Leadership Report
A Big Holiday Break at Newlands
It was a very busy holiday period at Newlands Primary School.
Our school was used as a filming location for an upcoming Hollywood movie called Skeletons, which will be released at some point in the future. It was certainly exciting to have some very famous movie stars on our school grounds!
A massive thank you to Jill, Sarah from OSHC and all of our families. The filming required some movement and changes to our Holiday Program, and we greatly appreciated everyone’s flexibility and understanding.
We also had several building works completed over the holidays. Our Foundation classrooms have not only been beautified but also soundproofed to reduce noise bleed and echo, creating a much more conducive environment for learning.
The difference is incredible, with the company completing the work saying it was some of the best soundproofing they had ever done.
The electrical work has also been completed in preparation for our new kiln, which should be installed in the Art Room over the next few weeks.
WORLD CUP FINAL AT NEWLANDS!
It is an incredibly exciting time at Newlands Primary School, with both España and Argentina making the FIFA World Cup Final!
As Australia’s only Spanish Bilingual Primary School, we are thrilled to confirm that Newlands will be showing the Final live in the school gymnasium.
A coffee cart will be available, which will be essential at that time of the morning! A massive thank you to Jason for helping make this happen.
We will also be selling toasted sandwiches, and Jimmy will be making horchata.
The game begins at 5:00am, with doors opening at 4:45am.
It is going to be an unforgettable morning. You do not want to miss out on this core primary school memory!
What’s Happening in the Classrooms?
Foundation
I asked our Foundation students:
What was your favourite thing about the holidays?
Olive: Going out for dinner with my grandma.
Rose: Going to the art gallery and seeing lots of different art.
Isabelle: I went ice skating. I fell over two times, but it was really fun.
Violet: I saw my cousin, and we went to a playground and played in the garage together.
Mitchell: I went camping with my family.
Oliver: I went to Lakes Entrance, and I went fishing on the weekend.
Lucy: On the holidays, I went to a holiday house, and there was a fire.
Ellis: I went to Sydney for five days. I went to the Australian Museum, where they had Aboriginal masks. They even had real skeletons.
Years 1/2
I walked straight into Bianca’s room at 9:00am. Every student knew exactly what to do. They sat down and began reading before getting ready for the roll to be marked.
While Bianca completed the roll, I asked the students:
What did you miss most about school during the holiday break?
Timmy: I missed Funky Friday.
Alana: I missed Aurora and was so excited to see her.
Lucas: I missed doing Maths work.
Indigo: I missed my teachers. It was great to see them again.
Sonny N: I missed my friends and my teachers.
Selena: I missed nothing!
Nye: I missed Maths.
Mabel: I missed Writing. It is so fun.
Lachie: I missed my friends.
Axel: I missed the variety of books I could read.
Years 3/4
I then walked into Lucinda’s class, where I was surrounded by the Facts on Fuego anthem that plays before Numeracy Fluency.
It was fantastic to see students working at different levels across fractions, multiplication and division. They take this minute incredibly seriously. The room was completely silent as they powered through the questions.
As the students are currently focusing on persuasive writing, I asked them to give me a reason why school holidays should be longer, regardless of whether they actually agreed.
Romy: In America, they get three months to unwind and prepare themselves for school, while we only get two weeks.
Ashton: Some kids finish their work really quickly, so we should reduce the school term so there are more holidays.
Winston: I think there should be more time to rest because it takes almost a week to get used to being on school holidays.
Gus: Because holidays are way more fun than school.
Azra: During the school term, everything is such a rush. It is only during the school holidays that you can have quality time with family and friends.
Phoebe: I agree that three weeks should be the minimum so we can actually relax.
Years 5/6
The Year 5/6 students were sitting in their famous circle for a Philosophy session.
I came in prepared to ask students about their goals for Semester Two, but I quickly became caught up in the lesson. Students were discussing which feeling was worse: embarrassment, disgust or fear.
I was completely blown away by the depth of their thinking, their responses and the way they articulated their ideas.
Here are just a few examples:
Lowri: I think being embarrassed or scared is the worst because it could lead to further consequences or actions.
Amami: I think the worst feeling is being scared. It overrides your whole body and triggers your fight-or-flight response, where you cannot think about anything else. Being scared can make you do uncontrollable things.
Sunday: I said scared because your body shuts down and it does not have any defences. If you are fearful, you are unable to stay steady, which may lead to disaster or failure.
Archie: I disagree because if you are never scared, you might always feel safe and it might not push you to try new things.
AEU Stop-Work Action
At this stage, the majority of our staff are expected to participate in industrial action next Thursday as part of the campaign for improved pay and working conditions.
There will be a limited number of staff available, and an alternative program will be provided for students who attend.
Families who are able to keep their children at home are encouraged to do so in support of our teachers and staff.
Further information will be provided before Thursday.
Taco Fridays Are Coming!
We are excited to be launching a brand-new initiative in Term 3... Taco Fridays!
From Week 5, our very own Newlands parent chef, Jimmy, will be setting up each Friday to provide our students with an authentic taco experience right here at school.
School Council recently had the opportunity to sample Jimmy's food and, let me just say, we cannot wait for Taco Fridays to arrive! The tacos were absolutely delicious, and we know they are going to be a huge hit with our students and families.
More information, including ordering details and the menu, will be shared over the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
Climbing Trees and Carrying Branches
We would like to clarify once again that students are not permitted to climb trees or play with sticks and branches at Newlands.
We need to ensure that expectations are consistent across the school and that we are doing everything possible to keep all students safe.
Class Placements for 2027
We are communicating this early to avoid confusion later in the year.
The school will not be accepting parent requests for 2027 class placements.
Last year, the process became very difficult due to the number of last-minute requests and changes being made. This was unfair to the staff who had already invested significant time and thought into creating balanced classes.
The school will make class placement decisions based on what we believe will best support the academic, social and wellbeing needs of all students.
Diego’s Parent-Teacher Interviews
Families who missed their Parent-Teacher Interview with Diego will be able to book a new time from Monday morning.
The interviews will take place on 31 July.
Enrolments
The school has been given an enrolment capacity of 70 Foundation students for 2027.
Unfortunately, this means there will be many families, including Spanish-speaking families and those living outside our designated neighbourhood area, to whom we may not be able to offer a place.
We understand how disappointing this may be, particularly for families who strongly value our bilingual program. We will continue to communicate clearly with families as the enrolment process progresses.
We hope you have a great weekend.
Thanks,
Luke