Principal's Message

We know winter is around the corner when our mornings are getting darker and our days are cooler. We also know it is nearly winter when students and staff absentees increase due to illness.   

This week we have had an average of 23 students away each day throughout the school. That is equivalent to a whole class unwell each day!

Many of these students have been away due to gastro but an increasing number now are reporting positive to COVID. It's a reminder that COVID is still in our community and that it is our responsibility to continue to test and keep students at home if unwell. This will help reduce the further spread of infection to students and staff. 

Over the years, we have become accustomed to dealing with COVID. Today, the biggest challenge for schools is staff shortages. At SMDP we have always strived to replace staff attending professional development (PD) or who are unwell, with Casual Relief Teachers (CRTs). However, the CRT pool available to schools is becoming smaller and smaller. 

These CRTs have either taken on full time teaching positions, become tutors in schools or left the profession. Each time a staff member is away Denise and Elise endeavor to find a replacement, but sometimes this is impossible. Some days the intervention or leadership team may take classes. Last week I even taught Art!! However sometimes this cannot work. 

Therefore, if your child comes home and tells you that their teacher was away today and they were ‘split’ into another class, it is because we couldn't find anyone to replace their teacher. Class teachers will always provide learning for these ‘split’ students when they go into another class. We understand that this is not always ideal however currently it is our last resort option.

Important Traffic Management 

The road works around our local community have finally come to an end. It is now time to go back to our School Management Traffic Rules to ensure our students are safe and not at risk. 

We believe we have created a safe and working system to drop and pick up our students traveling by car.  We need all drivers to follow these rules for the safety of all our students. 

When parents follow these school management traffic rules this system works!

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. Do not park in unlined areas
• Do not park in the No Parking area across the road from the school gates as this blocks the traffic flow and you may be fined

Our student safety is paramount. During these roadworks, I witnessed some ‘near misses’. It is time to flip back to our school road management rules to ensure our students are not at risk.  

Enjoy the rest of the week.

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.