Well before you enjoy your two-week break, here is one last leadership report to help you get through the next two weeks without one! I have been asked about the new Turnstile record and yes - its easily in their best 4.

I just want to start with a massive congratulations and thank you to all of our incredible teachers. Their dedication to keeping our students safe and thriving at Newlands Primary School never goes unnoticed. With reports now out, I want to especially acknowledge the sheer amount of time and effort that goes into not just writing them, but preparing for them. It’s a mammoth task layered on top of an already time-stretched job!

A big thank you as well to our parent community for all the amazing events that happened this term— The Outdoor Cinema Movie Night, the Colour Run, The Cultural Morning Teas just to name a few. It's what makes our school so great and our community so involved at our school! A big thank you to Claire who never takes any credit, but is the driving force behind all of these events!

And finally, to the incredible students at Newlands: you continue to be insightful, hilarious, kind, and just a joy to be around. You are what makes Newlands so special.

Here are some of this week's delightful insights into the classroom!

Foundation

I popped into Colleen’s class and was treated to a tour of their Cultural Week projects. Maeve explained the seasonal calendar of the Wurundjeri people! seven seasons! I learned about when wombats and mushrooms come out that it was the cold season Waring. They continued to share lots of other learning that has taken place not only over the last week, but the whole term!

I asked what everyone's looking forward to on the holidays:

Tejas – Going to my grandma’s house
Allegra – Eating 5 ice creams
Lucas – Going to Canberra to see my cousins and go to Flip Out and the snow
Asher – Going to holiday program with my sister—we can’t wait!
Indie – Playing on my iPad (Boca Toca!)
Jeff – Heading to a holiday house in the mountains
Juniper – Mum's having a baby and we’re moving to Mt Dandenong
Alice – Going to the snow to rip up some cool tricks
Ava – Can’t wait for the school holiday program
Henry – I’m going skiing
Aisling – Also going to the snow in the first week
Alice – Visiting some fun places around Melbourne
Asher – We’re going to the snow
Morgan – Heading to Adelaide
April – My Nan’s taking me on a surprise trip
Harry – Playing Nintendo Switch! can’t wait for Donkey Kong!

1/2

Anta showed me his artwork and talked about using lots of colours to make it pop. I asked the 1/2s what their favourite moment of Semester 1 was. Here’s what they said:

Anta – I loved every single specialist! and I love Facts on Fire
Iggy – PE, because we get to be active
Quinn – Facts on Fire and Art
Ryan – PE and the whole specialist program
Unax – Art, especially colouring in
Marlow – Recess, so I can play with friends
Evie – Before school writing club and Art
Emilio – Art, especially the clay project

3/4

Angelica’s class was rushing off to Courtney’s room for Cultural Week activities—propagating seeds! Before they dashed, I asked for their Term 2 highlights:

Sienna – Drawing the plant I chose
Charlie – Getting doughnuts for reading homework
Florence – Doing a dance performance at assembly
Issach – When Luke drops by to say hello
Patrick – Our city excursion to see Indigenous artefacts
Max – Looking forward to hot chips for Term 3 reading
Ace – Using iNaturalist to identify plants
Layla – Writing my Spanish autobiography on Jessica Mauboy
Milana – Mine was on Deborah Mailman
Mossy – Performing with my family at assembly
Ariana – All the fun assemblies and awards
Aryana – Getting ready for the Art Show

5/6

The 5/6s were deep in documentary-making on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Activism. I didn’t want to interrupt their flow, so I quickly asked Clara and Kaya’s class for their Term 3 goals:

Molly – Master multiplication to 81 in Facts on Fire
Mia – Start working on Graduation
Nelly – Help get the Grade 5s ready for 2026 School Tours
River – Have a great term and enjoy it with friends
Toby – Make assembly more fun for everyone
Millie – Do more in my school leader role
Charlie – Keep organising World’s Greatest Shave
Wren – Get better at soccer
Etta – Improve at soccer with Wren
Austin – Level up in basketball

Have an amazing two-week break!

We’re looking forward to another fantastic term at Newlands in Term 3.

Thanks,

Luke

Newlands in a Nutshell