 2027. Families who wish to continue using the platform will still be able to subscribe independently.

Please be reassured that this decision will not impact the quality of mathematics teaching and learning at SMPPS. This semester, we have implemented a consistent, school-wide approach to developing students’ fluency in times tables and foundational maths facts from Prep to Year 6, providing daily practice to build automaticity, confidence and computational proficiency. We are confident this approach will continue to strengthen students’ mathematical knowledge and skills.

Nicole