Hello NPS families,

I hope you all had a terrific Easter break and managed some quality family and friend time! It's been great to hear from the students what they were up to with a whole raft of adventures and holidays having taken place!

The rubber has certainly hit the road this week with teaching and learning programs well and truly underway and our students settling back well into routines and programs. As always, our amazing staff have also started strongly and been tremendous in ensuring our students are being supported and challenged each and every day.

We have two new staff beginning at NPS this term. First, we welcome Mr. Aaron Torpy who will be teaching Physical Education for term 2. Second, we welcome Mrs. Laura Young, our newly appointed Student Mental Health and Wellbeing person. Laura has extensive experience having worked in primary schools as a social worker and councillor and will be a great addition, like Aaron, to our amazing school community.

We will unfortunately be farewelling one of our Education Support staff, Abbey Loughnan as of today. Abbey started with us in Term 1 and due to personal reasons cannot continue her work arrangement here at NPS. I along with our staff wish Abbey all the best and thank her for the dedication she has shown our students.

Thank you to our Mowing Crew who over the break tended to our lawns. It's been great to see the majority of the oval grass bounce back with the rain we have had recently. I am sure with that rain and the continued rejuvenation of the oval and other grassed areas our Mowing Crew will be quite busy in the coming months!

At the end of last term, I met with the VSBA (Victorian School Building Authority), Foresight Architects, and Boongalla Group Construction to discuss the upcoming building works that will be undertaken. These works are set to start this term with major items taking place over the holiday period at the end of the term. With building works comes new, improved, and or updated buildings, but also disruption (and for me the odd headache!). We'll be working with the builders to ensure as much disruption as possible is minimised and that our teaching and learning programs are not impacted. Just some of the works being undertaken are;

Supply and installation of a new ceiling for the undercover walkway outside of the JLA/student toilets,
stumping, new floorboards, and new carpet for the OSHC building,
stumping, new floorboards, and new carpet for the the MLA,
stumping, new floorboards, and new carpet for the the office area,
reporting of brickwork on multiple buildings,
repainting of damaged external surfaces,
new roofing to the Prep LA,
complete demolition and rebuild of the undercover walkway leading from the main building to the JLA/library/canteen.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to welcome and acknowledge Georgia Lea, our new School Council President for 2024. I am looking forward to working with and alongside Georgia in her new role to target and improve key aspects of our school! Welcome aboard Georgia!

As a refresher to our school community, please see our current Newtown Staff Profile below.

Principal Team

Corrie Barclay & Jarrod McKinnis

Teaching Team

Prep (FLA) - Alisha Sadowy

Juniors (JLA) - Rob Steinman, Cindy Podhorsy & Mia Moran

Middles (MLA) - Pat O'Meara & Lisa Maher

Seniors (SLA) - Rowena Weller, Shannon Washington & Luis McClelland

Specialist Team - Bianca Taverna (Vis. Arts), Kerrie Bedson (Music & Perf Arts), Nat Jones (Indonesian) & Aaron Torpy (PE)

Learning Tutor - Nanette Ashkanasy

Education Support (ES) Team

Business Manager - Alison Giuricin

Administration - Amanda Grinter

Classroom Based ES - Deb Duncan, Fiona Boreham (also Library), Mel Anderson, Paige Fopiani, Marsha Janetzki & Lauren Keyser

Ocupational Theripist (OT) - Amy Frueh

Student Wellbeing Support - Laura Young

Please see a brief video from the Hon. Ben Carroll MP - Deputy Premier & Minister for Education, welcoming our students and families to term 2.

Thank you everyone and have a great weekend!

Newtown Primary School

Principal

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