Newman Primary School

Newsletter: Term 3 Issue 6

Principal's Message

Welcome to this edition of our school newsletter. Wow…..it has been another very, very busy, yet enjoyable Term 3!

We have recently held our annual whole school Book Week Parade and buddy reading session. What a fantastic morning this was! A massive thank you to everyone who turned up dressed for the event, and to all the parents/carers who came along as supporters for this fun and engaging morning. A special thank you to the Literacy team for organising another successful event.

Our K-2 students had the opportunity to participate in a Martu story time session. The session was filled with reading, activities and celebrations. A massive thank you to Tarryn from 54 Reasons and Ben for your organisation and commitment to run this in our school. From all reports, the students and teachers enjoyed this immensely!

Another activity during Book week was our Drop Everything and Read. Community members gave up their time to come into the school and read books to the students. Another fun way for the students to participate in a love of reading opportunity.

All students took part in the annual jumps and throws day, Faction Athletics Carnival, and ECE Fun Carnival. The students were fantastic participants and joined in a variety of athletic and fun events. Well done to everyone for their sportsmanship. A massive congratulations to the runner up and champion students, and of course, Parnka, who brought home the shield. Thank you to Ms Lynch and the staff who organised and ran events and to our community members who helped on these days. Next week selected students will be representing the school at our Interschool Events for Years 1-6. Jumps and throws on Wednesday 16 September; running events and team games on Friday 18 September. These days will be held at Goanna oval, commencing at 9:00am. South Newman Primary School are hosting this year's interschool athletics carnival. Notes will be sent home through Ms Lynch, so keep an eye out!

Issues may arise during your child’s schooling, and these are more productively resolved if you raise them with the school directly, as early as possible. If you are not sure who to speak to, you can start with your child’s teacher. For some matters, it may be appropriate to talk directly to our administration team. Our priority is always your child and in developing a close relationship with our school community where we all work together to provide the best educational opportunities for all children at Newman Primary School. 

Whilst some may look at the last two weeks of term as a wind down, it is still 20% of the term. Attendance is as vital as ever and, as so many students have missed school through illness and extended holidays. I would like to highlight the importance of attending school every day. Our current overall “regular” attendance for Semester 2 is sitting at 40.4%. Our goal is to improve this percentage as it is very low.  Please remember: Everyday matters!   

Planning for 2027

I am currently engaged in the planning process for 2027. Part of this planning needs to start with our potential class structures which are based on projected school numbers.

I know this may be early, however, if you are aware, I am requesting that families inform the front office as soon as possible if they know that their child/ren will not be returning to Newman Primary School in 2027. This will give us a more realistic idea of the number of students we need to cater for next year. It also assists with budgeting, as our school funding allocation is based upon student numbers.

The following are the guidelines around class sizes: Kindergarten - 20 students, pre-primary - 27 students in a purpose-built centre, Year 1-3 - 24 students and Year 4-6 - 32 students.

If we have multi-age classes, this number generally drops by 1 or 2 students. Often parents believe that single stream classes are ‘better’, however multi age classes are just as good, with great teaching relationships and practice being the key to children’s schooling. It is important to realise that even in a class that is a single year group, the academic, social and emotional differences can be as diverse as a multi-age class.

If you are leaving town in the coming weeks or at the end of the year, please send in an email to newman.ps@education.wa.edu.au or contact our front office on 9154 3900. This information will greatly assist with my planning.

2027 Student Placement Requests

If you believe your child has particular considerations regarding class placement for 2027, please contact Robyn Hudson directly by, letter or email Robyn.Hudson@education.wa.edu.au Your requests must include specific educational reasons. All requests will be treated with complete confidentiality and will be taken into consideration; however, there are no guarantees. In structuring classes there are many influencing factors that will be considered including friendships and class dynamics.

Requests received after Friday 13 November 2026 will not be able to be considered.

 Robyn Hudson                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

 

Room 5

Award Winners Term 3 Week 8

Room 1

Lauren Hester

Frankie Hibbard

Room 10Emily Kyngdon
Room 2

Rylee Tanner

Muhqriz Rahman

Room 11

Elizabeth Kereu

Room 3

Leo Antiporta

Nasir Ahmed

Room 16

Johnathan Kamfwa

Maddison Hall

Room 4

Amy Lock

Willow Moore

Room 20Bodhi Hutchinson

Room 6

Eli Kilisimasi

Aotea McEnteer

Room 21

Marco Tassone

Braxton Ngaeruaiti

PE

Shania Uhila

Harlan MacDonald

HASS

Alyssa Lock

Kayden Elliott

Room 11

CME & STEM Excursion at the High School

Thursday 27 September  was a big day for Year 5 students who visited the High School to participate in STEM activities that were designed and led by Newman Secondary students and coordinated by CME (Chamber of Minerals & Energy) of Western Australia Digital Technologies Challes programme.  It was impressive to see young people with such a confident grasp on leading learning through technology. This opportunity expanded NPS student minds for possibilities of incorporating technology as a career pathway. 

The event was opened by the Minister of Education Sabine Winton who engaged with the students and activities throughout the day.  Students rotated through 6 activities, that illustrated industry being innovative. Smart PPE challenge, BHP drone information session, mine safety beacon and an automated maze challenge to name a few. Students had varied experiences and feedback about their experience.

