Year Level News

Upcoming Excursions and Incursions

Please ensure you have processed all consents and payments on your Compass portal to guarantee your child's participation in all upcoming incursions and excursions. 

Please also ensure 2026 Permissions and Agreements have been processed to include permission for local excursion, photography permission, and ICT agreements. 

Foundation News

Another fun-filled, busy fortnight in Foundation!

Newport Lakes was absolutely flooded with book characters as we celebrated Book Week 2026. It was such a joy to see everyone dressed up and sharing why they chose their character and the book they came from. The whole school parade was definitely a highlight!

We were also lucky enough to have a special session with illustrator Jake Minton. Students enjoyed hearing about what inspires Jake to draw and learning about the books he has illustrated. They loved listening to Jake read some of his favourite books and watching him bring characters to life through his drawings.

In Maths, students have been busy learning about capacity and exploring what empty, half-full, and full look like. They enjoyed using containers in the sandpit to investigate which containers hold more and which hold less. We have also started learning about sharing and equal groups, with students exploring how we can share objects fairly.

It is hard to believe there are only a few weeks left of the term! Construction is underway as we create some of our favourite places in our community, and our Werribee Zoo excursion is fast approaching. We can’t wait for all the exciting learning and fun that is still to come! 

Year 1 News

Book Week: A Visit from Illustrator Jake Minton

The Foundation, Year 1, and Year 2 students were thrilled to welcome children’s book illustrator Jake Minton to our school for a very special visit.  

Jake shared some of his well known books, including Two Turtles, There’s No Such Book, and Trickshot Harri and he even gave us a sneak peek at a brand-new book that hasn’t yet hit the shelves! Our students loved seeing how Jake brings new characters to life when he is planning illustrations for a new book.  Some had the chance to help create parts of one or two completely new characters, inspired by the turtles in Two Turtles.  

Jake explained that it had taken him a while to become such a well known illustrator and he encouraged everyone to have a go, do their best, and, most importantly, keep on trying. We were delighted to hear that his most recent book, Inked, won an award at the CBCA awards.

Our students asked lots of thoughtful questions about books, characters, and illustrations and Jake was happy to share his ideas and experiences. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to see the creativity, persistence, and imagination that go into illustrating a children’s book.

Year 3 News

MCG Excursion

On Wednesday 19th August, the Year 3 students took a trip to the MCG. Here we visited the Australian Sports Museum, met with Olympian Milly Tapper, and had a guided tour of the MCG.

Students learnt about Australia’s colourful history of sporting legends and the strong sports culture we hold as a nation. We learnt from Olympian Milly Tapper, that with hard work and determination, we can achieve any goal we set our mind to.

The Year 3 teachers are so pleased with the way our students upheld our school's values. MCG tour guides spoke of how polite, curious, and knowledgeable our groups were. We hope they are very proud of themselves!

Maths: Angles

Last week, we explored angles in our Maths lessons. We learnt about angles in our environment, identifying and labelling right angles, and developed our understanding of quarter turns.

Students used Bee Bots to make a maze and needed to apply their understanding of right angles and directional language to program their robot. This was definitely a fun lesson for all!

Students also made their own posters explaining what angles are, creating diagrams, and labelling an angle to show their understanding.

Year 4 News

Author Visit

On Monday 24th August, Year 4s had the pleasure of meeting Judith Rossell for their book week author incursion. She is a very experienced and talented illustrator in every single way. She has published Spud and Snowball, Withering by the Sea, Midwatch, Bogtrotter and Pink. In the workshop she taught us about becoming a bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator, and she gave a detailed drawing experience. She has hilarious humour and included that in her magnificent stories. 

Rossell mentioned how she has a handy 'dummy book' that she puts ideas and illustrations in, and we all agreed that it is a fabulous idea! She types up words and sticks them in, as well as, planning for her new ideas. She is a persistent and passionate person who the students were so eager to meet. We appreciate the time the teachers spent organising the incursion.

“I loved how the drawing experience was so engaging!” - Year 4 student Milla remarked.

By Alice, Mimi and Ellis

Book Week

From the 24th through to the 28th of August was book week. There were millions of outstanding hand made creations. The effort everyone put in was mind blowing. It was so intriguing watching everyone prance around in the parade. We thank all the parents that came along and cheered as students walked past in their amazing outfits. 

