13 February 2025
What Happened This Week
Year 6 School Leaders’ Induction
Last Friday, we held our School Leaders’ induction Chapel service with our Year 6 families. We celebrated the leadership roles of every Year 6 student at Lindfield for 2025. Pastor Richard La’Brooy reiterated in his address that every student in our school is a leader.
Leadership at Newington College is the example we show others, the way we treat and care for those around us, and the way we consistently give our best effort in everything we do. Leadership is always about working as a team to activate our gifts, talents and strengths. Leadership is also our ability to bring out the best in each other as we always work together towards better things.
It is important that you talk with your child about your own values and what you as a family believe, as we talk about what we as a school believe to be important.
Introducing our 2025 School Leaders’:
| School Captain | Jarvis S |
| School Vice-Captain | Henry S |
| School Vice-Captain | Marcus N |
| Music Captain | Harrison M |
| Lucas House Captain | Henry O |
| Lucas House Vice-Captain | Remy M |
| Howe House Captain | Hugo M |
| Howe Vice-House Captain | Grayson H |
| Coates House Captain | Jacob K |
| Coates Vice-House Captain | Finnian T |
| Williams House Captain | Henry F |
| Williams Vice-House Captain | James K |
SRC Representatives
Our SRC representatives were presented with their badges this week. We look forward to sharing the SRC initiatives during the year. The House Captains lead the SRC termly.
Semester 1 representatives are:
| Representative #1 | Representative #2 | |
| Year 1D | Henry F | James C |
| Year 1R | Atticus A | Harrison S |
| Year 2W | Thomas L | Enzo Parisi |
| Year 2M | Alastair P | Lucas P |
| Year 3P | Jude L | Zayn T |
| Year 3B | Archie C | Kerry Z |
| Year 4F | Elliot J | Ethan X |
| Year 4B | Milton Z | Clancy H |
| Year 5P | Xavier E | Henry B |
| Year 5H | Zachary T | Oliver W |
| Year 5S | Knox B | Joel P |
| Year 5G | Louis N | Archie S |
| Year 6R | Joshua J | Maksim T |
| Year 6B | Jacob G | Rishi P |
| Year 6O | Jack B | Noah T |
| Year 6H | William S | Charlie P |
Years 3-6 Swimming Carnival
Yesterday’s swimming carnival was a great success. All the students did very well and seemed to enjoy the atmosphere and the day. Some of our students are accomplished swimmers and some of them are still developing their water confidence, but it was great to see that everyone was involved. There were many fantastic individual performances and many of our swimmers will go on to the invitational carnivals and IPSHA. We recognise all the students who put in their best effort and achieved personal bests.
Thanks to all the teachers, especially Joel Wilson, for organising and running the day and all the teachers and students who were so involved in the carnival. There were many who gave wonderful service, cheering, helping and supporting others.
Congratulations to Williams House who are the 2025 Inter-House swimming champions!
Keep an eye out for photos and Mr Wilson’s report on New Spaces.
Independent Travel Reminder
Parents of students who wish to travel independently to and/or from school (bike, walk, train or government bus) are asked to acknowledge travel guidelines by completing this form. For Duty of Care and safety reasons, students travelling independently are required to sign out of the playground in the afternoon.
Co-curricular Clubs and Activities
The co-curricular program at Wyvern is in full swing. We received just under 500 expressions of interest for the Semester 1 clubs and ask that you please check the co-curricular tile in the Newington App to see what club or activity your child will be participating in during Semester 1.
Please contact the office as soon as possible to advise if your child is no longer able to participate in the selected activity as there are waitlists for most activities, especially the popular clubs such as Homework Club, Lego Club and STEM stop motion.
A reminder that students must prioritise music ensembles over other scheduled clubs.
Saturday Sport
Please remind your child that representing Newington is about doing their best, trying their hardest for the team, enjoying the challenge and playing in the spirit of the game. If they do this, you and your child should be very proud of a successful morning of sport (win, lose or draw). Saturdays are a great day for everyone involved. Please check New Spaces or the co-curricular tile in the Newington College App if you are unsure about times or venues.
Morning Drop-off
All students in Kindergarten to Year 6 who do not have a before-school activity and are not being dropped off in the carpark, please enter the school via the Cambridge Street playground. You are welcome to walk your child into the Cambridge Street playground and say your goodbyes. If you have a meeting with a staff member, you are required to enter the school via the front door and sign in at the front office.
