Principal Report

Good afternoon families,

This week marked the halfway point of our 11 week term, and like much of Term 4, it was not a typical school week. Our Year 5 and 6 students, along with 13 staff, spent Monday to Wednesday on camp at beautiful Phillip Island and I’m sure they are full of stories! Back at school, daily teaching and learning carried on, teachers have been busy completing draft reports, and leadership has been working on defining our 2027 school organisation (made trickier by late changes to student level budgets). We also have a new office and meeting space (a ‘work pod’) being installed near the multipurpose room (MPR). So, there’s plenty going on! Pleasingly, it was lovely to see the upgraded yard areas completed to a great standard, and our Foundation and Year 2 intensive swimming program and the Year 5 and 6 Performances all went really well. Term 4 is ticking along nicely!

Student Performances

Speaking of the Year 5 and 6 Performance, it was a joy to see both the matinee and evening shows of ‘Death on the Deck!’. The students had an immense amount of input into the storyline, and hiring the Newport Substation was a real treat. It was certainly a different experience from our whole school productions, and the students and staff involved absolutely loved it. Well done to the entire cast and crew, and thank you for supporting them by buying a ticket.

End of Year Whole School Concert

Our End of Year Whole School Concert will be held on Wednesday 2nd December (grounds open from 4:30pm, performances from 5:30pm). It will give every one of our students the chance to get up on stage and perform, so please pop the date in your calendars. Our talented music teacher, Jenny Ferris, is busy rehearsing with all the grades in her music classes, and we can’t wait to see our whole school community here on site.

Celebrating World Teachers’ Day

A big thank you to our wonderful parent community for helping us celebrate World Teachers’ Day on Friday 30th October, with a delicious morning tea. Our teaching staff were truly touched by the sweet and savoury treats so generously prepared by members of our school community. We are fortunate here at Newport Lakes Primary School to have such incredible support from our parents, which reflects the care and dedication our teachers and other school staff show our students every day.

A special thank you to the NLPS Parents' Club for organising the event, to the many generous parents who provided such lovely treats and flowers, and to Anna Klova who made it all look extra beautiful!

Child Safe Standards

The Victorian Department of Education is committed to ensuring that every child and young person feels safe, respected, and supported in all educational settings. The 11 Child Safe Standards are a vital part of this commitment, giving schools and early childhood services clear guidelines for creating and maintaining safe environments. The standards focus on promoting child wellbeing, preventing abuse, and empowering children to have a voice in decisions that affect them. They require organisations to have strong policies, staff training, and procedures in place, to identify and respond to potential risks. By embedding these standards in everyday practice, the Department reinforces that child safety is everyone’s responsibility, so that educational settings remain places where all children can learn, grow, and thrive, without fear of harm.

At NLPS, this means putting the Child Safe Standards into action every day. We develop and regularly review a comprehensive Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy that outlines how we protect students from harm and respond to any concerns. Our staff receive ongoing training to recognise the signs of abuse and to understand their legal obligations as mandatory reporters. We also have clear codes of conduct that set expectations for appropriate behaviour between staff, volunteers, and students, and we provide training for our School Council members and volunteers. To help foster a culture of safety, we actively encourage student voice and participation, giving children the confidence to speak up if they ever feel unsafe. Through these actions, we make sure the wellbeing of every student remains our highest priority.

Update on 2027 Classes

Thank you to all the parents who reached out about separations by the due date last week.

As mentioned in previous communications, in the middle of Term 4 each student is invited to nominate up to five peers for their Learning Buddy List.These buddies can come from across the entire year level. Beforehand, students take part in a range of games and collaborative learning activities, designed to help them connect with different classmates and gain a broader understanding of the children with whom they work well.

Teachers remind students that a good learning buddy is someone who helps them feel safe, comfortable and focused, and someone they can learn alongside effectively, not just a friend they enjoy playing with at recess or lunch.

Each student’s list is entered into Class Creator, the program we use to support balanced class placements. The lists are then reviewed and agreed upon by class teachers, specialists, and leadership. We ensure that every child has at least one of their nominated learning buddies in their new class, and some students may have more than one, depending on the overall balance of classes. If you think your child may not have been placed with any of their nominated peers, please check with us, as children sometimes forget all the names they submitted by the time they get home!

This year, we will look at trialling a slightly earlier transition rather than waiting until the final day of the school year, and we’ll share more information soon. We trust you understand the process we’ve followed, and we ask for your support in helping your child build resilience if they’re disappointed not to have their first or second learning buddy choice, as making changes to class lists after we tell students and families is extremely difficult. Thank you for your support and understanding.

Have a great fortnight!

Carly Bannon

Principal