There was also the book fair before and after school, as well as author visits to each year level. On Wednesday there was also some brilliant instrumental and vocal busking. This included the band, junior choir, senior choir, and groups of all sorts of people from all different year levels, spreading magic throughout the audience. We would like to thank both Jenny and Sharon for their hard work to make this awesome week possible.

Year 5 News

Its that exciting time of year where we start ordering the 2027 Year 6 Graduation Wear.

Sample sizes will be available to try on at the front office each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from Monday 7th September.

This uniform will consist of a short sleeve sky blue polo and a soft shell jacket. Both items are optional.

Ordering will be made live in the coming weeks. 

Year 6 News

Transition to Year 7 Incursion with Hobsons Bay Youth Services

This week our Year 6 students took part in a fantastic ‘Transition to Year 7’ incursion, run by Hobsons Bay Youth Services, with presenters Alyssa and Adrian visiting NLPS for the day. The program was split into two engaging sessions that helped students think deeply about friendships, high school expectations, and the support available to them as they move into adolescence.

Session 1: Navigating Friendships

Students began by discussing the many different friendship dynamics they experience (group friendships, solo friendships, 'bouncers', and the classic 'two peas in a pod'). They shared openly and respectfully, showing great maturity.

To mix things up, students then moved into random groups for a fun ice‑breaker game, designed to help them connect more deeply with peers with whom they may not usually work. After this, they brainstormed the qualities they value in a good friend, generating a thoughtful list of characteristics such as kindness, loyalty, and honesty.

The session finished with students writing kind affirmation letters to one another, which was a lovely moment to witness with plenty of smiles and positive energy across the room.

Session 2: Navigating High School Life

The second session focused on the practical challenges of entering a new high school environment. Students were placed into new groups and given a 'fake locker', complete with a combination lock. Their mission: work together, escape‑room style, to get to class on time with the correct books.

Opening the lock proved to be a hilarious challenge for many, but once unlocked, students used a sample timetable to work out where they needed to be - Period 3 on a Tuesday. They then had to collect the correct textbooks and locate the right classroom. Watching them navigate timetables, lockers, and room numbers was both entertaining and a great learning experience.

Exploring Youth Services

To finish the day, Alyssa and Adrian shared all the wonderful opportunities available for 12–25 year olds at the Newport Community Hub, including the youth space upstairs at Newport Library. Students were genuinely excited about the programs and support they can access next year.

Overall, it was a highly valuable and enjoyable incursion that left our Grade 6 students feeling more confident, connected, and ready for the next step in their schooling journey. If you’d like to find out more, visit the Hobsons Bay Youth Services website.

Library News

Book Club - Issue 6

View Catalogue - HERE

Orders closes on Sunday 6th September.

Music News

Book Week Buskers

As part of Book Week last week, several student performances took place one lunchtime. The band, junior choir, and senior choir all performed pieces, as did several soloists and small groups of students from among our Instrumental Music program. These students organised group rehearsals and found repertoire, and did a great job preparing their pieces. Our Arts Captains did a fantastic job of emceeing the event and a huge congratulations goes out to all our talented performers!

Father's & Special Person's Breakfast

This Friday 4th September, all members of the Junior Choir, Senior Choir, and Band will perform as part of the Father's and Special Person's Breakfast. Students who are involved in the above ensembles are asked to meet at school in the Music Room promptly at 8am, ready to warm up and perform. We look forward to what should be a wonderful concert!

Art News

Drama News

DEATH ON THE DECK! 

Join us for an immersive evening of murder mystery and intrigue on the high seas, performed and written by our senior students. 

There is no set seating for this production. Performances are happening concurrently in a simultaneous staging environment as the audience moves about from room to room.

Tickets are open to Year 5 and 6 families first, purchases can be made with the password sent to those families. 

Any remaining tickets will be opened to the rest of the school community from Monday 14th September.

The performances will be held at the Newport Substation on Thursday 29th October. 

Show times as below (including intermission)

• Matinee - 1:15pm to 2:45pm - $17
• Evening - 6:30pm to 8pm - $27

*Doors open 15 minutes prior to show times.

Please be mindful of which performance you are purchasing tickets for (matinee or evening) as tickets are non-refundable. 

Tickets may be transferable for the same performance time only e.g. matinee for matinee / evening for evening.

Please contact newport.lakes.ps@education.vic.gov.au or 03 9391 8942 for further information.