Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to 2022, a year offering much hope but still with the uncertainties and challenges that living with COVID provides. 

Over the past two years we have learnt many things about ourselves as individuals, as a school community, as a state and as a country. There are so many things that we can look back on with pride and so many learnings that we have taken forward into this year that will help us in our practice and care for the students. 

My message to staff this year was to continue to celebrate the simple things in life. COVID has really made us contemplate what we see as important in life. To me, that is my family and friends and their wellbeing and happiness. It is doing those simple things with your family to create lifelong childhood memories. 

The beginning of the school year reminds us as educators of the joy that teaching gives us and is a reminder of the joy your children bring into our lives. In these uncertain times we have even a greater responsibility to celebrate the simple things. To ensure every student is known, feels connected and allowed to feel success. 

Whilst we are making sure that we have all plans and processes in place to ensure a COVID safe school, there is a sense of a return to a natural flow of the school year with excursions, camps, assemblies and sport events once again included in the calendar. There may be some differences with some school events, parent information evenings and interviews. They may look a bit different, however our  goal is to make it a happy and successful year for every student. 

Our Preps have only been here for a few days and are already settled and learning the new school routines. A big thank you to our prep parents who have obviously ‘talked up’ school because beyond a little tear or two, they are ready and keen to participate. We warmly welcome our 2022 preps and especially the new families who are joining our school community.  

Introducing our 2022 Staff Structures 

We warmly welcome our new staff who have joined our school community - Shaun Lenaghan, Kathryn Pudney, David Haynes and Nicole Bosman.

Our 2022 Specialist Programs are taught by the following teachers:

Our leadership positions are made up of:

SOME IMPORTANT RETURN TO SCHOOL REMINDERS:

Important Traffic Management 

At the beginning of the year parents/guardians need to be reminded of the traffic management at SMDP. We believe we have created a safe and working system to drop and pick up our students travelling by car and we need all drivers to follow these rules for the safety of all our students.

I have included a map below to remind drivers that the school should be approached in the direction of the arrows. When coming up Bladin street into Hillman and right hand turn into Bellin then left hand turn into the school. When leaving the school turn left into Bellin street and right into Campbell street.

When entering the school and you are dropping your child off at our ‘Drop Off Zone’, no parents should be exiting their car. This is a ‘Drop Off’ Zone only. Cars that park in this area prevent the flow of traffic. 

If you decide to park in our car park to walk your child into school, please be aware that the left hand of the car park is staff parking only. I would also suggest parking in either Pearce Street or Campbell Streets to walk your child/children safely into school.

NOTE: 

• NO right hand turns in or out of the school.
• School Car Park - Only park in the spaces provided. If the car park is full you must park in Pearce or Campbell streets.

School Uniform

Let’s make 2022 the year that all students wear their correct uniform every day with pride. 

All students are expected to wear full summer school uniforms including the correct leather school shoes. RUNNERS ARE FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION LESSONS AND SPORT DAYS ONLY. 

Our school uniform promotes our wonderful students to the wider community. It shows respect for themselves and others and ensures equality for every child. Students must wear our correct uniform and wear it with pride and confidence. Parents of students who are not wearing the correct uniform will be informed by a letter. If the student continues to wear an incorrect uniform, a parent meeting will be organised with me to discuss the issue. 

In 2022 sports uniforms will be worn on Wednesday by students in Year 3/4 and Wednesday and Thursday by students in Year 5/6.

Year Prep and 1/2 students wear sports uniforms on Thursday.

For Term 1 ONLY, students also wear sports uniforms for their weekly circus lessons as below:

• Monday - Prep, Year 3/4Sami and 5/6
• Friday - Year 1/2, 3/4Shaun and 3/4Stella

Specialist lessons including Physical Education begin next week and circus lessons on February 14th.

Welcome School BBQ - Thursday 10th March  - Keep the date free!

All families are invited to gather COVID safely on the school oval for our Welcoming School BBQ on Thursday 10th March from 5:30 - 7:00 pm.  This is an opportunity to meet one another and experience a sense of our community as we begin a new year at St Martin de Porres Primary School. Bring your own picnic. Sausages and veggie burgers will be provided. 

More information will be provided when the date gets closer!

Student Birthday Celebrations

Birthdays are a special moment in a child's life and are celebrated at school. We make this day all about your child's birthday and focus on making them feel very special. Your child will be offered a birthday badge to wear for the day and we will sing happy birthday. The birthday child will receive a birthday certificate to bring home. 

To promote equality and inclusion for everyone, the school does not allow students to bring in gifts or food for others on their birthday. Due to several students having severe food allergies, sharing food is not allowed. Sharing of gifts disadvantages children who are unable to bring something special and puts unnecessary pressure on some of our families to purchase these gifts.

If your child brings in something to share, their classroom teacher will kindly ask them to put it in their bag to take home and share with their family.

Community Code of Conduct

St Martin de Porres Primary School is a school that operates with the consent of the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne and is owned, operated and governed by Melbourne Archbishop Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS).

SMDP is committed to ensuring a respectful learning environment that is safe and supportive for all students, staff and visitors of the school.

It is the intention of SMDP to provide clear guidelines to all parents and visitors regarding the conduct expected of them while on the school premises, engaging in school- related activities or representing the school. Parents/Guardians and visitors are expected to uphold the school’s core values at all times.

Next week our Community Code of Conduct will be sent home to every family via OPEROO. I ask each of you to read it carefully and then sign to agree to our expected standards of behaviour. 

2022 School Closure Days - Giving Parents Plenty of Notice 

Listed below are our school closure days for 2022. 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. 

Wishing everyone a happy start to the school year. I want you to know that you belong to a wonderful school. I am so proud of our achievements as we build a learning community together where all our students are happy, feel safe and learn to love learning. Finally, as parents remember to celebrate the simple things with your family to create those lifelong memories. 

God Bless and Happy Chinese Lunar New Year.

Dan  Ryan  

Deputy 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.