Principal's Message

I would like to congratulate every parent that manages to get their children to school on time! Well done! You are giving your family a great start in life and setting your children up for success each day.

It is really important for me to be punctual. I hate being late. Sometimes, even though I try really hard, I am late (mostly due to traffic or a teenage melt down at home that morning) but I do everything that I can to be punctual. 

It is important to me to be on time because I know that if I miss the beginning of a meeting, or a day of learning, or even a film, I will not have a really good understanding of what is going on. I may have missed something really important that changes everything that I hear for the rest of the meeting, or I may miss out on the information that something will be sent to me or that someone else is responsible for doing things.

I am concerned about the number of students who come late to school. I do understand that Laverton traffic can be unpredictable. However, I often wonder how do students who are consistently late manage their learning for the rest of the day when the class has already finished the important information about what is going on that day? 

If the student misses information for even one day, that may affect their learning in the week ahead. They may not know that a notice needs to be returned on Thursday or a change of plans for PE means you need sports shoes on Tuesday not Wednesday. Late students also miss that vital introduction of a lesson that sets them up for success. 

When students arrive late for school one day here and there it can have a real effect on both their learning and their self esteem.

That is the sad part, in most cases, the child is not responsible for getting themselves to school on time. Ah! I can hear some parents saying “the child is responsible for us being late” or “they dilly dally over breakfast” or “they will not turn off the TV” or “they do not get dressed when I ask them to” - “they are the reason why we are late”. I know about these tactics, I still clearly remember our mornings in getting my boys ready for school. 

The rules for the morning routine need to be established and agreed to by the whole family so everyone can do what they need to do. Children have no right to be making adults late for their commitments.

If your family needs a routine in the mornings to get out on time, sit down together and work one out. Once it is in place, stick to it. You are the boss, Mums and Dads, because you are responsible adults. Make a decision to all be on time and I bet you will see a big improvement in every aspect of your child’s school life.

Finally, a big thank you to all the families who came to our opening school picnic. It is always a special way to begin the year as a school community. It was so rewarding to see so many happy faces enjoying catching up with each other.

With sincere gratitude,

Dan Ryan

Principal

St Martin de Porres Primary School is committed to creating an environment where the safety, wellbeing, 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 further develop their learning and keep informed with current practice and procedures. 

NOTE: These dates may be subject to change that may be outside of our control.