Dear Families,

Well, Monday morning was a lot of fun!

The gymnasium was absolutely packed as our community came together to watch the FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina. While I unfortunately missed most of the match, it was fantastic to see so many families and students at school from 5:00am.

A huge thank you to Shikha and Rhenny for helping set everything up, and to Cress, Anita and Jimmy for keeping everyone well fed with an endless supply of toasties. The horchata was a standout!

Although Spain came away with the trophy, I think our students were the real winners. After such an early start, they powered through the school day with plenty of energy and enthusiasm.

Before School Sports

Our Before School Sports Program has continued this week, and we really appreciate all of the positive feedback from students and families.

There are still places available across most sports, with late bookings welcome. If you would like more information, please come and see the office and we'll point you in the right direction.

We also have 10 tennis places still available for students from Foundation to Year 6. Having watched every session so far, I can't recommend it highly enough.

Our Before School Sports jumpers have had a small production hiccup, but we are expecting them to arrive later this term. Once they arrive, families will be able to collect and pay for them through the office. We apologise for the delay and appreciate your patience.

The Events Are About to Begin...

BOITE Rehearsal – This Saturday

This Saturday, our BOITE choir students continue rehearsals at Yarra Primary School in preparation for performing at the Melbourne Town Hall.

A huge thank you to Katherine for leading this wonderful opportunity. Experiences like this are something our students will remember for many years to come.

Final Foundation Tour – Next Wednesday

As mentioned in last week's newsletter, Newlands has now reached its Department of Education enrolment cap. Unfortunately, this means we are unable to accept out-of-zone enrolments from non-Spanish speaking families for 2027.

While this is disappointing, we know our local schools provide fantastic educational opportunities and we are incredibly proud that there has been such overwhelming interest in Newlands this year.

This final tour has been added to accommodate additional families, and we will be contacting all applicants early next week. We are looking forward to welcoming our newest students when our 2027 Foundation Transition Program begins on 31 July.

Year 1/2 World Dance Incursion

Our Year 1/2 students will participate in a Supreme World Dance Incursion next Thursday in the gymnasium.

Supreme have delivered some outstanding programs at Newlands over the past two years and this promises to be another fantastic learning experience. Please remember to provide consent and payment through the Sentral app.

Athletics Carnival – Next Friday

Our annual Athletics Carnival takes place next Friday at the Coburg Athletics Track, and we would love to see as many families there as possible. Karrum Mulva are the reigning House Champions, but I have a feeling Darebin Celeste might have something to say about that this year!

As always, Raul puts together an incredible day and it's one of the highlights of our sporting calendar.

Diego's Parent Teacher Interview Catch-Up

Families who were unable to meet with Diego during Semester One interviews can now book a catch-up appointment for next Thursday or Friday through Sentral.

Where possible, we encourage students to attend alongside their parents as they discuss Semester One achievements and set goals for Semester Two.

Looking Ahead...

The next few weeks are packed with some of the biggest events on our school calendar.
Our School Production is fast approaching, with tickets going on sale at the beginning of Week 4.
Our Year 5/6 students head off to the mountains for their snow camp. It's always one of the highlights of primary school and a special final camp experience for our Year 6 students.
Our incredible Foundation students celebrate their 100 Days of School. There is nothing better than seeing our newest students arrive dressed as if they're 100 years old. It is always guaranteed to bring plenty of smiles!
Book Week is just around the corner, and Jess has organised another fantastic week of activities, finishing with our much-loved Book Parade. I know the staff are already debating what costumes they'll be wearing this year.
Finally, our Parent Social Night returns! Declan Fay and Josh Earl will once again share their completely unbiased opinions about Newlands while bringing along some very talented comedian friends for what is always a brilliant evening. This is a parents-only event, so organise a babysitter and come along!
There are no students Insights this week, but on behalf of all the staff at Newlands, thank you to our community for your support during Thursday's industrial action. We remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached very soon.

Thanks,

Luke

Community news

Friday 31 July