Thank You for a Fabulous Term 3
As we come to the end of a successful Term 3, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all students, parents and staff for their ongoing support. Spring is now upon us, with warmer days, new leaves sprouting on trees and the days growing longer. This season brings with it a sense of hope—whether it’s the hope your AFL team is still in contention for the flag, or the rejuvenation we all feel as we head toward the school holidays.
We’ve had some great moments, including the Year 8 and Year 6 camps, House and SEISA Cross Country, the Book Week Parade, the Spring Concert, RUOK? Day, Year 8 Medieval Day, excursions and incursions and a couple of fundraisers that have brought us together as a community.
As mentioned in our final assembly of the term to students, I hope that throughout this term, students have continued to work hard, put in the effort and involve themselves in classroom activities with the goal of learning and growing. Building positive partnerships with classmates and teachers is crucial, and I hope students and staff have been able to strengthen these connections.
This has been my first three terms in Middle School, and I’ve enjoyed working with the students, parents and the staff. At times, challenges can be complex, but we are all working as a team to guide and support the students to be their best.
As we move forward, my hope is that Middle School continues to grow as a community of learners—a group that comes together to learn with and from each other.
On a personal note, I would like to inform you that I will be on Long Service Leave in Term 4. Mr. Geoff White will be stepping into the role of Head of Middle School during my absence. Geoff is highly experienced and familiar with our students, staff and parents, having held this position previously. I am confident that with his leadership, the Middle School will continue to run smoothly. Geoff will work closely with the Middle School staff, particularly the House Leaders, to ensure that everything stays on track.
Thank you again for a fabulous term, and I wish you all a restful and enjoyable break. I look forward to hearing about all the great things that will happen in Term 4.
Thank You for Your Support, Achievements and Celebrations
I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who supported and gave generously to our final fundraiser for the year. It was satisfying to see students and staff dressed in their AFL colours last Friday, bringing a sense of community and fun to the day.
Congratulations to all the students who represented Newhaven College at the SEISA Cross Country on the 12 September. Our runners showed incredible endurance, determination, school spirit and sportsmanship!
Ralph Arceo
Head of Middle School
Maths achievements
Congratulations to all the students who received a Certificate of Credit, Distinction, and High Distinction in the Australian Mathematics Competition and Computational and Algorithmic Thinking. Your hard work and dedication were celebrated in our Middle School assembly, and we are proud of your outstanding achievements!
Year 5 Dream City Incursion - Unlocking our students futures
We may have uncovered our next engineers, neonatal nurses and VR specialists!
Our Year 5 students were enthusiastic participants in our recent Dream City incursion. Dream City allows students to take on careers of the future and consider their interests and strengths in particular fields. Students participated in three sessions throughout the morning. They undertook the role of an engineer, where they programmed a robot to speak, light up and move at speed whilst navigating obstacles.
Students also had the opportunity to enter the realm of a neonatal nurse, where they weighed, measured and cared for babies. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to show care and compassion and consider roles in roles and the health care industry. Finally, students were immersed in the world of VR. The opportunities for employment in this field will only increase, and we are seeing many technical and high risk roles now completing training via VR. Students thoroughly enjoyed the Dream City experience and it sparked many positive career reflections.
Anthea Bennett
Head of Careers
Year 8 Medieval Day
Throughout Term 3, the Year 8 cohort have been investigating Medieval Europe and Cellular Biology as a part of their Humanities and Science (HAS) curriculum. From Robert Hooke’s discovery of cells to the heroics of Joan of Arc, students have investigated knights, plagues and microscopes. They have looked into human bodily systems and how these systems were operated on during the Dark and Middle Ages, especially with a Crime and Punishment emphasis.
This unit of study included an entire day of Medieval discovery as ‘Medieval Up Close’ ran an incursion, allowing students to find out first-hand about Arms and Armour, Costume and Lifestyle, Harm and Healing and Tales and Tributes from the era. This entire day of experience culminated in a Medieval Feast for the entire Middle School (except Year 6 who were busily enjoying themselves at their Coolamatong Camp!!).
Hilltop Farm Meats set up a whole suckling pig on a spit earlier in the day, allowing the mouth-watering smell of roasting pork and hardening crackling to waft across the school grounds for the entire day. When it was finally ready to serve, they catered for the entire Middle School, with a delicious Medieval salad and shredded pork roll (and Medieval vegetarian pies to those who were not eating the meat option). With a sense of relaxed enjoyment, students ate in their communities, playing medieval games set up for them to challenge themselves and their friends in friendly competition.
Overall, it was a spectacularly experiential day that was thoroughly enjoyed by all. A special thank you to both Medieval Up Close and Hilltop Farm Meats for making this day such a fantastic experience for all.
Steve Scott
Teacher
