What a wonderful week of learning at Newlands Primary School!

I want to give a big shoutout to my early morning Writing Rules group, who have shown incredible dedication by turning up every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. Rain, hail or shine, they come in early to listen to me ramble on about how much I love writing—and I honestly couldn't think of a better way to start my day. I really appreciate the energy they bring to our sessions.

Our wonderful Learning Community Leaders (LCLs) have been doing an incredible job working with teachers, students and families of their cohort. After your child’s classroom teacher, they are a primary point of contact for families to reach out to for all things related to wellbeing and learning. The best way to contact them is to email the school, attention the email to your child’s cohort LCL leader Jess, Sophia, Luisa or Graeme.

Next Monday, we’ll be hosting our final morning tea for families before we head off to Colombia! The last one was a huge success—filled with mate, sweets, delicious food, and lots of laughter. I can’t wait to be fed to the brim again. A huge thank you to Aggie, Elkin, and Luisa for making these mornings so special.

In the Classrooms This Week:

Foundation:

I joined Katherine’s class for Showtime, where students read aloud their weather report drafts. They proudly reminded me these were drafts, but the creativity was already shining through. Here are some highlights:

Lucas – “Today is sunny so you should wear a scarf.”
Wintah – “It is sunny outside.”
Clyde – “Today is cold and sunny, you should wear shorts and jumpers.”
Eric – “Today is sunny and…”
Sophia – “It is windy cats and dogs and you should wear shorts and t-shirts.”
Elowen – “Hello, my name is Mrs Kitten and it's raining kittens, so you should wear a jacket and bring your umbrella. PS – The umbrella is to stop the cats from hitting your head.”

I didn’t get to hear more because the whole class was off to play Golden Goose!

Grade 3/4:

Students have been working on the front covers for their Indigenous biography projects. They’ve been learning about prominent Indigenous figures. Here are some of the responses about their chosen individuals:

Mala – “I chose Jessica Mauboy. I learnt that she represented Australia in Eurovision in 2018.”
Ashton – “Narelda Jacobs helped Australia understand how Indigenous Australians were mistreated.”
Olivia – “Cathy Freeman won a gold medal in the 400 metres at the Olympics.”
Jock – “Adam Goodes is a champion AFL player who played for the Sydney Swans.”
Tallie – “Anita Heiss is a famous writer who has written many books about Aboriginal rights and the injustices Indigenous people have faced.”
Angie – “Anita Heiss was born on November 19, 1968, and she’s written four books.”
Eli – “I chose Eddie Mabo, who is known for fighting for Indigenous rights in Australia.”

Grade 1/2:

Sophia sat me down to show the amazing work they’ve been doing in Spanish. The students are writing information reports on Guling and Waring, which are seasons from the Kulin Nation seasonal calendar. Their effort is incredible. I asked some of them what they’ve learned this week in Spanish:

Beth – “I learnt about the Kulin seasons in Spanish.”
Grace – Told me two flower names in Spanish that I couldn’t spell or pronounce!
Dash – “We’ve been learning poornet in Spanish.”
Jannick – “In Guling, there are no hay frutas.”
Sophia – “Grace won the Word of the Day game and said me gustan árboles.”
Mila – Told the class about estrella, which means ‘star’.

Grade 5/6:

This morning I visited Kaya’s class, where students were identifying themes in their class novel Us Mob Walawurru. Molly gave a fantastic explanation of the story, but it’s such a complex and emotional narrative that it's hard to summarise. She shared that it’s a sad book because it reflects just one of the many difficult stories Indigenous people have experienced, while this story.

I asked the class what made them laugh this week, and here’s what they said:

Kaya – “It took the whole class a week to solve the class riddle!”
Austin – “Felipe played Jojo Siwa’s Boomerang in Music.”
Paxton – “At regional cross-country, a kid fell and went flying down a hill—but he got back up and came fourth!”
Molly – “My buddy made me laugh with how tightly she hugs me when she sees me during class breaks.”
Etta – “During the dog incursion, we knew everything, including the same ‘Stop, Ask, Smell, Pat’ song from Prep.”
Lennox – “I’m hilarious and make everyone laugh.”
Millie – “My friends have made me laugh this week.”
Hayley – “When Toby and Lennox were annoying Mia, her reaction was hilarious!”

A quick message from Shikha

Dear Parents and Carers,

We hope this message finds you well. We would like to update you about the School Start Bonus (SSB) program for 2025 and what it means for your family.

Important Dates and Information:

The SSB program is a one-time initiative for 2025 only and will not continue in 2026.
If your child is transferring to another Victorian government school and you need a student transfer code, please submit your request by Friday, 13 June 2025 via the SSB online enquiry form.
After 30 June 2025, parents and carers will no longer be able to access the SSB online system to purchase textbooks or uniforms.
Any unspent SSB amounts or unused supplier vouchers will automatically become a school activities credit, which the school can use from early August 2025.

How SSB Has Helped Families:

The SSB program has supported many families with essential school costs like uniforms, textbooks, and school activities. We’ve seen a positive impact in our community, with better access to school resources for all students.

Next Steps for Parents:

Please ensure that if your child is moving schools, the transfer code request is submitted by the deadline to avoid delays.
Be aware that after June, the online system closes, so make sure to use any SSB funds or vouchers before then.

If you have any questions or need help with the transfer process, please contact the school office. We are here to assist you.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Thanks for another joyful week, Newlands community. Looking forward to more learning, laughter, and of course—more writing!

Thanks,

Luke

Community News

Noticias de la Comunidad