Term 2, Week 2

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

It was an exciting week celebrating our 12th biennial Newington Literature Festival.

As part of our festival, our dress as ‘Your Favourite Book Character,’ was enjoyed onTuesday. It was wonderful to see participation by all year groups, especially our Year 6 students with their creative costumes. Our teachers also enjoyed getting into character!

Our visiting authors signed pre purchased books, however, Lindfield Learning Hub is still taking orders for the featured books. Please see New Spaces link for purchasing forms New Spaces – LitFest Book Purchase

Parent Learning Series: Boys, Girls, Brains & Behaviour with Justin Coulson

Newington College warmly invites all our 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.  

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. 

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 

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.

Student Arrival and Parking Arrangements

If your son arrives early for Clubs or Music Ensemble, please drop off at the main gate and they are to go directly to the designated area for these activities to meet their coach/teacher.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all other students, drop off is from 8.05am, when there is staff supervision in the playgrounds. The main driveway gates will be closed from 7:45am and the pedestrian gate on Northcote Road will be open until 8:30am.

When dropping off and collecting your son, please be mindful of our neighbours and parking signage. Please ensure there in no parking over driveways and adhere to parking guidelines. Rangers constantly monitor this area during school days.

Sports

Last weekend marked the commencement of the 2025 Winter Sport Season. Our Year 4 Footballers delivered two outstanding team performances against Knox Prep, showcasing their hard work from training. The Black team impressed with some fantastic team goals.

Our Senior Black and White Football teams also kicked off their season with a strong, hard-working performance against St Patrick’s. The Senior White team played to a fantastic 0-0 draw and are looking forward to their next match this weekend.

The AFL team had a flying start against St Aloysius! Goals came from everywhere as our Year 5 and 6 players demonstrated the Lindfield sporting value of teamwork.

Once again, we are proud hosts of the IPSHA Rugby 7’s competition, which features 50 teams competing each Saturday at Koola Park. Our Rugby 7’s players are excited for their upcoming matches.

Our AFL team is also preparing for an exciting game against Waverley College, and our Football teams are getting ready to face off against St Aloysius, Barker College, Kings, and Tudor House.

Throughout the Winter Season, fixture and team adjustments may occur, so please stay updated via the Lindfield Sports page. With rain predicted this week, we encourage families to check the App for updates or cancellations, which will be posted promptly.

We look forward to seeing all the boys proudly displaying the Lindfield sporting values in their matches this weekend.

Go New!

2025 Lindfield Calendar and Term Dates

*Subject to change

The 2025 dates have been published on New Spaces and can be found here on New Spaces. Please ensure you check this Calendar regularly for any additional events and changes. 

Absentees

A further reminder to please notify of student absentees, late arrivals and early dismissals via the Newington Spaces APP.  The Absentee Tab is on the main page and follow the prompts.  Please ensure notifications are made before 8:30am on the day of absence.

To assist all families in navigating New Spaces please refer to this comprehensive article with relevant links.

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