Thank you all for the warm welcome I’ve received since assuming my role as Acting Principal just over a week ago. So far, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind of activity and new faces and I'm truly thrilled to be a part of this vibrant and dynamic community. In this short time, I’ve been able to experience many of the things that make Port Melbourne Primary School such a wonderful place and I’m excited about what lies ahead for me as Acting Principal, and the school in general.

From introductions to friendly hellos, everyone has played a part in making me feel a part of this fantastic community. I've had a few names and faces to remember, so please bear with me if I reintroduce myself or forget your name as I settle in.

Last Wednesday we celebrated Grandparents Day, which happened to coincide with my first morning at the school. I found this a truly heart warming start to my time here at Port Melbourne. Witnessing our students proudly sharing their work with their grandparents and special friends was a testament to the warm and nurturing environment that is PMPS. I want to express my gratitude on a few fronts for this event: to our dedicated staff who planned this memorable day; to our teachers and support staff who nimbly adjusted their schedules; and to our wonderful families who rearranged their personal time and drop-off routines for this occasion. As part of Education Week, it was great to open classrooms to parents and carers to visit on Tuesday and Thursday – thank you to those of you who were able to be a part of this.

Friday of last week, I had the pleasure of witnessing our students’ enthusiasm and commitment during the Cross Country event. It was great to see such energy and excitement from those in attendance, and I want to commend all who participated. Special thanks to Steve and Janelle for their efforts in organising this event, and an extra shout-out to Steve for overseeing the running of the event for the district.

Reflecting on the short time I’ve been here, I feel privileged to have been welcomed into such a wonderful school – my initial experience has been of a school that is well-run, well-resourced and well-supported by its staff, families, and the broader community. Learning environments are productive and calm, supported by well-defined routines and systems.

The collaborative and planning processes I've witnessed make me confident that every student is being supported to learn at their point of need across the school. Our systems for inclusion, safety, and wellbeing are also first-rate. I am particularly impressed by the strong sense of community and the dedicated school council that supports our school – I look forward to working more closely with council in the near future and thank all parents involved in the school in any way for their support.

Looking ahead

One thing you can expect to see across the remainder of this year is the school becoming more active in its recruitment activities. Our goal is to continue attracting the best and most talented teachers to join our school. This activity is a response to natural staff turnover, which is common in larger schools, rather than any large-scale staffing change. You may see this activity begin on our usual social media channels and we’ve also created a LinkedIn page for the school to share recruitment and other activities – if you use LinkedIn and want to keep up to date with the school in that way, we’d love for you to connect with us here.

A reminder that our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is scheduled for Tuesday, June 6. You can register for a ticket to this event here.

Finally, we have a Healthy Families Webinar available for our community that focuses on managing big emotions within our children. I know that this can be challenging and difficult to navigate at times and I encourage you to register and attend this if it’s of interest. More information can be found further in the newsletter or register your interest here.

Thank you all again for your welcome, it’s great to be here.

Tom