Leadership Report

It has been a relatively quiet week at Newlands, with all of our Grade 3/4 students away at School Camp. While I suspect the teachers are feeling the effects of the late nights, endless activities and kilometres of walking, the reports coming back suggest the students are having the time of their lives. A huge thank you to Lisa and the entire 3/4 team for organising such a fantastic experience. As I often say, school camp is one of the most memorable parts of a child's primary school journey, and it is wonderful to see our students making the most of every moment.

Salsa Friday and Spanglish at Newlands

The incredible Spanish Sub-Committee has organised two more fantastic opportunities for our community this weekend. Salsa Night has quickly become a staple of the Newlands calendar and is always a fun evening filled with music, dancing and laughter. If dancing isn't quite your thing, our final Spanglish session for the term will be held on Sunday, providing an opportunity for families to practise their Spanish conversation skills regardless of their experience level.

These events build on the success of last Friday's Spanish Movie Festival evening. A huge thank you to Luisa, Abner, Aggie and the entire Spanish Sub-Committee for the countless hours they invest in ensuring our families can engage with and celebrate Spanish language and culture. For more information, please visit the Spanish section of the newsletter.

Cultural Week and Walk for Truth

Next week marks the beginning of Cultural Week at Newlands, with a particular focus on Australia and the histories, cultures and contributions of First Nations peoples. Throughout the week, students will participate in a range of learning experiences designed to deepen their understanding of our shared history and strengthen their appreciation of First Nations perspectives.

On Thursday morning, families are invited to attend our Indigenous Perspectives Open Classroom, where students will share their learning from the week. During the morning, students, staff, families and community members will come together for our Newlands Community Walk for Truth, walking through the local area before returning to the quadrangle for a welcome, speakers and a whole-school community photo. 

See the Newlands Community Walk for Truth page in this newsletter for more logistical details about the morning.

A massive thank you to Simon for his leadership, organisation and commitment in supporting these important learning opportunities.

Parent-Teacher Interviews and Semester Reports

Semester Reports will be available for families to access from 5:00 pm on Friday.

As previously communicated, the school has streamlined its reporting process this semester as part of ongoing discussions regarding future reporting requirements and feedback from our community. More information about the report format, including the increased emphasis on Parent-Teacher Interviews, can be found in the Reporting section of this newsletter.

Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held next Friday in conjunction with the Curriculum Day. We strongly encourage students in Grades 3–6 to attend these meetings alongside their parents and carers. Having students present helps ensure a shared understanding of their strengths, areas for growth and the next steps in their learning journey. Please note all interviews will take place in your child's classroom, there are no online options this semester. 

Newlands Jumpers and Before School Sports

We have been blown away by the response to our Newlands Team Jumpers, with more than 150 orders already placed. Today is your final opportunity to secure a jumper before orders close. If you haven't already done so, make sure you place your order before it is too late.

We are also encouraging families to finalise payments for our Before School Sports Program, particularly for the Grade 3–6 Tennis Program at Dunstan Park Tennis Courts. While many families expressed interest in the program, only a small number of payments have been received so far. If you no longer intend to participate, please let the office know as soon as possible so that we can offer places to students currently on the waiting list.

So here is the program for Term 3!

                              *Wrestling is  available only for Foundation-6 girls on Mondays.

Please Note

• Tennis places are limited and will be allocated based on registrations.
• Some activities have limited numbers and waiting lists may apply.
• if you are in multiple events and there are clashes, please come see me. 

Hollywood Comes to Newlands – Holiday Program Changes

As previously communicated, Newlands will be the setting for a major horror film during the first week of the school holidays. While this is an exciting opportunity for the school, it does require some temporary changes to our Holiday Program operations.

During filming, the Holiday Program will be relocated to the Gymnasium and the Year 1/2 Learning World. Filming activities will take place in the Music Room, C-Block and on the Oval. For safety and security reasons, students will not have access to these areas, which will be secured and monitored throughout the filming period.

To minimise disruption to the Holiday Program, all cast and crew will access the site via the Murphy Street entrance. However, the production company will require access to the entire school car park to move equipment, lighting rigs, cameras and production vehicles throughout the week. Security personnel will be stationed at the gate to assist with access and ensure the safety of all students and families.

We kindly ask families attending the Holiday Program to use Murphy Street and the Woolworths car park for drop-off and pick-up during this period. A site map is included below to provide further clarity.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we welcome this unique opportunity to Newlands.

Lost Property

We have a sigificant amount of lost property hoping to to be returned to their owners. Please pay a visit to lost property as any remaining items without a name will be donated at the end of the term.

We hope you have a great weekend!

Thanks, 

Luke