Term 2, Week 3

8 May 2025

From the Deputy Headmaster

Dear Parents and Carers, 

This week we welcomed some cherished guests and community members onto campus for our Anzac Day Parade. On this day we recognise the service men and women in the armed forces who participated in WWI, WWII and the Vietnam War. Our Cadet Unit was on parade and inspected by COL Roland Spackman CSC (ON 1988). Congratulations to all Cadet Under Officer’s who led the students across several weeks of rehearsal to ensure all cadets where prepared for their responsibilities on the day.   

Of note from the day was the unveiling and blessing of a new plaque dedicated to the Friends of Gallipoli Association, marking a connection between the youth of today and the connection between Australia and Turkey. The plaque currently sits underneath the lone pine tree, adjacent to Johnson Oval. It is placed among white crosses that our Year 11 students installed to recognise those ONU members that fell in battle.  

A special thanks must go out to all the Cadet staff, music staff, grounds staff and students both past and present who ensure our Anzac Parade remains a special and poignant moment of reflection on the school calendar. 

As we head into Week 3 of winter fixtures, congratulations to our 1sts and 2nds Volleyball players who started their GPS competition with strong performances against Riverview, with both teams securing victories. 

Well done to our U15 Bill Turner Cup players who also had a good win and now face Trinity in the next round, our 1^st XI will also play Trinity in the next round of the CIS Cup. 

Saturday will see the commencement of the GPS Rugby season with Newington playing Riverview at home, we wish all players and coaches the very best for the season. 

To the boys who referee, work on the BBQ, and assist with the scoreboards and their teams whilst injured, well done to all of you, fantastic to see you finding a way to give back. 

Next week begins the long-awaited ONU Week, where we celebrate our alumni community and strengthen the connection between them and our current students. The weekend will begin with reunions on campus for Old Newingtonians and an ONU Chapel Service for which you can RSVP below. 

The Life After School Panel is taking place next Monday and is a great way for our senior students to consider future steps and the infinite journeys that await them beyond the College gates. Hosted by Jack Ryan (ON 2016), the panel features a dynamic line-up of Old Newingtonians who will speak honestly about their life after school, sharing both their achievements and the challenges they’ve faced. Click here to learn more. 

The ONU is also hosting its inaugural TheatreSports Night, with Old Newingtonian teams competing to become the event’s first-ever champions. Starting at 6:30pm in the Duckmanton Theatre, Old Newingtonians and friends of the community are invited to enjoy a night of laughs and entertainment from our talented alumni. Complimentary refreshments will be provided to enhance your experience. Please RSVP so we can cater for you and your guests.  

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

Newington College warmly invites all our parents, and families from 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. 

Senior School Co-Education Parent Information Evening

We are delighted to invite families of future girl enrolments to an information evening at our Stanmore Senior school campus.

Building on our move to co-education in our Prep K-6 campuses from 2026, co-education will commence at our Senior School in Years 7 and 11 from 2028.

You will receive information about the College’s co-education journey and hear from our Headmaster Mr Michael Parker, and our Director of Co-education Ms Brigid Taylor.

The Breadth of Opportunity with Amy Van Arkkels

Last term we checked in with Deputy, Academic (K-12) Amy Van Arkkels about the endless possibilities Newington provides for all types of students – because every child is unique.

To learn more about the breadth of opportunity available at Newington watch the video below or visit the Learning and Teaching page on our webiste.

Eungai Creek Campus Design Award nomination

We are thrilled that our Eungai Creek Campus has been shortlisted in the Urban and Community Scale Category as part of the 2025 Biophilic Design Awards!

The judges admired its light, respectful presence on Country, commitment to circular materials, and outstanding engagement with First Nations communities.’

We thank AJC Architects for their work on the project, creating the home of our social service immersion and outdoor education programs.

Learn more about the awards at the Living Future Institute Australia website.

Staff Profile

A recent addition to the school, Argyris Giantsis brings with him a deep love of the classical world. Passionate about all things ancient, he’s excited to share the richness of the Greek and Latin languages with his students and become part of our growing community.

Q. Why teaching? What is it you enjoy about teaching?  

A. Teaching lets me share my passion for the timeless, whether it’s the music of a classical sonata or the words of Cicero or Homer. I love helping students connect with the great minds of the past and seeing those ancient voices spark something new in the present. 

Q. If you could have dinner with any historical figure or celebrity, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you talk about? 

A. If I could meet anyone, I’d choose to interview an eminent philosopher of the past, someone whose ideas have shaped generations, like Socrates, Plato or Aristotle. 
I’d want to explore how they saw the role of reason, virtue, and language in human life, and whether they believed we’re any closer to wisdom today. There’s something deeply moving about sitting across from a mind that still speaks to us across thousands of years. I wouldn’t just ask questions; I’d want to listen, to truly understand how they made sense of a world that was, in many ways, as complex and contradictory as ours. 

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 have any superpower for a day, I’d choose the ability to walk through time..just once. 

I’d take my students with me, stepping into the Athenian agora as Socrates questioned the crowd, or standing in the temple of Jupiter in Palatine Hill as Cicero delivered a thunderous speech. I’d let them feel the dust, hear the voices, and realise that these were real people with real thoughts, fears, and dreams. 

Because once you’ve been there, even just for a moment, the ancient world stops being distant; it becomes something alive and deeply human.