Principal Report
Welcome back to Term 4, everyone!
I trust you all had the chance to spend some quality time with your child/ren and hopefully made a few more ‘core’ memories—whether it was being present at the grand final parade, having fun at the Royal Melbourne Show, or enjoying a springtime family bike ride or picnic.
Term 4 is full of excitement—lots of new learning, ‘I Believe in Us’ Day, assessment and reporting, transitions, end-of-year fun, and our Twilight Fete. It’s an eleven-week term, so pacing ourselves is important, and plenty of rest is needed as the weather warms up.
Speaking of warm weather, please remember that hats are expected to be worn in the yard every day throughout Term 4 and up until April 30th. If your child has misplaced their hat, please purchase a new one this week at the office, and have them mark their name on it to greatly increase the chance it will be returned if lost again!
Parent Opinion Survey
Thank you to everyone who completed the online Department of Education-backed survey. For the first time, nearly a quarter (24%) of families shared their thoughts with us. This is the most valid data we’ve received to date, and we will spend time reflecting on the results over the coming weeks with our school council subcommittee and regional office staff.
I noticed a larger percentage of respondents selected the ‘neutral’ option compared to previous years. I interpret this as either a sign that we are not doing enough in certain areas, or that we are not communicating clearly enough about the things we are doing well, in order for our school community to be aware and/or satisfied. We will work on clarifying these points in the coming months.
Thanks again to those who took the time to complete the survey—your opinion is very important to us!
NLPS School Council Update
A reminder that we have two more meetings for the year, both held here on-site at NLPS from 6:30pm on Monday, October 13th, and Monday, November 17th. Everyone is welcome to attend these School Council meetings or join one of our four subcommittee meetings (OSHC, Policy, Finance, Facilities). Please email the school to find out the times of these roving subcommittee meetings.
As you may recall, the contract for our OSHC (Out of School Hours Care) was put out to tender, and we have recently decided to partner with a new organisation. More information about this decision is contained in a letter that the school council has put together later in the newsletter.
Planning for 2026
The leadership team is now working on 2026 planning, class structures, and the staffing recruitment process. To help us plan for 2026 with confidence, we kindly ask that any families who will not be returning next year notify the school as soon as possible. Please email the office at newport.lakes.ps@education.vic.gov.au to inform us.
Please note, this is not necessary for Year 6 students transitioning to secondary school.
Class Formations for 2026
Class formation is a complex process carefully curated throughout Term 4 by our leadership team and staff. When creating classes and allocating students, teachers consider a balance of factors including gender balance, academic abilities, behaviors, and students with disabilities or diagnoses.
Teachers work collaboratively during Term 4 to allocate students to 2026 classes. They are well placed to know who your child works well with and which friendship dynamics should be considered. Additionally, each year, we ask every student to complete a ‘Learning Buddies’ List, where they list five friends they work well with and would like to be in class with in 2026. We guarantee that students will have at least one, if not more, of these peers in their 2026 class. Please talk with your child/ren about who they might include on their Learning Buddy list in the coming weeks.
If you have a strong preference for your child to be separated from a particular peer in 2026, please contact me via Compass, or the school’s email address at newport.lakes.ps@education.vic.gov.au before Monday 27th October.
Please note that we are not able to accept parent requests for specific teachers or friendship pairings.
Curriculum Day - Melbourne Cup Eve (Report Writing) Monday 3 November 2025
Please be advised that we have one remaining Curriculum Day, allocated to student reporting, on Monday 3rd November, 2024. This is a pupil free day with students either staying at home or attending the Out of School Hours Care (QB).
QB will be operating on Monday 3rd November, should you require care.
Please contact them to make arrangements for care directly, https://www.qbcc.org.au/ or phone 03 9742 5040.
Note also that Tuesday 4 November is a public holiday (Melbourne Cup) and there is no school or care on that day.
I’m looking forward to a great Term 4 and hope you are, too!
Have a wonderful fortnight.
Carly Bannon
Proud NLPS Principal
Exclusive to Newport Lakes Primary School Students Little Coders After-School (Years Foundation – Year 2)
As you may recall, last term, the NLPS School Council has decided to trial an agreement with an outside company to provide a coding-based activity for students Thursday afternoons, after school, in Term 3 at a cost to the parents.
After-School Code Camp allows students to hone their coding skills and keep practising through weekly sessions over the term. Students will produce multiple games and apps.
This term, we will be offering it our youngers students in Foundation to Year 2. Sessions will still take place on a Thursday afternoon, after school
The program will start on Thursday 23rd October and spots are limited.
If you are interested in your child attending these sessions, please read find more information below/attached, including contact information.
Regards,
NLPS
Exclusive to Newport Lakes Primary School Students Little Coders After-School (Years Foundation – Year 2)
Your child will love the fun and interactive way we teach kids to code at Little Coders. In fact, it’s so much fun, they won’t realise they’re learning!
Throughout the term, our students discover the basics of coding and take their first steps to becoming a coding superstar via fun, age-appropriate explanations, real-world scenario demos, games and group activities. Each week they will learn a new coding concept and apply this knowledge to code different games using drag and drop coding blocks within Code Camp World (our purpose-built coding platform).
SECURE YOUR SPOT: https://my.codecamp.com.au/course/6018
There are limited spots for this class. Register today!
Starting Thursday 23rd Oct 2025
Families can leave a voicemail for Code Camp on 1300 263 322 or hello@codecamp.com.au for any other info.