Leadership Report

This is a first for Newlands! There were parents out well past Melrose Place’s scheduled finishing time to watch an incredibly talented group of Newlands parents absolutely rip up the stage at the Croxton Hotel. There was sweat, there was dragon, there was Spanish...  and there was a whole lot of talent. It was a fantastic night and, in my very non-musical opinion, they absolutely destroyed the other schools!

See all of Julien's beautiful photos here

Educational Support Day!

Today we celebrated Education Support (ES) Day and acknowledged the incredible contribution our ES staff make to Newlands every single day. From supporting students in classrooms, running intervention groups, helping students regulate and feel safe, to building strong relationships with families and staff, their impact across our school is enormous. Our ES staff are often the calm, caring and consistent presence that helps students thrive both academically and emotionally. We are incredibly lucky to have such a dedicated and passionate team who always go above and beyond for our community. Thank you to all of our ES staff for everything you do to make Newlands such a supportive and inclusive place for all students.

IDAHOBIT Day

Today, Newlands proudly celebrated IDAHOBIT Day, with students and staff coming dressed in a wonderful range of colours and outfits to show their support for inclusivity and diversity. It was fantastic to see our community embracing the message that everyone deserves to feel safe, respected and celebrated for exactly who they are. Across the school, students took part in conversations and activities that reinforced the importance of kindness, acceptance and standing up against discrimination. We are incredibly proud of the way our students continue to support one another and help make Newlands a welcoming place for everybody.

Firetrucks at Newlands!

Is there a better feeling than holding a fire hose and spraying water onto an oval desperately in need of it? Chances are it is an experience you and I have never had, but our local fire brigade champions came down once again to give all of our Foundation students an experience they will never forget. It was also interesting to hear just how many Foundation students had apparently seen cats stuck in trees unable to get down. A massive thank you to Morgan for coming down multiple times to support our school!

Police Cars at Newlands!

You may have also noticed some police cars in the car park this week. While they could have been investigating all the post-school jaywalking (please use the crossing!), our local police actually gave up their time to teach our 3/4 and 5/6 students how to stay safe online. It was clearly an effective session as I personally witnessed someone immediately changing their Roblox username to something less traceable. We really appreciate the local police coming into our school each year to run these important workshops with our students.

Before School GET ACTIVE Program Expansion - Put in your expression of Interest!

Our Get Active Before School Program will continue to expand in Term 3. The feedback from our before school Basketball Program has been overwhelmingly positive and has even led to the school beginning its own basketball club. We are really excited to announce even more opportunities outside of basketball (although you can absolutely still sign up for basketball!). Our goal is simple! Get students active, excited, trying new things and starting the day positively.

Mondays/Tuesday – Tennis – Dunstan Avenue Tennis Courts

If there is one thing you need to be able to do well in Australia, it is serve a tennis ball! We are really excited to be offering before school tennis training (dependent on numbers) from 8:00am – 8:45am with Adrian Barry. Adrian has been coaching tennis for over 25 years and we are absolutely delighted to be able to offer this opportunity in Term 3. The 8-week program will cost $225.

Tuesday – Thursday – Olympic Wrestling at Newlands Primary School

Newlands Primary School is proud to bring Olympic Wrestling to the school, one of the only schools in Australia to do so! Olympic wrestling is one of the oldest and most respected sports in the world, teaching young people discipline, resilience, confidence and respect. Often described as “physical chess,” it combines strategy, strength and mental toughness, helping athletes grow both physically and emotionally. Wrestling is an inclusive and accessible sport that rewards hard work, perseverance and commitment, making it a powerful way for students to build confidence, friendships and lifelong skills.

We are incredibly excited to have local parent Mohsen leading the program. Mohsen competed at a national level in Iran and has been coaching wrestling for the past 13 years. Sessions will run from 8:00am – 8:45am Tuesday to Thursday (dependent on numbers) and will cost $100 for the term.

Baile de Grupo – Fridays – $100 for the term

Everyone talks about Diego’s Dance Club and just how much fun it is! well next term, Fridays are about to get even bigger! What better way to start your Friday than partying with Diego from 8:00am – 8:45am to Latin hits and dance classics before the school day even begins? It is going to be absolutely unreal! Even better, for this special edition, parents are invited to join in the fun as well. We can already picture the dance floor energy, the questionable parent dance moves and the huge smiles across the gym. Honestly, what a time to be alive at Newlands!

