Leadership Report
Dear Families,
It has been a very quiet week at Newlands Primary School, with all of our Grade 5/6 students ripping up the ski slopes in Marysville. A massive thank you to all of our staff who gave up a week away from their own families to make this experience possible. Judging by the smiles in the photos, it looked like an incredible camp. Judging by the students arriving back yesterday, I think quite a few were also looking forward to sleeping in their own beds!
School camps create core memories (thanks Inside Out), and we hope our Grade 6 students will always look back fondly on learning to toboggan together. Don't forget to check out all of the photos that have been posted on the 5/6 Seesaw blog!
100 Days of Foundation
Purple hair, rouge and brooches were on full display on Monday morning as our Foundation students celebrated 100 days at Newlands.
It was absolutely adorable seeing students arrive with walking sticks, weekly pill containers, back cream and every other old-person accessory they could find. Thank you to our Foundation team for putting together such a fantastic celebration in the gymnasium. There were plenty of laughs, lots of photos and even a few dinosaur facts from Luke Judd.
Welcome, Ashlee!
I'd like to officially welcome Ashlee to Newlands Primary School.
Ashlee has had a fantastic first week, working alongside students, staff and families while getting used to life in Australia's only government Spanish bilingual primary school. It has already been great to have a fresh perspective on what we do, and we have no doubt Ashlee will make a tremendous contribution to our school community.
With over 200 students participating in our Before School Sports Program, I thought it would be interesting to ask students what they enjoy most and what other clubs they would love to see at Newlands.
Foundation
I sat in with one of our Foundation classes while they were preparing for the school production. FAB are performing a dance inspired by First Nations culture, and many students were drawing the Aboriginal flag. I wanted to hear what they had learnt.
Wren: "The yellow is the sun, the black is the people and the red is the earth."
Florian: "They use ochre on their faces for celebrations."
Luca: "First Nations people lived off the land. They ate berries and other food they found."
Wilkie: "We read a book about Vincent Lingiari. It was about how Aboriginal people fought to get their land back."
Bonnie: "When someone from the mob passes away, they remember and celebrate their life."
Grade 1/2
Poppy: "I do basketball because it's really fun. You get to bounce the ball and shoot."
Indigo: "I like wrestling because you get to practise throwing people and doing headstands."
Lachlan: "Wrestling is the best because you get stronger and learn how to get people onto the ground."
Rafi: "Basketball helps me get better for Saturdays with Newlands Unidos."
Tejas: "I like basketball because you get to test your skills and have lots of fun."
Aida: "I love practising shooting and dribbling."
Harry: "I do basketball and wrestling. Before school sport lets you run around and have fun before class."
Grade 3/4
When I asked students what clubs they'd like to see in the future, they certainly had plenty of ideas!
- Favela: Gymnastics Club
- Elsie: A club where you get paid! (Apparently for clothes and lollies.)
- Marlo: Metalworking Club
- Carolina: Pottery Club
- Aren: History Club
- Daniel: Martial Arts or Biology Club
- Jannick: Geology Club
- Bella: Drawing Club to learn different styles
- Ada: Bring back Lacrosse Club
- Bracken: Gaming Club with competitions
- Natalya: Meditation Club with lots of pillows
- Quinn: Karaoke or Breakdancing Club
Grade 5/6
Unfortunately, our Grade 5/6 students were away on camp this week, so we'll catch up with them next week.
Looking Ahead
Newlands Unidos - Summer Season
What an incredible first season it has been for Newlands Unidos Basketball Club.
Having six teams represent our school in the Coburg Basketball Association has been something we are incredibly proud of. Every game I've attended has been full of smiles, effort and fantastic sportsmanship. Just as impressive has been the support from our families on the sidelines.
Planning has already begun for the Term 4 Summer Season. If your child is interested in joining, please contact the office so we can pass your details on to Cameron Start, President of Newlands Unidos.
Before School Sports Continue to Grow
With more than 200 students participating this term, our Before School Sports Program will not only continue, it will expand again in Term 4.
We've been asking students what they'd like to see next, and we've received some fantastic suggestions. We're now speaking with local clubs and community organisations about making some of those ideas happen.
Information about the Term 4 program, including the timetable and payment details, will be sent home towards the end of Week 6.
3/4 Supreme Incursion
Our 3/4 students will become apprentice mechanics during the Supreme Incursion, building and racing their own billy carts on Monday.
By the end of the day they'll all be ready to start their own YouTube channels restoring old cars and selling them for millions! It should be a fantastic day. If you haven't already done so, please remember to complete permission and payment.
BOITE Performance
Next Tuesday evening our students will perform at Melbourne Town Hall as part of the BOITE performance.
They have been rehearsing incredibly hard, and we can't wait to see them take to the stage.
Newlands Fantasy Football Returns
Newlands Fantasy Football is back for 2026!
Congratulations to last year's champion, who some would argue is the greatest fantasy football coach of all time. We have absolutely no doubt he'll be reminding everyone of that throughout the season.
We still have three spots available, so if you love the NFL and are keen for a bit of fun, come and see Luke before next Friday.
Have a fantastic weekend.
Luke