The Newlands Times

Leadership Report

The Foundation students were at their oldest and most adorable today! It was such a joy to talk with them about times of change, the lost art of CD wallets, and how streaming just doesn’t show the same commitment to an artist. Huge thanks to the Foundation team for putting together such a delightful experience under the banner of 100 Days of Foundation.

 

 

 

I know attention spans are short this week as we’re all stretching up for the big Salsa event tonight. so I won’t go on (too much) about how Balance and Composure is the best band of the past five years… or how the new Zombies movie is surprisingly great as this information is just a little more important!

 

Please read the following very important update:

 

Semester 2 Staffing Changes

Over the next six months, a few of our much-loved teachers will be stepping into exciting new chapters. Here's what’s happening:

 

Foundation

The wonderful Jose will be getting married and taking leave in Term 4 to celebrate his great decision making. Jose has done an incredible job leading the Foundation team this year, welcoming new families and supporting a fantastic start to 2025. Sole, who has been with the Foundation class all year and part of Newlands for three years, will be stepping into the classroom teacher role. Please join us in congratulating Sole on completing her degree and officially joining the Newlands teaching team!

 

 

 

1/2 Team

We’re excited to share that Rob will be taking a month of paternity leave starting August 25, returning at the beginning of Term 4. We wish Rob and his family all the best during this special time! In the meantime, we’re also happy to welcome Sole, who will be stepping into Rob’s role during his leave. Here is the same photo of Sole holding doughnuts.

 

 

3/4 Team

Angelica will be finishing up in a month as she embarks on a new career path. She has been integral to building our bilingual program over her 5+ years here. We’ll be celebrating her contribution properly in the coming weeks. Her replacement is in the final stages of being confirmed, updates to come very soon. Angelica's last day at Newlands is the 22nd of August

 

We’re also thrilled that Connie will be welcoming a new addition to her family! She has been a fantastic part of 3/4EF this year. Replacing Connie will be Carmen, who is joining us all the way from Chile. Carmen will start in Week 8, officially taking over the role in Week 2 of Term 4.

 

 

5/6 Team

The brilliant Clara, our State School Spectacular extraordinaire, will also be leaving before the end of the year as she prepares for a new addition to her family. Clara has been a huge asset to both the 5/6 team and our bilingual program.

While some of the 5/6 detectives may have already figured it out, we can now officially announce that Israel will be joining the 5/6 team. Clara officially goes on leave from August the 22nd.

 

 

While we’ll miss these amazing educators, we’ve worked hard to ensure a smooth transition, so students continue learning in a trusted and supportive environment.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

 

In the Classrooms This Week

 

Foundation

I joined the students as they prepared for their 100 Days celebration by coloring their crowns. I couldn’t resist asking a big question:

 

What will the world look like in 100 years?

 

  • Mabel – We won’t be at school.
  • Rafi – Everyone’s going to have glasses… and a beard.
  • Jude – I think there are going to be robots.
  • Reign – There’ll be flying cars.
  • Liam – We’ll be living on a different planet.
  • Lenny – There’ll be unfriendly aliens.
  • Jude (again) – And aliens with stinky underwear.

3/4

Florence showed me her persuasive writing piece on why all kids should have a pet. She argued they make people happy, they’re reliable, and they’re entertaining. While I don’t personally agree… she was very convincing!

Here’s what others had to say about persuasive writing:

 

  • Ramona – You need to convince others to think like you.
  • Charlie – You need at least three strong arguments.
  • Olivia – Start with a hook and have strong opinions.
  • Patrick – The title needs to be persuasive.
  • Emma – Summarise your arguments to leave a final impression.

I asked if anyone agreed with me that pets are overrated. No one did. Not persuasive enough, clearly.

 

5/6

During Inquiry, I sat with Lowri, who was working on vocabulary related to the Aztec Empire. Her highlight from the week? The Yarning Conference meeting with Simon and creating posters to reflect on their NAIDOC week learnings.

Here are some other 5/6CD highlights:

 

  • Eloise – Realising it was lunchtime, the day flew by.
  • Angus – Playing lacrosse in PE. We’re going to beat the teachers in Week 5!
  • Jack – Basketball in PE. So fun to play against everyone.
  • Mali – Finishing my “casita” in Art. I love what I made.
  • Nancy – Reading Rivet Boy. It’s going to be tragic!
  • Genevieve – Learning about Shadow Puppets in STEAM.
  • Esme – Not doing double… it hurt my soul.
  • Tiger – Face Painting Club — I painted unicorns on Lowri!
  • Emlyn – Just remembering that we’ll destroy the teachers in lacrosse like the Amigos did.

Next Week

 

Read-A-Thon starts Monday!

Raise money for the library just by reading. Check the newsletter for all the info.

 

Athletics Carnival!

It’s one of the most fun events of the year. Full info is in the newsletter. We’d love to see you there!

 

If you made it all the way to the end...hats off to you! (Or maybe you skipped to see if I said anything else about the Zombies movie...)

 

Have a great weekend everyone,

Luke