Baloncesto Unidos - 100 dollars per term - Tuesday - Thursday

Our before school Basketball Program will be continuing next term, running Tuesday through to Thursday depending on age groups, and we could not be more excited! After just one term, we can already see the incredible difference it is making in students’ confidence, teamwork and willingness to give things a go. The energy in the gym each morning has been fantastic, with students building skills, friendships and starting the school day in such a positive way. Whether your child is a seasoned player or just wanting to try something new, we would love to see even more students get involved. Get on board for Term 3. It is only getting bigger and better!

What about the classrooms!

Foundation

Tomorrow is Stephen’s last day in Colleen’s class and the students are genuinely devastated that he is leaving. I asked students what made Stephen so great right after they completed the Impossible Challenge:

Wilkle – “I like Stephen because he is silly.”

Miles – “I like Stephen because he is funny and silly.”

Sonny – “We love Stephen and we will miss him.”

Eleanor B – “He reads books in a fun way, especially The Book With No Pictures.”

Eleanor – “I like Stephen because he reads funny books to us.”

Clem – “I like Stephen because he reads the unicorn book in such a funny way.”

Luca – “I like Stephen because he is the best at giving high fives.”

1/2

I joined Christine’s class this week where students were writing about their local neighbourhoods in Spanish. I sat with Jude, who was proudly singing me the “Mi Barrio” song. In the process of asking students about their learning, the entire class suddenly began singing the tune together for me. A little pitchy at times, but the passion was definitely there! I asked students what they had learnt in Spanish this week:

Ara – “I’ve learnt a lot of new things in Spanish this week, especially how to round numbers.”

Jude – “I have learnt how to sing a big song in Spanish.”

Angus – Also learnt the song… but chose to demonstrate it instead of explaining it.

Max – “Artículo.”

Leo – “We have learnt about direct and indirect articles like el, la, un and una, and making sure they agree with the adjective.”

3/4

I joined Sole’s class where students were writing information reports about Australian monuments. Everyone was incredibly quiet and settled when I came into the room, focused on finishing their work before heading off to Facts on Fire. I asked students something they had learnt in Spanish this week:

Aviva – “I learnt that the Great Barrier Reef is bigger than Germany and Japan.”

Edi – “Uluru is taller than the Eiffel Tower.”

Ashley – “I learnt that most of Uluru is actually underground.”

Finn – “Uluru is 500–550 million years old.”

Oliver – “Uluru is not actually red. it just looks red because of oxidisation.”

Next Week

Annual General Meeting - 6:00pm Tuesday 19th of May

Next week, Newlands Primary School will hold its AGM meeting to reflect on our 2025 goals and share our priorities for 2026. The meeting will take place in the Administration Building at 6:00pm next Tuesday. We would love to see members of our community there and hope you can make it!

CERES

Our Grade 1/2 students are very excited to be heading off to CERES Community Environment Park next week for what is always an incredible learning experience. The excursion will give students the opportunity to explore sustainability, nature and the environment through hands-on activities and real-world experiences. We know the students will come back full of stories, new knowledge and plenty of excitement after a day of learning outside the classroom. A big thank you to all of the staff and volunteers helping make the excursion possible!

COLOUR RUN ON FRIDAY!

Next Friday, Newlands will explode with colour, laughter and excitement as we celebrate our annual Colour Run! This is always one of the highlights of the year and a fantastic way to bring our whole community together for some fun. A massive thank you to our incredible PFA for all of the organisation, preparation and support that goes into making events like this possible. Their ongoing dedication to our school community never goes unnoticed, and we know the day is going to be absolutely amazing for all of our students. Get ready for bright colours, huge smiles and plenty of unforgettable memories!

FOUNDATION INFORMATION NIGHT!

Next Wednesday, we will be holding our Foundation Information Night and we honestly cannot believe we are already talking about 2027 enrolments! It feels like only yesterday we were welcoming our current Foundation students through the gates, and now we are preparing to meet the next group of families beginning their Newlands journey. The evening is a fantastic opportunity for prospective families to learn more about our school, our bilingual program, our values and the incredible community that makes Newlands such a special place. We are looking forward to showcasing everything our school has to offer and welcoming future students and families into our community.

The Working Bee is coming up and there are lots of priorities, Buildings and Grounds need your help on this one. Please book away the following date!

Have a great weekend!

Thanks,

Luke