From the Assistant Principal

Party Like it’s 1999

It has been a quarter of a century since the frightening lead up to Y2K. I was in Grade 6 in 1999. The year 2000 - the start of a new millennium - was to be my step up into high school. I remember thinking that high school graduation in 2005 was a long way away - I therefore wouldn’t have spent even a second thinking about 2025.

But the end to the 20th Century was a big deal. Prince predicted just how big of a deal it would be back in 1982.

I don’t remember too many New Year’s Eve celebrations from my childhood - it was never really a big thing in my family - but in 1999 we went off to the civic centre in Werribee for the fireworks and possible end of the world. Y2K turned out to be a dud, but with the reality that we are now a quarter of the way into the 21st Century, it seems like a good time to reflect on how life has changed - especially considering the piece of history that was recently dropped into our office.

Hobsons Bay Council must have bought into the whole world’s-going-to-end Y2K thing, because they buried relics from local schools in late 1999, to be opened up in 2025.

I was so excited to see it - what stories, what messages, what gems from the times of Tamagotchis would be uncovered - what was Newport Lakes like back in 1999?

Newport Lakes PS has been around for a while - our history dates back 170 years. We first opened on July 8th 1855 - so our 170th birthday is next week (Happy Birthday NLPS!) We are proudly the longest continuously operating school in the west of Melbourne, but 1999 was the first year that we were named Newport Lakes Primary School. Before this? We were Cambridge Private, Cambridge National, Cambridge Common School, Geelong Junction Common School, Williamstown Junction State School, Newport State School, Newport Elementary School and Newport Primary School.

These name changes reflected changes in the area - Newport Railway Station was called Geelong Junction and then Williamstown Junction in the 1860s and 1870s. The school name changed to Newport upon the railway station taking up that name. In 1886 the school moved from Melbourne Road to its Elizabeth Street home. Teachers have been teaching and students have been learning in this space, within the walls from which I’m writing this article, for 140 years.

The change to the name Newport Lakes Primary School reflected a significant shift in the local area - a nod to the newly created Lakes, a defining feature of our little pocket, developed from what was once a quarry and landfill site. The Lakes brought new and positive attention to the area and has helped our enrolment grow from 145 students in 1999 to 565 in 2025.

Sharon, our much-loved library teacher who began at the school in 1999, along with ex-teachers Warren and Lee, visited and spent some time sharing their recollections of the school back then and the contents of the time capsule.

Things have certainly changed, but maybe not as much as you’d think.

This is from our 1998 school charter…

Staff are friendly, approachable and committed to providing the best possible learning opportunities for the children. Reviews in all curricula areas are ongoing and aimed at constantly evaluating and improving existing programs to meet the needs of the community. Through participation in professional development programs and further study, staff continue to develop their skills, expertise and understanding of current curriculum matters.

Newport Primary School is very committed to providing the best education possible for its pupils. The major focus of the school is effective teaching and learning aimed at providing successful student outcomes in all Key Learning Areas with particular emphasis on literacy and numeracy.

Newport Primary School could reasonably expect its school community to provide support in the following manner:

Show an active interest in student learning.
Attend parent teacher interviews, information evenings and other school activities.
Be supportive of school policies and practices
Be respectful of the professionalism of the staff.
Support the school’s Codes of Conduct.
Support the School Council and its decisions.
Promote the school positively in the wider community.
Where possible, be willing to offer assistance in school programs.
Support the school in maintaining an attractive and safe environment.
Be understanding, tolerant and aware of the various cultures that comprise the school community.
Appreciate the school’s efforts in the development of its students.

John Grieve, the principal at the time, captured the mood in his 1999 message to families: “I can assure you the pace of change will not slacken.” I couldn’t help but nod along. Planning for 2025 (and 2026 and beyond), it’s clear that change is the only constant in life.

So what has changed? Well… the average number of days each student was absent? In 1999… 10.50 days. For us, in 2024 our average number of days absent was 22… I’ll save my manifesto on attendance for another newsletter article.

In the late 1990s students had the option to go home for lunch. Students would walk themselves home, and spend an hour with their family before returning to school the final hour of the day. To encourage students to stay for the lunch break, the school held a BBQ every Friday. I’d be down for our school smelling more like a weekend at Bunnings every now and then.

Before 1999, there was no school uniform. With the name change came a new identity - and with it, a new uniform. It marked a fresh chapter for the school, helping to build a sense of belonging and unity among students. There was definitely an effort to tie the uniform to a renewed sense of pride and connection to the newly named Newport Lakes. The old yellow cotton polos are a thing of the past (though, there may still be a couple up for free on our unofficial Facebook page) and our new(ish) uniform is sleek and clean and respected in our local community.

The 1999 school concert was a lot more lowkey than our last production. What was included on the setlist? Three (!) separate numbers by the Recorder Group. Need I say any more?

Back in 1999 we’d all require a backpack to carry around the torch, map, telephone, calculator, and literal encyclopaedia of world knowledge that we now have in our pockets every minute of the day. Classroom practice has also shifted dramatically. The rise of research-informed teaching - and more recently, the science of learning - means our work is increasingly grounded in what we know helps students learn, rather than what feels like a good idea at the time.

Some traditions uncovered from the time capsule had been lost to the ages.

Ex-student and School Councillor Ian McNeill passed away in 1998. He had a significant impact on the school and our devotion to the arts. The Ian McNeill Memorial Award for Excellence in The Arts was introduced to celebrate student achievement in this area. While I do not know a lot about Ian McNeill, I appreciate the importance of this kind of history - and I will endeavour to return this award to our Year 6 Graduation Ceremony for 2025 and beyond.

Looking back, 1999 doesn’t feel all that long ago, but the world, and this school, have changed in ways that would’ve been hard to predict. Some things have improved, some things we’ve outgrown, and some things we wish we could go back to (not including the performances from the Recorder Group).

It’s easy to forget that we’re a part of something bigger here at Newport Lakes Primary School - but the time capsule was a good reminder of this. Let’s make sure 2025 is worth digging up in another 25 years.

Mat Williamson

Assistant Principal (and accidental historian)

If you - or someone you know - attended Newport Lakes in the late 1990s or early 2000s, please get in touch. We’d love to share your younger self’s words with you, 25 years on.