Week seven of nine has been completed, and overall, it’s been a relatively normal week at school with no major events. On Monday, we successfully executed our On-Site Evacuation drill. We were also assessed by the department for our Out Of Hours Care Program, and all teachers were upskilled to obtain their Food Handling Certificates, ensuring safety and hygiene measures were upheld just in time to enjoy the delicious Newlands McMuffins served this morning for Father’s Day.

A huge shoutout to the Newlands Lacrosse team, who put on an outstanding show for the school, leaving the teachers questioning their own skills! It was a fantastic day, and we’re looking forward to seeing the teachers put on a decent show in any sport.

Wear It Purple Day Success!

We proudly supported Wear It Purple Day and raised $334 for Minus18, an organisation dedicated to empowering and supporting LGBTQ+ youth. Thank you to everyone who contributed and helped us make a positive impact.

To wrap up the week, we have the NPS Comedy Gala tonight at Thornbury Theatre, hosted and organised by Declan and Josh. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, it’s clear you haven’t been keeping up with the newsletter or Sentral! Below is a final reminder with the flyer. This is a must-attend event, so be sure to offload the kids last minute and come along for a great night.

Classroom Highlights

Foundation

I joined Tom’s Foundation class today while the students were engaged in their builders activity. The children were fully engaged in the various activities, but the amount of excitement for the group reading to Tom was another level. While students were engaged , I asked the class what their favourite thing about their parents was:

Ara: “My favourite thing about my dad is that he’s really funny.”
Saafi: “I love it when Dad puts me to bed because he tells stories.”
Max: “My dad is funny and kind.”
Alita: “My favourite thing about my dad is that when I hurt myself, he pretends we’re going to the hospital.”
Mabel: “My mum makes me bacon cookies!”
Poppy: “My dad runs into the kitchen and pretends to cut my toe off!”
Esme: “When my dad holds my hands and spins me around.”
Selena: “I just love him.”
Jude: “I love playing Lego Star Wars with him.”

Grades 5/6

I sat in with a group of Grade 6 students preparing for the DELE exam—the first time we are assessing against international standards. I listened for 15 minutes and was blown away by their confidence and how well they answered multiple questions. I wanted to ask them what they enjoyed and found challenging and here is what they said:

Darcy - Its kind of difficult, I have learnt a lot while studying but realised that we also know so much

Florence - We have learnt so much and its great practice to understand how much we need to study for exams in high school.

Eva - The DELE exam is going to be difficult, but the before school practice has been helping so much.

Charlie D - The mock exam was more stressful than it needed to be, but really confident with my Spanish knowledge

Nelly - It is definitely helping with my Spanish knowledge!

Lennox - I like learning Spanish, so I like how the lessons in the morning are happening.

Asha - The before school classes have really helped my confidence in Spanish.

Mia - The morning sessions focuses on speaking and listening which has helped me with my confidence!

Grades 3/4

Sonny and I played the Race to One Whole Game, focusing on counting decimals and fractions to the hundredths. This game helped students connect fractions and decimals and understand the hundredths needed to make a whole. When I asked what they’ve learned in Maths this term, here’s what they said:

Sonny: “I’ve learnt how to do fractions, and they’re easier than I thought.”
Billy: “In Facts on Fire, I’ve learnt how to multiply fractions.”
Archie: “I feel fast with multiplication facts and doing the algorithm.”
Hazel: “I’ve learnt about fractions, which makes adding and subtracting decimals easier.”
Favela: “I’ve learnt a lot, especially about decimals and fractions because Connie and Courtney are amazing. I thought I was terrible, but it’s actually pretty easy.”
Sunday: “I can confidently convert fractions to decimals, which makes me feel ready for harder Maths.”
Natalya: “I’ve learnt quicker ways to turn improper fractions into mixed numbers.”

Looking Ahead

3/4 Parent-Teacher Interviews will take place in Week 8 instead of Week 9, as the team heads off to school camp. If you haven’t booked a time yet, you can do so via SENTRAL or by contacting the office. These termly interviews are a great opportunity to discuss your child’s social and academic progress and how you can support them for the rest of the year.

34CD will have their interviews with both Lucinda and our new Spanish teacher Laura. This will be an opportunity for families to meet Laura as she joins the 34CD crew!

State School Spectacular

A group of dedicated students have been giving up their lunchtimes every week to prepare for the big event at John Cain Arena next Saturday. We’re incredibly proud of them and can’t wait to see them represent our school. They have two major rehearsal days coming up on Thursday and Friday before the event.

Transition Session #2

Next Friday is our second Transition session. I look forward to meeting more new faces as we welcome 80 new students joining Newlands Primary School in 2025. A big thank you to all the student leaders for their help during these sessions!

Footy Colour Day

Next Friday, students can dress up in their favourite footy colours and bring a gold coin donation to raise funds for the Fight Cancer Foundation. Students may wear any team’s colours, but bonus points if you support the incredible Melbourne Football Club!

Have a great weekend!

Thanks,

Luke

Newlands 75th Anniversary