Mr. Barclay's Breifing!

Hello NPS families! 

Welcome to the first newsletter for term 2, 2026. 

What a wonderful beginning to term 2 we have had. It has been fantastic to see students settle in so quickly, reconnecting with friends and embracing learning opportunities with enthusiasm. There is always a little bit of apprehension there for some after returning from the term break, however, I have been so impressed with how all our students have reengaged. 

As shared in a recent Compass Post, the Australian Education Union (AEU) has recently increased the bans in place regarding industrial action, which has the potential to impact school operations, as highlighted by our need to shift our Parent Teacher Interviews. The AEU and DET are meeting frequently, which includes an alleged 20+ meetings over the term break, and are still no closer to a new Victorian Government Schools Agreement being agreed.

I understand that the bans and stop-work action can be inconvenient for families, and I appreciate your patience and understanding. We have an exceptionally dedicated staffing group who go above and beyond what is expected of them on a daily basis, and the new agreement should reflect that accordingly. If further potential disruptions come in to affect, I will be sure to share that information with you all as early as possible. 

In having mentioned above our Parent–Teacher interviews, these are a valuable opportunity to connect with your child's teacher and discuss how they are progressing socially, emotionally, and of course academically. Bookings are being made by families, which is great to see, and I encourage any families who have not, to secure their preferred time as soon as possible by contacting the office as the online booking portal has closed. 

I apologise if I am sounding a little like a broken record yet - our school community thrives because of the incredible support of our families, who volunteer their time for a range of events and activities. 

We have a number of exciting events coming up where we'd love an extra pair of hands, including for our Annual Book Fair, Athletics Carnival, and Lightning Premiership events. No experience necessary — just a willingness to get involved and have fun! If you're able to help, please contact the office or look out for sign-up details via Compass. 

Exciting news - the redevelopment of our Prep courtyard is nearly complete! The space is looking fantastic, and we can't wait for our youngest students to enjoy their brand new environment. This week we have had the landscapers begin their work, which will continue into next week. We're looking forward to sharing the finished space with the whole school community very soon.

Our Staff - Get to know the people...

Hi! I’m Rowena, Mrs Weller, and I teach grade 5/6 in the downstairs SLA classroom.

I am one of three children in my family. I have an older sister, Natalie, and a younger sister, Alana. 

I have three children - Angus (17 years old), Austin (15 years old) and Mitch (13 years old). Angus is in year 12 and works as a basketball umpire and on the score table for the Youth League. Austin is in year 10 and is a technology whiz! Mitch is in year 7 and absolutely loves playing basketball. My husband’s name is Glenn and he works in Information Technology for the City of Greater Geelong.

I have been teaching at Newtown for almost 20 years! However, teaching was not my first career! I started working life as an accountant.

My first full time job was working for a chartered accounting firm called Pitcher Partners in Melbourne. It was a really busy job, but I loved working in the city, particularly on Collins Street, my favourite Melbourne street!

After I left Pitcher Partners, I was an accountant at Reading Cinemas in Port Melbourne. This was my favourite job as an accountant, and it was here that I began to see what my future may hold. I used to train new staff to the business and really enjoyed this aspect of my role. I also worked right across the road from the beach and got to travel around Australia visiting cinemas and working with cinema staff.

I left my job at Reading and shortly after decided to have a career change! That was 20 years ago, and I haven’t looked back!

I have met some lovely families and had the privilege of teaching many terrific students over the years. I have also been so lucky to work with the most amazing people here at Newtown Primary School. Colleagues who are passionate, caring and supportive and who have had a huge impact on who I am, not only as a teacher, but as a person.