A Humble Apology and Congratulations

Well… it looks like I owe the Newlands community an apology after last week’s newsletter! The Grade 5/6 boys absolutely decimated the staff in what can only be described as one of the most humbling moments of my career in education. The staff put up a brave fight, but, frankly, it was a complete rout. Huge congratulations to Felix, Freddie, Lennox, Paxton, Reuben, and Darcy, who were relentless in their efforts. We promise the teachers will be back in Term 2, determined to restore order and glory! A big thank you to all the staff, students, and families who came out for the day — it was an incredible vibe and a great reminder that wearing Jordans doesn’t automatically make you Jordan 😉. Check out some photos from the day below!

NAPLAN Update

On a more positive note, NAPLAN for 2025 is officially in the books! A massive thank you to all the teachers who supported the students and helped them feel comfortable, confident, and ready for success. We won’t see any data for about six months, so in the meantime, Newlands will continue to focus on collecting weekly data to support our students and build their knowledge. While we don’t have photos of students taking NAPLAN, here are some happy snaps of students walking into school, relieved that the testing is over!

Ride to School Day

Today kicked off with another successful Ride to School Day. As mentioned last week, Raul does an outstanding job organising events like this for our students. The bikes were looking fantastic, and some may even take home a prize at assembly! Thank you to everyone who braved the cold to cheer on the various pelotons across age groups. The photos might be blurry, but I’m sure you can still spot the smiles!

Spanish Fiesta

As we wrap up Term 1, we look forward to one of the highlights of the year – our annual Spanish Fiesta. Huge thanks to our amazing Luisa for organising yet another spectacular event. There’ll be live entertainment, bouncy castles, and of course, delicious food! So, grab a blanket and join us for the final day of term, right after our Cultural Celebration Assembly. No photos just yet, but here’s a sneak peek at the event poster.

Cultural Celebration Assembly

As is tradition at Newlands, we end each term with a deep dive into a new Spanish-speaking country, and this term, it’s Panama! We’re incredibly excited to share that the Panamanian Ambassador will be joining us for the festivities and to witness all the incredible learning happening at Newlands Primary. The assembly is always full of colour, music, and dance — make sure you join us at 1:30 PM. Please note: school finishes at 2:30 PM that day!

Movie Night

I had the pleasure of seeing Abner and Alberto politely dodge official PFA roles, but they’re both still looking forward to our upcoming Movie Night! This year, we’ll be watching Paddington in Peru. Expect popcorn, soup, empanadas, cakes, and pop-tops — what more could you need? Check out the event poster below for all the details.

Parent-Teacher Interviews

Time slots for Parent-Teacher Interviews are filling up quickly, so please be aware that interviews will not take place in your child’s classroom this year. Please refer to the map below to see where your interview will be held. Each interview is 10 minutes long, so we kindly ask that families arrive early to ensure everything runs on time. If you feel you need more than 10 minutes, please let the teacher know during your interview or contact them via SENTRAL. A big thank you to our Specialist Team for organising a fun, activity-filled day for students while classroom teachers are holding their interviews!

Thank You to Elisa

A huge thank you to Elisa, one of our fantastic Education Support Officers, who has been a remarkable part of the Newlands team over the past two years. Elisa has built so many meaningful connections with staff, students, and the wider community, and we are so grateful for all she has contributed to our school.

Foundation Highlights

I had the pleasure of joining Katherine in a fun debate about the best strategy for counting on and counting back. Katherine’s passion for number lines was on full display, while I, of course, advocated for the simplicity and effectiveness of ten frames. After a few games, the Foundation students unanimously declared that the number line was the superior tool! Katherine may have won this round, but I’m sure the Foundation students will come around soon... 😉

1/2C Highlights

Here’s what some of our amazing 1/2C students had to say about their week:

Soucha: “At the end of the day in Spanish, we’ve been practicing our handwriting.”
Sophia: “In PE, we played Mushroom Tiggey.”
Miles: “I liked STEAM because we got to eat snake lollies.”
Jannick: “In Art, we were designing birds, and I tried my best to make mine look great.”
Grace: “In Inquiry, we made little books!”
Sienna: “In PE, we do lots of different games.”
Harriet: “In STEAM, I liked making slime.”
Noah: “I love doing Facts on Fire in Paula’s class.”
Gene: “In Maths, we learned how to do partitioning.”

3/4 Highlights

We had the pleasure of hosting a visitor from the Department of Education, who observed the brilliance of Lisa’s teaching on Thursday. Lisa demonstrated our literacy instructional model, which focuses on the code, grammar, and reading comprehension. We’re so lucky to have Lisa, who is not only exceptional at her craft but loved by her students. Here’s what Lisa’s class had to say about what they have learnt about this week:

Violet: “I learnt that there are many strategies to solve division problems. My favourite is repeated subtraction—I love it!”
Zoe: “Division looks hard, but it’s actually easy once you know the strategies.”
Yaz: “If you’re struggling with division, you can use multiplication as the inverse operation to help solve it.”
Tommy: “Multiplication isn’t as hard as it looks!”
Louis: “We learnt how to make complex sentences. There are two types: one with the dependent clause first and the independent clause second. The comma goes between them.”
Quinn: “We’ve been using similes in our writing. Like, ‘Lisa was as cheeky as a monkey!’”
Violet (adding a note): “We’ve also been learning about subordinating and coordinating conjunctions.”

5/6 Highlights

I tried to catch up with the 5/6s, but they were off to Merribek Primary School for the last Interschool Sports game of the term. They kicked me out of their way so they could get there on time! I want to take a moment to congratulate the Specialist Team for running such a smooth and successful Interschool Sports program this term. They’ve done an amazing job not only in training our students but also ensuring they demonstrate our school values across the district.

Enrolments for Next Year

Do you have a child starting in Foundation next year? If so, please complete the enrolment form on our school’s website or drop by the office to fill one out. We’ve already received many enrolments, and submitting your form will really help us understand our numbers for 2026. School tours and our Foundation Information Night will be available in Term 2—please check our website for more details!

On-Site Evacuation Drill

On Monday, you might hear some bells coming from the school. As part of our Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) compliance, the school is required to conduct both on-site and off-site evacuation drills, as well as lockdown procedures. These drills are essential to ensure that Newlands has its emergency processes in place and that everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency. Please rest assured that this is just a routine practice.

School Photos

Only two weeks until School Photos! I’m personally excited, especially after my photo experience last year! Photo forms have been sent out to families; however, if you’ve misplaced yours, you can still purchase your child’s photo online at schoolphotographer.com.au. Just a reminder: Sibling forms must be returned to ensure any sibling photos are taken. Photos will be taken throughout the day, and unfortunately, if your child misses their grade photo, we won’t be able to reshoot it. So, be sure to practice that perfect smile—don’t want this memory to be anything less than great! - Online Ordering - The School Photographer

1/2 Merri Creek Excursion

A quick reminder for our 1/2 families—please provide permission on Sentral for the upcoming Merri Creek excursion. Newlands has enjoyed many excursions to Merri Creek over the years, and they’re always a fantastic opportunity for the students to learn in nature.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend! I’ll be practicing my jump shot in the meantime!

Thanks,

Luke

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