Principal Report

Hello families and carers,

This year brings us three 10-week terms in a row, which has not been the norm for many years! As someone who has worked in education for almost 17 years, I often say that ‘it’s ok, you can do anything for 10 weeks’, and I'm finding that I’m saying it again now that we have hit Week 8 of Term 1. I know that our wonderful students are working incredibly hard and definitely need the upcoming break, and I also want to acknowledge that our teachers and staff do too. Before entering teaching, I worked long hours as a product manager and then as Executive Officer for an international NGO, and I thought I understood what it meant to work hard over long stretches. Since coming into teaching at the age of 30, however, I have come to appreciate that the teacher's workload is incredibly intense and full of competing, and constantly growing, demands— and one that, to some outsiders, may not be obvious, as teachers can make their work look almost effortless when in front of their classes or speaking with families.

I feel fortunate to have years of experience of different work places and to know that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side, having experienced working in the private sector, non-government and government sectors. I firmly believe that teachers need a week or two to decompress and mentally and physically recharge after every 10-week term in order to be their best selves; for their students, their own families, and themselves. We deserve to be properly recognised for the efforts we put in day in and day out - plus time spent over weekends and school holidays. That doesn't mean we do a perfect job with all students at all times, but it does mean you can be confident that your child's teacher is constantly reflecting on and working to meet the varied and expanding needs of all their students even more effectively.

Upcoming Stop Work - Tuesday 24th March

You have no doubt been reading about the proposed stop work on 24th March. Please note that the option to strike applies only to members of the Australian Education Union (AEU). That said, over 80% of our classroom teaching and education support staff are AEU members and will be stopping work. This means we will only have approximately 4 teachers and 6 education support staff on site to care for potentially up to 550 students, so we are asking families to make alternative arrangements where possible. I will share more formal information from the Department of Education and Training (DET) as it becomes available - making it clear which families may not need to adjust plans as their child’s teacher will be here as normal. In the meantime, please begin organising outside care if you are able, as a show of support for the AEU and our teaching staff. Thank you for your understanding. Of course, if you are a critical services worker, we understand that making other arrangements is incredibly difficult and we will be able to have your child on-site next Tuesday.

Attendance Coding - 'Sorry Business'

We have noticed an increase in the use of 'Sorry Business' as a reason on Compass when a student has been late or absent. This coding is intended for families who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.If this does not apply to your family, please do not select this option, as it skews the data we report to the Department of Education. Attendance is a priority for the DET, and we need to ensure they are receiving accurate information. Thank you for your cooperation.

Clear Expectations and Processes for Managing Behaviour

You may recall that following the COVID-19 lockdowns, we reported a noticeable increase in complex and serious behaviours in both the classroom and the yard. This led the school to prioritise data gathering in this area, and it also informed our decision to reduce the lunchtime break at the beginning of 2024. We continue to focus on relationship building and classroom management, supported by professional learning around supporting students with additional needs, regular Circle Time, practising ‘Unconditional Positive Regard’ and co-regulation, and using Restorative Practices, as well as the Department's 8 Positive Classroom Management Strategies (PCMS). These include:

Clear school-wide expectations: Explicitly teaching and modelling our school values, as well as classroom and yard rules and agreements.
Consistent routines and explicit instructions for expected behaviours.
Positive reinforcement through praise, regular acknowledgement of effort, and/or conduct and whole-school awards.
Daily social-emotional check-ins, including Circle Time and wellbeing prompts.
A calm, consistent learning environment that reduces uncertainty and promotes self-regulation.

As a busy school with 550 students and close to 50 staff, issues will sometimes arise, and clarity in how we respond to these incidents is essential. The NLPS Behaviour Flowchart, introduced last year, has helped students understand expectations around conduct in the classroom and yard, as well as what may happen if they do not respond appropriately to reminders or low-level interventions. This chart is displayed in every classroom, alongside our School Values Matrix and Restorative Chat prompts. As parents and carers, it's important that you are also familiar with the chart, the related interventions and consequences, and who is responsible for managing these situations.

As you will see, we work hard to notice and acknowledge the positive 'green behaviours' we observe throughout the majority of the day, and many minor 'yellow' behaviours are managed easily as they arise. For more serious amber and red behaviours, please note that, as indicated in the pink text box at the bottom, any intervention or consequence is aligned to the specific behaviour and individualised as necessary. That said, very serious behaviour cannot simply be talked through, and we hope to have your support should this ever involve your child. Assistant Principal Mat has focused his newsletter piece on this area too.

NLPS 2026 School Council Update

Our new School Council met for the first time last Tuesday evening. After introductions and finalising outstanding business from 2025, the council received an overview of the role and functions of a school council and the Victorian Public Service Code of Conduct, along with a Principal's Report and a review of the upcoming Year 4 Camp documentation.

Office bearer positions were confirmed and members volunteered to join School Council subcommittees.

President — Brett Fairbank
Vice President — Anton Freischmidt
Secretary — Liam Gaunt
Treasurer — Leah Campbell

Subcommittee Members

Finance — Carly Bannon, Leah Campbell, Brett Fairbank, Steve Fuller
Facilities & Maintenance — Liam Gaunt, Mat Williamson/Carly Bannon, Sarah Keenan
Policy — Mat Williamson, Heidi James, Anton Freischmidt, Joseph Cavallaro, Ben Houkamau

We welcome school community members to join our subcommittees and will share information about upcoming meetings in due course. We meet again as a school council on 30th March. Please also look out for a full profile of our 2026 School Council members later in this newsletter and on the school website.

Early Finish - End of Term 1 / School Holiday Care

A reminder that Term 1 concludes on Thursday 2nd April, with an early finish at 2:15pm. We will hold an outdoor assembly from 1:30pm, after which students will be dismissed from their classrooms at 2:15pm. Our new Out of School Hours Care provider, Team Kids, has a wonderful range of activities planned for their Vacation Care program - we encourage you to take advantage of this service if needed.

Follow the link for more information https://www.teamkids.com.au/venues/newport-lakes-primary-oshc/

Have a wonderful fortnight.

Carly Bannon

NLPS Principal