Principal's Report

Reflections on Last Week

New Teachers

I was really pleased to hear from our new teachers about how welcoming the children and  parents have made them feel. Taking just a minute to say hello and smile really adds to a teacher's day. It is often said that teachers do not get the respect they deserve in our community. We realise that respect has to be earned and we try hard to put in an honest day's work to support our children. For parents to say hello and thank you means a lot to new staff beginning their journey at South Melbourne Primary School.

We are grateful for any parent who takes the time to be friendly and kind.

Preps

Our Preps spent Wednesday either at home (having a well-earned rest) or at school for a short session with their teacher. The purpose of this is to get to know the families and to evaluate some of the key skills we are seeking to develop in our students. Thanks to all parents for being so open and cooperative with our school program.

Newsletter - Excellent Feedback

We received lots of positive feedback on our newsletter and I was really pleased that the effort we made seemed worthwhile. Please send any feedback suggestions to our school email address at south.melbourne.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au because we always want to get better.

The Week Ahead

Prep Arrangements

The Prep day extends next week to 2:30pm and stays that way until the end of the term. There are no classes for Preps on Wednesday for the month of February.

Grades 1-6 Parent-Teacher Chats - Feb 25 to March 1

You will soon get a notification via Compass of Parent-Teacher Chats in the week of February 25 to March 1. The purpose of these chats is to find out about your child so we are best equipped to support them in being safe, happy and achieving in 2019.

Our school vision is to "Inspire hearts and minds to thrive." In order to do that, we need relationships to be built between home and school and information to be freely exchanged.

Information about how to book these sessions with your classroom teacher will soon be available via Compass. We aim for 100% attendance.

Manners Matter

We have a Student Creed at South Melbourne Primary School. One of our statements is: I smile and look on the bright side.

Smiling and saying hello is such an important part of teaching children to see the world optimistically and with hope.  Sometimes we forget just how important smiling and saying hello is and how it can make people feel happy, safe and welcomed. As everyone returns for the new school year, or new students, families and teachers are welcomed for the first time to South Melbourne Primary School – a welcoming, happy smile will make all the difference.

Smiling is such a wonderful, friendly thing to do. It is fun and contagious, and a smile is always returned with another. When greeting old friends, trying to make new ones or just passing along the feeling of friendship and happiness – smile! Manners Matter at South Melbourne Primary School and along with a bright smile, a welcoming “Hello” shows that you are a friendly and polite South Melbourne Primary School kid.

You can make a new person in the playground or in your classroom feel less alone with a happy “Hello” and a smile. There are many different greetings from “Hello”, “Good morning” and “Good afternoon” to “Hi” and “G’Day!” You might even know some other languages to say “hello” to someone. Give it a go in the school and watch the happiness, smiles and friendships pass on to each other and make our school an even better one! 

Remember, Manners Matter at SMPS!

Facebook Use and Feedback

We are very proud of our Facebook site. It has not turned out to be a dumping ground for everyone's digital graffiti and an object for anger and misuse. This is a credit to our school community who use it for good, and not evil. A sincere thank you to all of our users.

We have an internal policy of using Facebook being used for celebration. 

Anyone who has feedback of another type is asked to email the school or make phone contact (if it is more urgent) so we can address the issue directly. We consider anyone putting anything controversial on our site to be using the wrong entry portal.

Our email feedback address is: south.melbourne.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au and our phone number to make appointments  is 9935 9399.

We strongly urge anyone with issues related to the care and education of students to make contact with the school via these means to arrange a meeting or chat with their child's classroom teacher. 

Please note that is it not considered appropriate to 'bail up' a teacher in the morning session when dropping students off in classrooms. Teachers have a duty of care for all students and it is not safe or fair to catch teachers on-the-hop without preparation in the mornings. 

Find the Facebook link below...

School Assemblies

School Assemblies typically occur each Friday throughout the year. Until our gymnasium is repaired, we will hold these either outside (weather permitting) or inside on Level 3. 

With the growth of the school, we cannot have parents attend when the assembly is held inside due to space restrictions and safety of students.

We are keen to involve the entire school community in assemblies, but cannot do so until our gym is repaired.

We appreciate your understanding.

Free Morning Tea Mondays

• Starts: Monday, February 11
• Where: Community Room, Level 1
• When: Mondays 9.15am-10.00am
• Toddlers/babies/friends welcome
• See further details on City of Port Phillip page in this newsletter

School Council Elections

Each year, we have the opportunity to recruit parents to School Council. This year we have three parent vacancies. A dedicated page appears in this newsletter for further information.

Nomination forms will be available at the office for one week for those interested. The process involves picking up a nomination form, filling it out and awaiting the process (which may involve an election if we get more parents than there are vacancies).

Our current School Council has done a wonderful job in setting up the school. With over 150 new students and families joining us this year, there is sure to be lots of interest.

The deadline for nominations to be handed into our office is Monday, February 18th at 4pm. Please ensure you receive a receipt from Jan to prove lodgement of your paperwork.

Click on the PDF below for details. 

Young Engineers Clarification

There was a recent notice out to parents inviting their children to join a Young Engineers After School Group. This is a user-pays program and is totally voluntary. It is similar to our Chess Club and Musical Instrument programs - parents choose to join if they wish.

Please note that these after-school sessions are entirely separate from our in-school programs of STEAM, Digital Technologies and Music, which are provided as part of the normal school program.

We apologise if there was any confusion between the two programs. One, every child receives as part of their South Melbourne curriculum; the other (user-pays after school) is an add-on that parents can either choose or not choose.