8 May 2025
From the Deputy, Head of Preparatory Schools & ELC
Building a Society of Good: Young People Becoming the Best Versions of Themselves
‘For individuals, character is destiny, and for a healthy society, moral formation is essential.‘
– David Brooks
In a recent New York Times article, Brooks highlighted the importance of character development for both individuals and society. He highlighted several key ideas that are particularly relevant for teachers, parents, and anyone who cares about growing young people and fostering a society where it is easier to be good.
A community ethos – A common belief today, is that young people’s ultimate goal is individual achievement and happiness, versus the common good and caring for others. Schools that provide a values-based education like Newington, stand against that tide. We want students to have a sense of moral mission, that who you become is more important than which career track you pursue.
We have rituals to mark transitions that emphasise values, character and helping others as central to a fulfilling life. Book week is a great example; we celebrate learning, we build community, we engage in a shared purpose and support reading for underprivileged children throughout the process with ‘Room To Read’.
Moral skill-building – treating people well involves practicing certain skills, which can be taught, just as trade skills and sporting skills are learned. They include:
The skills of understanding – listening well, eliciting people’s life stories so we accurately see them and they feel seen.
The skills of consideration and treating people well – offering criticism with care, asking for and offering forgiveness, showing empathy for others.
Brooks expresses concern that many young people are not learning these essential skills. At Newington, however, these skills are actively taught and practised through the Second Step program, ensuring that students develop the ability to treat others with kindness and respect.
Role Models – Brooks states that admiration is one of the most powerful moral emotions. In history, Nelson Mandela revered Mahatma Gandhi. Indigenous Rights advocate Charlie Perkins admired Martin Luther King. People young and old need to study examples of true greatness. Warren Buffett said, “Tell me who your heroes are, and I’ll tell you how you’re going to turn out.”
Moral traditions – We are the lucky inheritors of many rich and varied moral traditions. Through assemblies, sports, camps, musical performances, religious celebrations and family rituals we can teach these traditions and students can decide which are important to them. People become their best selves as they begin to embody the values of a specific moral tradition.
Self-reflection – Everyone has strengths to amplify and weaknesses they must confront and conquer. Our character contains many virtuous, and some not so virtuous personality attributes. Parents and schools can help young people to acknowledge and look to amplify their personality strengths. Newington provides a supportive environment where students can strive to be the best version of themselves.
Community Service – whether service is feeding the poor and the homeless, or championing a cause, it is not just to make society better. Service is done to usher a transformation in the person helping others. That is why service matters at Newington. This kind of service fosters emotional understanding – the ability to be made indignant by injustice, outraged by cruelty, to know how to gracefully do things with people, not for people. That kind of knowledge comes through direct contact with the problems.
Newington provides a values-based educational framework, where these principles are used to build a community where it is easier to be good, nurturing students who are successful academically but also morally grounded and positive contributors to the communities around them.
To reflect further on the development of your children and especially boys, have another look at our previous article Masculinity- Are We Missing the Point?
What Happened This Week
Newington LitFest
What a week! Thank you to the visiting authors, illustrators and special guests that made the 2025 LitFest such a memorable experience for our students. We captured many special moments during the week that you can view here.
Parent Ambassadors
Previously known as Class Parents, Ambassadors are an important link between the parents of each year group and the P&F. They help to build valuable connections by organising a variety of year group social activities for families and students. Earlier this week, you would have seen a New Spaces post introducing the Ambassadors for your year group. The article also included an email address that you can use to contact your year groups’ Ambassadors for your entire journey at Newington. If your query is specific to your child, we encourage you to reach out to their class teacher in the first instance.
We are very grateful to have such dedicated members of our community. A full list of Ambassadors at Wyvern can be found here.
Parent Learning Series: Boys, Girls, Brains & Behaviour with Justin Coulson
Newington College warmly invites all parents and families outside our community, to an evening with Dr Justin Coulson on Thursday 5 June in the Old Boys Lecture Theatre, starting at 5.30pm with refreshments.
Stereotypes about boys and girls have been around for centuries. We all grew up learning that girls play with dolls and boys play with trucks, girls wear pink and boys wear blue, girls are good at reading and boys are good at maths, boys are active and use their bodies, but girls prefer to be sedentary and talk lots.
Despite the supposed gender revolution, boys and girls really do seem to be different. They relate to others differently, develop differently, play differently, receive diagnoses differently, experience mental health challenges differently, and more.
In this science-based presentation, Dr Justin Coulson unpacks brain, behaviour, and gender myths, truths, and rumours to help parents work with their children to uncover their strengths, build motivation, and maximise their resilience and wellbeing.
Chapel Thought
At Newington we want to encourage every student to explore notions of Faith. The concept of genuine exploration to discover meaning is key to this approach to Faith. Whether they are our youngest students in the ELC through to our oldest students in Year 12, each student is encouraged to engage deeply with Faith and discover their own sense of meaning personally as well as the impact of teachings of Faith on our broader community. We know that our students and their families come from diverse backgrounds, and this makes Newington so special, and so this exploration of Faith is always done with respect and openness.
