Principal Report

Welcome Back to NLPS!

Welcome back to all members of our Newport Lakes Primary School community and a very happy start to the 2026 school year. This year, our newsletters will still be fortnightly, but will come out on Wednesdays instead.

We hope the summer school holiday break gave all of our families time to relax, recharge, and enjoy some classic Australian summer moments - from beach days and family trips, to backyard catch-ups, sport on the TV, and long, sunny evenings. We hope those special memories carry you positively into the year ahead.

Whether you are joining us for the first time with a Foundation student, supporting a child in their final year of primary school, or somewhere in between, we are delighted to have you as part of the NLPS community. We value our partnership with families and look forward to working together to ensure every child has a positive and successful year.

At Newport Lakes Primary School, we continue to focus on educating the whole child - supporting both learning and wellbeing - so our students grow into happy, healthy, kind, and curious learners. Our goal is to make NLPS the best in the west when it comes to kindness, inclusion, and effort.

A Great Start to the Term / Change to Specialist Offerings

It has been wonderful to see the smiling faces of our Year 1–6 students returning through the gates and settling quickly into their new classrooms and routines. Our ‘First 13 Days’ curriculum (taking place over Weeks 1-3) supports students to build positive relationships, revise expectations, and develop strong classroom communities.

Students have also enjoyed beginning their Specialist classes, including Art, PE, STEM, Auslan, Music, and Library/Drama. We recommend runners on PE days and a bag for library books. Teachers will share individual timetables.

Speaking of Specialists, you may recall that we have had to make changes to the Drama/Library timetable to accommodate the part-time status of some staff members and the increase to 24 classes. Foundation to Year 4 classes will participate in Library sessions. Year 5 and 6 students can still access the Library at lunch or through times organised by their teacher with the whole class. Specialist Drama classes will be undertaken by Year 5 and 6 only, in preparation for a production later in the year. For younger Year 1 to 4 students, they will have the opportunity to sign up to a lunch time Drama program over a term, to ensure those students that have an interest/talent in this area still get access to quality teaching by the specialist teacher, Jackson.  We thank families for their understanding of the reasons for these changes and will share details about student performances this year at a later date.

We are especially looking forward to welcoming our 78 new Foundation students in their full classes tomorrow, Thursday 5th February, following their 1:1 interviews last week and earlier this week.

Upcoming Communication and Events

Meet the Teacher Interviews

Our 2025 Meet the Teacher interviews will be held earlier this year, on this coming Monday 9th February, between 2:00–7:00pm, online via Webex (or face-to-face upon request). Bookings are available through the Compass Parent Portal, with further details shared last week via Compass. 

Open Afternoon

All our families are invited to visit classrooms on Thursday 26th February, 3:15–3:45pm (Week 5). The Foundation/New Family Picnic will take place after that, BYO picnic. 

Working Together

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher via Compass or arrange a meeting at a suitable time. Brief messages can also be shared before school between 8:50–9:00am. I have emailed the school community a longer Compass note about expectations for communication so please look out for that as well. Parents and carers are warmly invited to assist with excursions. All volunteers require a current Working with Children Check, and we encourage families to organise this early.

Important Reminders

• Sun Protection: Until 30th April, students must wear an approved sunhat (no hat, no play), bring a water bottle (water only), and apply sunscreen.
• School Supervision: Yard supervision is provided from 8:45am-9:00am prior to school and 3:15–3:30pm after school.
• Anaphylaxis Awareness: Please avoid sending foods that may trigger severe allergies, including nuts and nut products. If there is a child suffering from Anaphylaxis in your child’s class you will receive a letter notifying you of this and outlining how you can assist in making the classroom a safe environment for all children. 
• Resilience, Rights, and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) Curriculum: A big part of educating the whole child is our well-regarded Health Scope and Sequence, and the RRRR is a major part of that. The mandated program has recently been updated and I have included further detail around this in the latter part of this newsletter, and I ask families to read through the information.

We are looking forward to another positive and rewarding year at Newport Lakes Primary School.

Have a wonderful fortnight everyone!

Carly Bannon

Principal

Welcome New Staff

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new NLPS staff for 2026. We look forward to the knowledge, energy, and care they will bring to our learning spaces, no doubt enriching our classrooms and strengthening our school community. If you see our lovely new faces around the yard, be sure to say hello and introduce yourselves. 

Becky Su is joining us in Year 1. Becky loves reading, cycling, and hanging out at the beach. She's looking forward to working alongside students and colleagues to create engaging learning experiences and helping every child achieve their personal best.

Lisa Walker is getting our students' creative juices flowing in Art. In her spare time Lisa enjoys visiting art galleries, hiking, and travelling to new places whenever she can. 

Jenny Ferris is already making (sound) waves with the students in Music. Jenny is passionate about all forms of music, from singing to playing instruments, and is just as passionate about chocolate!

Sarah Todd has joined the Admin team in the Office. In her down time Sarah enjoys reading and running, and is looking forward to exploring the local area after recently relocating from regional Victoria.