There is something quietly powerful about a room full of students and staff united behind one idea. That was the feeling at our recent Whole School Assembly, held under this term's theme of Community, where pride and connection were on full display from the first moment to the last.
Our sub-school captains spoke with a poise well beyond their years, and our combined Junior School, Middle School and Senior School Choir filled the space with warmth and energy. What stood out most was how many students from Prep through to Year 12, stepped forward to speak, present and perform, a genuine reflection of the culture we are building together at Newhaven College, one where every child feels able to contribute and be seen.
Assemblies like this are a good reminder of what community really means here: connection, belonging and shared achievement.
Our Preps Reach a Milestone: 100 Days of School
Friday 7 August marked a proud milestone for our Preps: their 100th day of school. Dressed as “100-year-olds,” our youngest learners paraded, shuffled and, in Mrs Carlson's case, rolled proudly on her electric chair past an audience of Junior School students, staff and families.
The whole day was built around the number 100, packed with hands-on activities that turned a simple milestone into a joyful celebration of how far our Preps have come since Term 1. Thank you to Mrs Lynch and Mrs Carlson for bringing such spirit to the occasion, to our Prep families for their wonderfully creative costumes, and to everyone who helped make the day so memorable.
Book Week Brings Stories to Life
Today, students from Prep to Year 4 brought their favourite stories to life in our much-loved annual Book Week Parade, held for the first time in our newly refurbished Junior School Assembly Area. Characters from beloved authors including Pamela Allen, Mem Fox, Dr Seuss, Marcus Pfister and Eric Carle filled the space with colour, imagination and excitement.
Congratulations to Lewi Muratore (Prep), Griffin Merefield (Year 1), Arabella Wall (Year 2), Alex Baker (Year 3) and Selina Chen (Year 4) who were each presented with a book voucher from Turn the Page in recognition of their outstanding borrowing habits in the Library. Thank you to Bridget Haines for organising the parade, and to our Year 4 students for speaking so beautifully on the day. It was a genuine celebration of stories, imagination and the simple joy of reading. Photos of the event are below.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Thank you to our teachers for the thought and care they brought to last week's Parent Teacher Interviews. These conversations are a direct expression of our vision, to deeply know each young person and to honour and enrich their unique learning path, and we are grateful to every parent who joined us online to build a shared understanding of how their child's year is unfolding so far.
Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week (31 August – 4 September)
Newhaven College is fortunate to have such dedicated support staff, and next week gives us a moment to properly recognise them. Our Junior School's tiered intervention programs simply would not run without the skill and commitment of our teacher aides, who help students thrive academically, socially and emotionally every single day. A heartfelt thank you to Desserae, Kellie, Marina, Katanya and Pam for the difference they make in our students' lives.
Coming Up: Dads and Donuts Morning (Friday 4 September)
On Friday 4 September, we are hosting our Dad’s and Donuts Morning, a chance for Junior School students to celebrate the fathers and special people in their lives. From 8:30am to 9:00am, dads and special guests are warmly invited to join us in the Junior School Assembly Area for a donut and a cup of tea or coffee, before heading into classrooms for a morning of shared time, showing off student work and exploring the classroom together.
Staff Professional Learning Day this Friday (Student Free)
This Friday, our teachers take part in a Student Free Professional Learning Day on Respectful Relationships, sharpening our shared language and continuing our whole-school approach to wellbeing. It builds on almost two years of deliberate work bringing our Learning Ambition, learning through wellbeing, to life across every year level.
At its heart, Respectful Relationships is simple: everyone deserves to be respected, valued and treated equally, and children learn this by seeing it modelled everywhere. Schools that embed this program and approach see real gains in academic outcomes, mental health, classroom behaviour and relationships between teachers and students. It's a genuine priority for us, and by working together, teaching it explicitly and living it daily, we give every child at Newhaven College the understanding that sets them up well for respectful relationships, now and into the future.
It has been a term full of milestones both big and small, from Prep parades to Library visits, interviews to assemblies. Thank you to our students, staff and families for everything you bring to our Junior School community. There is plenty more to look forward to in the weeks ahead, and we can't wait to share it with you.