Exploring Faith means being curious about understandings of Faith, asking questions and delving deeper to find new meanings. It also means being open-minded to hearing new perspectives or different approaches to belief. We also want students to explore Faith with rigour, thinking deeply and developing a robust understanding of these teachings of Faith.
Through our Chaplaincy programs, which are embedded in the theology and ethos of the Uniting Church, we hope each student develops a deeper understanding and discovers their individual meaning and purpose for their life.
– Pastor Richard La’Brooy
Grandparents & Special Persons Day Photos
Thank you to the Newington Foundation and The Wyvern P&F for their generous support our Grandparents & Special Person Day held at the end of Term 1. Their support allowed for there to be a professional photographer on site to capture as many special moments as possible during the day.
Please use the following link to access the secure gallery to view, share and download images in high resolution on any device.
The PIN to download is: 2406
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to the Wyvern front office.
Cyber Fraud Warning
Please note that Newington College will never notify you via email – or any other form of communication – of a change to the College’s bank account details. The College’s preferred method of paying tuition fees is BPAY, Direct Debit and or by logging into New Spaces.
If you are ever in doubt about an email, text or call you have received, please telephone Newington College Accounts department to verbally verify the information received.
The Trolleys – Year 8 Play
Next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday our latest play ‘The Trolleys’ will be showcased at the Newington Drama Theatre!
A futuristic play that explores themes of survival, friendship, and hope, it follows a group of children, the Trolleys, navigating a world plunged into darkness. As they search for light, they confront fears, strengthen bonds, and ultimately discover the power within themselves.
Mother’s Day Breakfast
Final call to purchase your tickets to attend the Wyvern P&F Mother’s Day Breakfast which will be held on Tuesday 13 May from 7.30am – 8.30am. Click here for more information and ticket sales.
To ensure safety and appropriate supervision, students must attend the breakfast accompanied by a parent, carer or adult as there is no teacher supervision. Due to safety and security, each guest must purchase a ticket. This includes each child attending the breakfast. Your understanding is greatly appreciated.
Following the breakfast, students in Years 3-6 will be departing the school promptly at 8.30am to attend the Newington ANZAC Service at the Senior School and are required to wear their winter greys and black cap on this day.
Wyvern Concert
Mark your calendars for the most anticipated musical event of the year, the Wyvern Music Concert on Tuesday 27 May from 6.00pm in Centenary Hall. All students in Years 3-6 perform in this compulsory event in a variety of ensembles and choirs, which is an amazing experience for them, the audience and our staff.
More details about the concert, rehearsal and pre-concert supervision will be published on New Spaces in the coming days.
Staff Profile
For this week’s staff profile we caught up with one of our beloved Wyvern Kindergarten teachers, Jane Vuong. Jane has been in education for over 20 years and brings that wealth of experienced into her classroom every day, where she is in charge of moulding the minds of our youngest Wyvern students.
Q. Why teaching? What is it you enjoy about teaching?
A. I have had the pleasure of teaching for over 20 years across a variety of educational settings and age groups. Throughout this time, I’ve come to view my role as not just a teacher, but as someone who helps shape students’ beliefs about themselves and their potential. It’s truly a privilege to support them in discovering their impact on the world around them.
Q. What is something about you that other people may not know?
A. Though I have always felt passionate about education, I must admit that teaching wasn’t a career I initially planned on. I actually fell into this profession unexpectedly, and it’s been a rewarding journey ever since.
In addition to my teaching experience, I’ve had the opportunity to live in both England and Canada, and I am also trained as an art therapist and counsellor. In my previous school, I facilitated emotional intelligence and wellbeing sessions for primary-aged students, which was both fulfilling and impactful.
Q. In a world where you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be and how would you use it in your teaching?
A. If I could choose any superpower, I think I would love the ability to teleport. The thought of being able to instantly visit any place in the world, gather authentic artifacts, or even bring back unique foods for my students to explore is truly exciting!
Staff Profile: College Leadership Group
This week we are profiling Michael Marokakis, who is not only a member of the College Leadership Group, but also a cherished English teacher and the Director of Teaching & Learning at our Senior campus. A lover of books, Michael also helps to coordinate our student magazine, In Black and White, where this week they are covering LitFest. Check out their articles here.
Q. What is something not many people know about you?
A. Despite my surname having Greek origins, my cultural background is a mix of Jordanian and Italian. I love to cook and over the past years I have been documenting and learning as many of the traditional, cultural dishes of my family as I can. I would also say I love travelling around the world, and am regularly visiting new countries or revisiting ones I have been to.
Q. If you were a student at Newington today, what would you be most excited about?
A. I’d be most excited about the teachers I would have here. Getting to learn from teachers who are so passionate about and knowledgeable in their fields, and who genuinely care for their students would make me excited to come to school every day. I would also be excited to go on some of the tours available, which would really bring to life what is happening in the classroom.
Q. If you could describe Newington College in three words, what would they be?
A. Enriching, Empowering, Inclusive
