School President Report

Welcome back to all of our students, families and staff. In particular, a big welcome to the Port Melbourne community to those new to the school. I hope that you all managed to relax, recharge and refresh. It was great to see all the new preps starting yesterday and wondering how long those new uniforms will stay that clean! We also have a number of new teachers so please make them feel welcome.

We have seen a lot of change over the last few years.  Last year was the first full year back after COVID and I’m hoping that, with a year behind us, this year can be more ‘normal’.

The grounds are looking fantastic and it was great way for everyone to return to school. This is a result of significant investment in the last few years with the building project near completion.  We have the one section to complete near the entrance and are hoping that we can finish that in the next couple of months. Thanks to Kaye Linsdell (Business Manager) for organising the resurfacing of the outdoor basketball court in Borough colours over the holidays.

You will see that the Kiss and Go zone on Clark St has moved closer to Poolman St. Please respect the 2 minute limits and support our focus on child safety. This is just the first initiative from the Road Safety group that you will hopefully see this year.

Congratulations to Mr Cooper who was selected as part of a small contingent of Victorian principals to participate in a leadership in education course run in Sydney by Harvard. Only the best were selected and this is reflective of the strategic leadership that Rohan and his team have shown over the last few years at PMPS. The school, its strategy and teaching practices are often used as an example for best-practice in the  Vic education system and this is testament to the development that the school has shown in the last few years. Our students are benefitting from this education focus.

Finally, I emailed all parents before the break to explain how the school is funded, why voluntary contributions and donations are important and how we spend our funds. The reality is that the funding provided by the government only covers the basic curriculum and the curriculum that we want to deliver at PMPS is much richer. I think transparency on the schools funding is important and I am happy to discuss any aspects with any parents. I encourage any families that haven’t already to pay the voluntary contribution and make a tax deductible donation.

I hope that you all have a great 2023.

Gareth