From the Assistant Principal
Hello!
Welcome to 2025 at Newport Lakes Primary School (and a special welcome to any new families reading our newsletter for the first time). I’m certain this will be a year filled with incredible learning experiences and endless opportunities for personal growth.
I’m also excited to be writing these rambling articles again (though the ‘Learning Focus’ title might need a rebrand - suggestions welcome!) Hopefully, these will continue to be an entertaining five-minute read, with the occasional tidbit that makes you think, reflect, and stay connected with life at NLPS.
On Tuesday, our staff were back onsite for our first pupil-free day of the year. While most of the day was spent in teaching teams preparing classrooms and planning, the morning was dedicated to developing our shared staff culture. One activity involved sharing and discussing our favourite quotes, which was inspired by our 2025 staff theme: Be the Change, Learning Together.
This theme was drawn from one of Carly’s favourite quotes: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” which is about taking ownership of the things we value and making a conscious effort to create the environment we want - whether that’s in our classrooms, our school, or beyond.
When discussing this activity, I joked that my favourite quote was considerably less poetic and meaningful than Carly’s.
I am the Walrus
Goo-goo-g’joob
John Lennon
While I intended to think of a different, more profound quote, I couldn’t. I even went online and searched for something - anything - that I could explain without sounding ridiculous. But in the end, I decided to fully commit and go with John Lennon’s much less famous lyrics (take that, Give Peace a Chance).
John wrote I Am the Walrus partly to make fun of pseudointellectuals who analysed Beatles lyrics with overblown interpretations. I’m not sure what that says about me choosing it for this exercise, but perhaps there was something in it - sometimes, we get too caught up in trying to find deep meaning when we should just embrace the absurdity, enjoy the moment, and have a bit of fun along the way.
Maybe that’s a lesson for the year ahead: Work hard, make a difference - but don’t take yourself too seriously. I am the Walrus may become our unofficial little motto to remind ourselves of this.
Looking forward to a fantastic 2025 at NLPS!
Mat Williamson
Assistant Principal and Beatle Enthusiast
A selection of favourite quotes from NLPS staff…
“I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life.”
Michael Jordan
“Change your thoughts and you can change your world”
Norman Vincent Peale
“If you turn inward, you will find a space where there is a solution for everything.”
Sadhguru
“If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.”
Patches O’Houlihan
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
Albert Einstein
“Life moves fast. If you don’t stop to look around once and awhile, you might miss it.”
Ferris Bueller
“The road to success is always under construction.”
Lily Tomlin
“Always have an open, kind and caring heart.”
Dalai Lama
“You do not just wake up and become a butterfly. Growth is a process.”
Rupi Kaur
“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”
Robin Williams
“Keep your eye on the donut, not the hole”
David Lynch