Collection from After School Activities
Students in after-school music ensembles are to be collected from the front reception. Students participating in activities run by staff will be escorted to the Cambridge Street playground for collection. Students who have been given permission to make their way home independently, must sign out with their supervising teacher before leaving school grounds.
Newington College Welcome Cocktail Party
All Newington parents from the ELC, Wyvern, Lindfield and Stanmore are warmly invited to the Newington College Welcome Cocktail Party on Friday 21 February 2025. The event will start at 6.30pm on Memorial Drive at Newington College Stanmore.
The event will be a great opportunity to welcome new parents and reconnect with old friends in a relaxed environment on campus. We’re excited and we hope to see you there!
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
Please direct all enquires to community@newington.nsw.edu.au
P&F Meeting
All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend the first P&F Meeting of the year on Friday 28 February, commencing at 7.45am in the Wyvern Library. Additional information and an agenda will be published on New Spaces in the coming days.
Parent Learning Session: The Science of Learning with Sean Kang
The College warmly invites all parents to an evening with Associate Professor Sean Kang from the University of Melbourne on Wednesday 5 March from 5.00pm at Wyvern House.
Join us to explore how your child’s brain develops at every stage and discover practical ways parents and schools can support their growth, ensuring they reach their full potential.
More information and event registration details will be published on New Spaces in the coming days.
Women of Wyvern (WOW) Dinner
Our annual Women of Wyvern event is back better than ever!
Bring your dancing shoes and get ready for a night of fun on Friday 7 March. There will be lucky door prizes, raffles, DJ, musicians and dance-floor.
More information on New Spaces found here.
Enrolments Are Now Open for 2026 and 2027
We are accepting girls into Kindergarten and Year 5 from 2026 at our Lindfield and Stanmore Prep campuses, and Year 7 and Year 11 at our Senior campus in Stanmore from 2028.
If you are interested in enrolling your daughter, please call our Admissions team on 02 9568 9333.
Staff Profile
This week, we are profiling Stanmore’s beloved Science teacher, Vatche Ansourian. A former television presenter, Vatche is known for his passion and charisma, contributing every day to making the campus a more vibrant place. With his infectious enthusiasm for science, he inspires students to explore, question and discover the wonders of the natural world.
Q. What is one of your favourite memories of being a student?
A. One of my fondest memories is the thrill of group work – those moments spent huddled with friends, tackling tricky problems, writing a group play or designing a model, and even turning our collective confusion into outright hilarity. I remember vividly a play we wrote about consumerism in English that had us in stitches. Was it the best? Of course it was. Was the acting on point? You betcha! But it wasn’t just about cracking the lesson. It was about teamwork and thinking on our feet, skills that have served me well both in and out of the classroom.
Q. Did you have a favourite teacher growing up and why?
A. I was incredibly fortunate to have a couple of standout teachers who truly shaped who I am today. The first was my Year 6 primary school teacher, Ms Perantuono, and the second was my Year 7 science teacher (no surprises there!), Mrs Smith. Both gave me the freedom to explore and make my own decisions about learning. Ms Perantuono taught me how to set my own learning goals and explore my interest in the human body. Mrs Smith was always there to answer any question and made me think. Their trust and encouragement turned every lesson into an exciting adventure rather than just another day at school.
Q. If you weren’t a teacher, what other career would you imagine yourself in?
A. If I wasn’t teaching, I’d probably want to be a full-time kids’ science show host. Having had a stint in kids’ TV before, the idea of mixing humour with hands-on science to spark curiosity in the next generation is still incredibly appealing. Given that’s not happening, I’ll take a full-time kids’ science teacher any day #same.
Q. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to students that you wish you had known when you were in school?
A. My top piece of advice is simple: consistency. It might not sound as glamorous as a flashy study hack, but steady effort and regular practice lay the foundations for genuine understanding and long-term success. I’ve found that setting aside a bit of time each day to review notes or tackle practice problems builds a solid foundation, much like regularly hitting the gym builds strength over time. Each small, steady step helps you better understand complex ideas and reduces the need for stressful, last-minute efforts. Trust me, your future self will thank you for the effort you put in today.