Cath Huther
Head of Junior School
100 Days of School for our Preps!
What an incredible day our Prep students had as they celebrated 100 Days of School! This exciting milestone marks one hundred days of learning, growing, making friendships and discovering new things. Reaching 100 days is a significant achievement for our youngest learners, and it was a wonderful occasion for our Junior School community as we recognised all the fantastic achievements they have accomplished since their very first day of school.
The celebrations began with one of the highlights of the day - our 100 Days Parade. It was fantastic to see our school community come together to cheer on the Prep students as they proudly showed off their creative costumes. The excitement and smiles were contagious as families, staff and students celebrated this special milestone together.
The costumes certainly did not disappoint! Our Prep students transformed themselves into adorable 100-year-olds, with an amazing array of grey wigs, fluffy white hair, glasses, cardigans, dressing gowns, walking sticks, walkers, pearls, hats and slippers. Every costume was unique, and it was clear that families had put an enormous amount of thought, creativity and humour into helping the children prepare for the day. It was wonderful to see everyone embracing the occasion and making it such a memorable celebration.
Following the parade, Prep C and Prep L enjoyed a day packed with hands-on activities centred around the number 100. The classrooms were buzzing with excitement as students explored the many different ways we can represent and celebrate 100.
One delicious highlight was making fairy bread covered with colourful 100s and 1000s, before writing a procedure explaining each step involved in creating their tasty treat. Students also challenged themselves to carefully count out 100 objects, practising their counting skills, perseverance and teamwork. We also invited our buddies to join in the fun by creating beautiful crowns to commemorate our 100 days of school together.
Creativity was on full display as the children designed and drew imaginative monsters with 100 different features, resulting in some wonderfully quirky and colourful creations! Throughout the day, the classrooms were filled with laughter as students sang songs about the number 100, completed counting challenges and reflected on all they have learnt during their first 100 days at school.
The day was a wonderful reminder of just how much our Prep students have grown in confidence, independence and learning since the beginning of the year. They have developed new skills, formed lasting friendships and embraced every opportunity to learn with enthusiasm and curiosity.
A huge thank you to our Prep families for helping make the day so special through your creativity, support and fantastic costumes. Congratulations to all of our Prep students on reaching this exciting milestone. We are incredibly proud of everything you have achieved in your first 100 Days of School, and we can't wait to see what the next 100 days of learning will bring!
Kylie Carlson and Kerryn Lynch
Prep Teachers
Welcoming Our 2027 Preps: School Tour and Pre-Prep Library Sessions
Our future Preps for 2027 have started settling into life at Newhaven College. Over recent weeks, children enrolled to start next year have taken a school tour and joined Library and story sessions, exploring our new Junior School playground and borrowing their very first books along the way.
Visits like these matter more than they might seem. They give children a chance to become familiar with their new environment and meet future classmates, while giving parents a chance to connect with our community too. Mrs Milkins Hendry brought her theatrical flair to story time, reading with such expression that, by all reports, our youngest visitors were captivated by every word.
It has been a lovely start to the transition program, and we look forward to welcoming these future Preps back for more Library sessions in the coming weeks.
Cath Huther
Head of Junior School
Year 3 Camp - Candlebark Farm
Year 3 students had an unforgettable first camp at Candlebark Farm in Healesville! The adventure began with a visit to Healesville Sanctuary, where students enjoyed an entertaining bird show and came face-to-face with many of Australia’s amazing native animals.
At camp, the fun continued with a packed schedule of activities, including the low ropes, flying fox, rock wall and Gaga pit. Students also enjoyed delicious camp meals and worked together to keep their cabins tidy for inspections. Most importantly, camp gave our Year 3s the opportunity to build resilience and independence, strengthen friendships and enjoy the great outdoors together.
Miranda Reich, Marcelle Krieg and Meg Oudshoorn
Year 3 Teachers
Year 2 Dads Catch Up
The Year 2 dads enjoyed their annual catch-up recently, with a fun night at Phillip Island Golf Sims! It was a great chance to get together, have a few laughs and test out their golfing skills. A big thank you to Phillip Island Tenpin Bowling for hosting the group - everyone had a fantastic time!
Coding Club
Our inaugural Coding Club students had so much fun learning to create a video game character that could move and speak on command!
Merit Awards
Congratulations to the students in the following photo who were presented with their Merit Awards and recognised at Junior School Assembly.