By Birdie Elodie-Georgia-Room 20 Year 5 

I enjoyed the drone code thing, and I also enjoyed the others. My highlight of the visit is probably the Robo dog and drones. What intrigued me was the BHP expo because I liked how me and my friends could create something interesting and probably something that hasn’t been invented. I didn’t really consider the excursion as an opportunity to consider future careers.

 By Bodhi Hutchinson-Room 20 Year 5

This STEM excursion has so much to choose. My favourite activity if I had to choose was the robot rescue dog. The highlight of the excursion was when we watched a large drone fly above the high school oval. I was impressed with the high school students as they knew exactly what they were doing and the way they had coded everything.  The experience definitely made me consider different opportunities for my future career. 

Creative Bytes: Future-Proofing Learning at Newman Primary School

Our Year 4–6 students have continued to expand their digital technology, coding, design and 3D printing skills through the Creative Bytes program, delivered by Heath and Stuart and proudly funded through BHP. The program provides our students with valuable opportunities to develop skills that are increasingly important in a rapidly changing, technology-driven world.

Semester One – Coding and Digital Technologies

During Semester One, students focused on Digital Technologies, beginning with coding using micro:bits. Students explored the Microsoft micro website and discovered that coding can be both educational and lots of fun!

Our students created a variety of projects, including music, virtual pets, animations, coin flippers and the ever-popular Hot Potato game. Through these activities, students developed their understanding of algorithms, sequencing, problem-solving and computational thinking while experimenting with the capabilities of the micro:bits.

In Term 2, students built on these coding skills through the introduction of LEGO® SPIKE™ kits. Working collaboratively, students designed, built and programmed their own robots. Their creations included mini diggers, working lifts and colour-sensing cars, providing plenty of opportunities to test ideas, troubleshoot problems and improve their designs.

Semester Two – Designing, Creating and 3D Printing

In Term 3, students have turned their attention to the Design and Technologies strand, with a focus on taking their digital skills and turning ideas into tangible creations.

Using Tinkercad, students initially learned how to design basic 3D objects. They have now taken this learning a step further by incorporating code block design, allowing them to use their coding knowledge to create and refine increasingly complex designs.

Once their designs are complete, students import them into the Bambu software, where further adjustments are completed and prepared for 3D printing. So far, students have designed and printed their own personalised name plates and rockets, with many more exciting creations on the horizon.

A Glimpse into the Future

Throughout the year, Heath and Stuart from Creative Bytes have visited once each term, bringing additional technology and experiences to complement the program. Students have also had the opportunity to explore virtual reality (VR) goggles, providing another exciting insight into the possibilities of emerging technologies.

The Creative Bytes program is more than simply learning how to code or operate a 3D printer. Students are developing creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving and design skills that will be valuable well beyond the classroom.

As technology continues to rapidly transform the world around us, Newman Primary School is providing students with opportunities to explore the technologies, skills and ways of thinking that may shape their future. Through programs such as Creative Bytes, our students are not only future-proofing their learning, they are beginning to future-proof their careers.

Again, a huge thank you to Heath and Stuart from Creative Bytes and BHP for their continued support to help our students explore, create, code and design their way into the future!

 

Faction Athletics Carnival

This term, our Athletics strand really shone! We held our Jumps & Throws Day on Monday 31 August, followed by our Track Carnival on Friday 4 September. Both events were a roaring success, with students showcasing their skills, sportsmanship and enthusiasm throughout.

Congratulations to Parnka, who were crowned our overall Faction Athletics champions!

I would also like to acknowledge and thank Shane Rowles and Aaron Lewis for their work marking our athletics lines throughout the term. Their support behind the scenes has been greatly appreciated and has helped ensure our students could perform at their best.

We now look forward to the Interschool Athletics Carnivals, where our students will have another opportunity to demonstrate their skills and represent Newman Primary School with pride. Hopefully, we can bring home the 2026 Interschool Athletics title and make it a double for the Yellow School!

Faction Athletics Carnival

Attendance and Absences

Newman Primary School transitioned to a new system, all Attendance SMS messages will now come from a new contact NewmanPS.

The new system will notify parents, guardians, and caregivers of unexplained absences or late arrivals.

The new system started on the 4 June.  It will send parents an SMS on their mobile phone when their child is marked absent without an explanation.

Parents should delete the old Absentee SMS number to avoid confusion.  

Parents will get this SMS with the link if their child is marked absent without explanation.  Parents should use this link to add attendance about their child's absence.  Please note that the link will be valid for only 48 hours.  Do not reply to this message via SMS as the school will not receive this.  The school will receive your response via the link provided.  Ensure the phone is connected to an internet data plan or has WIFI access to use the hyperlink.

If your child is absent again without prior explanation, parents will get a new one-time link.

If parents do not use the link provided, they can notify the school of their child's absence via telephone or email (newman.ps@education.wa.edu.au).

If you have any questions regarding the Attendance SMS Communication, please call 9154 3900.


Upcoming Events

16 September        Interschool Jumps and Thows

18 September        Interschool Athletics Carnival

23 September        Assembly Room 6

25 September        Last Day of Term 

13 October             Students Return Term 4

26 Oct - 6 Nov        Swimming Lessons Year 1, 3 & 5





Parent Handbook

Our Parent handbook has been updated and is available on our website

2026-Parent-Information-Booklet.pdf

Connect for Parents

Please make sure you are able to access your child’s Connect account. Many parent communications will come via this method. If you are having difficulties accessing, please ring the school office on 9154 3900 and we are happy to talk you through it.
Further information can be found on the link below.

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Newman Primary School