Leadership Report

There are only 5 days remaining in the term and it's safe to say it's been a very eventful one! Today, we welcomed our 2025 foundation students for their second session, and it's thrilling to see another 80 students and their families gearing up for their journey at Newlands Primary School. Meanwhile, our students participating in the State School Spectacular are wrapping up their final rehearsal before the big event at John Cain Arena on Saturday. At the same time, we're putting the finishing touches on our annual Newlands Comedy Gala, happening this Saturday night. There are still a few tickets available—don't miss out and then claim you were there; come join us instead!

This week has also been packed with valuable learning experiences in the classrooms…

Foundation

I joined the Foundation team during their planning session to review the students' narrative writing. One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching Foundation is witnessing the transformation from squiggly lines to fully formed letters and the beginnings of sentences. The Foundation team is incredibly proud of the progress our students are making and are eagerly anticipating seeing even more development in Term 4.

1/2

I joined Christine’s Maths Daily Review and was impressed by the variety of mathematical concepts being revisited. It’s remarkable to see how much students have learned and understood this year, from decomposing numbers and multiplication to ordering and counting. The students were all eagerly seated on the floor, ready to answer questions in Spanish. The atmosphere was fantastic, with students actively sharing their thoughts, using whiteboards to solve problems, and excitedly raising their hands to contribute. It’s an excellent start to their numeracy learning experiences.

3/4

Today, I joined Mei, Elsa, and Max during Mel’s writing class. Mei shared her novel with me, which features a banana trying to make lemonade without lemons due to an allergy. Her imaginative storyline and passion for creating detailed characters and settings are truly impressive. Elsa also told me about her story, Gallway Town, which follows two siblings who move for the summer and encounter a talking gnome. The creativity and enthusiasm in their writing is incredible. I highly recommend diving into the 3/4 students' unique and engaging stories—they’re truly following the writing process with flair!

5/6

Today, I had the pleasure of sitting with Addison, Beatrix, and Riley as they shared their narratives. Addison read The Carnival Runners, a story about two girls who get trapped in a new carnival attraction. Her reading was filled with expressive dialogue, setting up an exciting introduction that really grabs the reader's attention. Beatrix offered a fresh twist on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where the bears are decidedly unkind to Goldilocks. Her choice of words beautifully supported her vivid descriptions. Riley presented Hotel Horror, a chilling tale about two people who end up at a haunted hotel. I won’t spoil too much, but a gruesome blob makes life unpleasant for the guests. Riley read with such pride, and his careful word choice heightened the story’s intensity.

Last Day Changes

On the last day of school, we’ll finish at 2:30 PM. The schedule for the day will be:

9:00 – 11:00: Class

11:00 – 12:00: Lunch and Lunch Eating Time

12:00 – 1:00: Class

1:00 – 1:30: Recess

1:30 – 2:00: Cultural Week Open Classroom Celebration

2:00 – 2:30: Assembly/Home Time

Parent-Teacher Interviews – Next Week!

A quick reminder that parent-teacher interviews are scheduled for next week. We encourage families to come prepared with any questions they may have about their child’s progress. While we understand that 15 minutes may not be enough to cover every detail, being prepared can help us make the most of the time. If you feel you need a more in-depth discussion, please contact the teacher to arrange an alternative meeting time.  

Cuba – Last Week of School

For Term 3, our cultural week will focus on Cuba. We’ve seen a lot of exciting planning over the past few weeks, and we’re eager to dive into this learning experience. Building on the success of last term’s open classroom celebration, we’ll be hosting another one this term. Families are invited to visit the classrooms between 1:30 – 2:00 PM to see all the wonderful learning activities. This will be followed by our final assembly of the term, starting at 2:05 PM. To add a sweet touch to the celebration, the school will be serving churros to satisfy your dessert cravings! A big thank you to Debbie and the 5/6 students for organizing this delicious treat!

Reminder – Specialist Timetable Change for Term 4

Last week, we shared the updated specialist timetable. Please remember that these changes will take effect at the start of Term 4. For detailed information, refer to the previous newsletter which includes the new specialist and cohort timetable.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday night!

Thanks, 

Luke