Principal Report
Welcome back to Term 2 everyone!
Welcome back to Term 2 everyone!
It was so lovely to see all the students looking bright eyed and happy to come back into school on Tuesday morning, excited to share their holiday experiences with me and catch up with their friends. I hope you all had a chance to relax and enjoy the company of family and friends, as well as eat (too much!) good food. Term 2 is a long one (eleven weeks) but we do start with a short Week 1 and we will finish with Semester 1 reports and Parent - Teacher Interviews. A reporting term is always a busy one, plus we also have lots of incursions, excursions and a whole school Sports Day to look forward to. Our Foundation students have already had an incursion this week, with Tiny, the huge olive python, and Snappy the crocodile both highlights.
Special Event Days
ANZAC Day
Earlier today, we held a small recognition ceremony where the students assembled on the soccer pitch, with the school captains informing the school about some of the important elements of ANZAC Day and each class was able to lay their homemade wreath. Henry from Year 5 played the Last Post and The Rouse on his trumpet. All staff and students then participated in a minute silence to remember those who had given so much for our country. A big thank you to Tracey J for coordinating this year’s event, including the activities we did in classrooms prior. Tomorrow, our wonderful school captains will present a wreath on behalf of the school at the Newport RSL Commemorative Ceremony, beginning at 1pm.
Harmony Week / Performance
A real strength of our school lies in our diversity and respect for others, and Harmony Week is an opportunity to recommit to these values and ensure our school remains a respectful and inclusive environment. To celebrate the culmination of Harmony Week in Week 9 of last term, we invited students to wear a touch of orange on the Friday as a symbol of inclusivity and respect for all. Harmony Week is a time to reflect on the importance of respecting each other and embracing our differences. Australia's success as a multicultural nation is built on shared values, mutual understanding, and a deep respect for one another.
These values (respect, equality, and freedom) extend beyond cultural backgrounds and are what make Australia such a great place to live. The message of respect and belonging is something we also definitely all embrace here at NLPS, as part of our commitment to celebrating diversity and practising inclusion. The week’s activities culminated in a whole school singalong to a Nigerian welcome song, Funga Alafia, on the Friday afternoon and it was so beautiful to see all the students, F-6, treat the occasion with the respect it deserved.
Sun Protection Policy and School Hats
As per the school’s Sun Protection Policy, students are required to wear approved sun hats up until April 30th and in Term Four. Although not compulsory, students are welcomed and encouraged to continue to wear their hats on sunny days or whenever they feel comfortable to wear their hats.
As the weather cools, if your child would like to wear a warmer hat in terms two and three, school beanies are an approved item of the school uniform and are available from our uniform supplier (see school website or the Parent Information page of the newsletter) or can also be purchased from the school office. Other hats other than those included in the school uniform list (e.g. baseball caps, football beanies) are not permitted as part of the school uniform.
Upcoming Online Parent Event
Lael Stone is a renowned speaker, educator, and parenting advocate dedicated to fostering emotional awareness, connection, and compassion. With over 20 years of experience, Lael Stone co-hosted The Aware Parenting Podcast and her dedication to emotional wellbeing also led to the creation of Woodline Primary school in 2021, an emotionally aware education system born from her vision of connecting children with their emotions in a supportive environment. She now collaborates with The Resilience Project, delivering talks to parents across Australia. Her webinar, on May 12th from 6:30pm, will provide practical strategies to build cooperation and stronger connections with children, ideas to support children when they are facing adversity, ways to assist children in building emotional resilience, as well as tips to deal with our own triggers as parents or carers.
Farewell / Welcome
A reminder that our beloved First Aid Officer, Carolyn Brien, is retiring and will be finishing up on May 9th and I am sure that we will all be sad to say farewell. But with goodbyes, there also comes hellos, so we would also like to say welcome to her replacement, Hoang Dang. Hoang, who has a background in nursing and retail, will visit early next week to begin the handover. The whole school community has a chance to say goodbye to Carolyn during our face to face assembly on Friday, May 9th, beginning at 2:30pm.
Foundation 2026 Enrolments
Enrolment Forms will be available from 22nd April 2025 and are due by Friday 25th July. Please contact the office for an enrolment form or download from below, Compass or the school website.
We appreciate your child to be enrolled early so we start planning accordingly.
Tours for new families are scheduled for Term 2, and bookings can be made via - CompassTix.
2026 Year 7 Applications
Year 6 families would have received information regarding the Year 7 application process via Compass yesterday.
Preference forms must be returned to the front office by Friday 9th May.
If you have any questions regarding the process, please contact Brodie in the front office who is coordinating the Year 6-7 process.
May you all have a restful, and reflective, long weekend.
Go Pies!
Carly Bannon
Proud NLPS Principal