Leadership Report 

We're in the Money - Extra Funding $11.8 Million

For those of you who may not have heard yesterday's announcement, Newlands has received an additional $11.8 M to further the redevelopment of our school buildings....basically a BRAND NEW school! 

So what does this mean:

the $8.8M money we have already received:

Current Stage 1, which includes: Gym, 6 new classrooms, new administration building and new car park located on the Elizabeth St boundary. This will also include landscaping.

$11.83M in yesterdays budget:

Stages 2 and 3, This will see additional classrooms, refurbishment of the main building for Specialist programs, demolition of Building C and landscaping of the bottom oval as an additional Sport area.

This will see Newlands as a bespoke learning environment for all our students, a showcase school north of Bell Street.

Working Bee

Last Sunday, a very dedicated band of parent volunteers spent the day weeding garden beds and tidying up the grounds of our school. On behalf of the whole school community, we would like to thank them for giving up their time to improve the grounds for all of our students. If you couldn't attend there will be future working bees in term 3 and 4. 

These activities give an families opportunity to meet up with other parents.

Being Respectful of Our School

We would ask parents to speak with their children about respecting school property. This term we have experienced examples of poor behaviour choices by some children. These actions have had a negative impact on our very caring cleaner - Helen and how she feels . 

We would ask that you support our efforts to encourage all children to consider how their actions impact on others and the effect it has on the shared facilities we all use. 

We would ask that parents focus the conversations around our school values. 

Newsletter format Change 

This week will see the last formal Leadership page in the newsletter. Starting next week we will alternate the leadership page fortnightly with a page informing our school community of contemporary understandings and misunderstandings of pedagogy, learning and teaching. It is our intention to provide relevant theories that underpin best practice, and hopefully improve the dialogue around current educational practices that operate at Newlands and that are underpinned by DET. 

Cass is leaving us!

Today I write to the school community with a touch of sadness. Cass one of our very hard working 2/3 teachers will be leaving us at the end of next week. Cass has been with us for many years. Newlands has been the only school she has taught at since graduating from university. 

Cass has taught mainly in our Foundation to Year Three areas, and has in recent times successfully led the 2/3 Teaching Team. She has always been a team player and has involved herself in all aspect of school life; leadership, camps, theme days and school sport. We respect her decision to transfer to another school and fully support her desire to expand her teaching skills; that's what all teachers do as learners. 

To the parents with children in Cass' grade, we are currently working through the process to fill her position. It is our intention to fill the position as soon as possible with a suitable teacher.

We as a school, and personally as her Principal, we wish her all the best for the future.  As a system, her new school will certainly benefit from the investment we have made in supporting her growth as an educator.