Term 2, Week 5

29 May 2025

What Happened This Week

In 2020, the Newington AFL Support Group initiated discussion around an Indigenous guernsey that could be worn as a symbol of respect when Indigenous teams travel from the Northern Territory to Newington to play matches each year. From that idea, it quickly became clear that there was a much bigger opportunity for Newington College.

A cross section of stakeholders across the school were engaged, including parents, staff and importantly all Indigenous students at the College. This group agreed that a Newington College Indigenous Jersey was a concept worth exploring and developed a brief to give to an artist.

The decision was made to work with a local Aboriginal artist given the urban setting of the College and to ensure the artist’s work was relevant to the College now and in the future. This decision was also made to acknowledge the fact that Aboriginal people are living everywhere today and to recognise that the traditional owners of these lands are the Gadigal people. These are ancient Indigenous hunting grounds, with Stanmore Road originally an ancient Aboriginal walking trail.

An acclaimed local artist named Adam Hill was selected and consulted to provide input and feedback into the design of the jersey that Lindfield students will be proud to wear during Round 6 of winter sport.

The jersey reflects this area and the Gadigal lands. It features simple line graphics which are based on centuries old rock carvings found in the area, rather than the dotting you might be more used to seeing in Indigenous artwork. The artist and all who have been involved in designing this jersey are proud that the elements of this jersey together pay remembrance to those that cared for the country that we now live, work and play.

1sts and 2nds teams from all Seven of the Newington College team sports will wear this jersey. AFL, Rugby, Football, Cross Country, Rifle Shooting, Volleyball and Fencing. Wyvern and Lindfield senior sporting teams will also wear the guernsey.

On the back of the jersey, you will see the drawing of a whale or “Gamura”. This is a symbol of the dreaming of the Gadigal people and connection to the nearby sea. You will also see the boomerang, a key hunting and fighting tool of local people, as were the spears that you see on the front. On the front of the jersey, you will also see the hands or “Damara” which represent connection to the land and to each other.

On the front under the Wyvern, you will see the Dharug word “Ngalaya”. This word from the language of the Eora Nation translates to mean “ally” and “friend in battle”. It was chosen by the Indigenous students of Newington without any influence from anyone else. We chose this word because we know that everyone who wears the Newington College Indigenous jersey, in 2021 and beyond, is now an ally, accepting the responsibility to support their Indigenous brothers and sisters.

We extend our thanks to all those who have been involved in bringing this Indigenous Jersey to life, especially Mr Roberts and Mrs Stephanie Williams who have driven this project. There is still much to do to bridge the gap and to build a common life together. We know that initiatives like this are a great step as part of that.

The following Lindfield teams will be given a guernsey to wear on Saturday 31 May. This is to be washed and returned the following week to Mr Brown (handed out in Week 5 and returned week 6).

• Lindfield AFL

• Lindfield Rugby: Year 6 Black, Year 5 Black

• Lindfield Soccer: Senior Black, Senior White, Senior Grey, Senior Orange and Senior Green

DaVinci Decathlon

Last Thursday a group of enthusiastic Year 5 and 6 students from Wyvern and Lindfield competed in the NSW DaVinci Decathlon. They represented Newington beautifully, were polite, listened and persevered throughout every activity. There were 1,100 students that competed across NSW, the students completed tasks in Ideation, Creative Producers, Engineering, Art and Poetry, Mathematics, Code breaking, English, Cartography and Science.

The Newington students were amazing, they were completely absorbed with each of the tasks presented and performed extremely well, using creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills to answer each of the tasks given. The Year 5 students and their teachers are already hatching new plans for next year’s tournament.

Lindfield Music Concert – Thursday 29 May 2025

The annual Lindfield Music Concert is the highlight of the music program at Lindfield. It involves all Lindfield musicians and preparations for this event are going extremely well. The students have been working through the various items with Vanessa South, music staff, class teachers and specialist teachers, in anticipation of this fabulous evening.

The Lindfield Music Concert will take place tonight, in Centenary Hall at the Stanmore campus on Thursday 29 May 2025. The boys are expected at Stanmore at 5.30pm for the concert to begin at 6.00pm. It is expected that the concert will be concluded between 7.30pm and 8.00pm.

Parents are asked to bring their sons to and from the concert and family and friends are invited to attend the concert.

At the beginning of the concert please drop your child off at the locations below, where they will be met by their class teachers. Please collect your child from the same location at the conclusion of the concert and ensure that he is signed off by his class teacher.

• Years K–2: Outside Chapel

• Years 3–4: Area opposite entry to Centenary Hall

• Years 5–6: Outside Music Area (next to Centenary Hall)

The Dish

The Dish is on Week 6, Tuesday 03 June 2025. Your generous donation will help feeding 45+ people on the night. We take homemade food as well as pre-packaged food so a wide variety is welcome.

Please refer to the New Spaces article for all information and meal planners New Spaces – The DISH of St Johns – Donation request.

Student Medication

Last term we kindly asked all parents to check and confirm the details we have on file for you and your child. This includes advising us of regular medication your child may be taking at home. Having the correct information is essential for effective communication and the wellbeing of our students, especially if there is a medical emergency while they are at school. Please update your child’s medical details here.

Other than Ventolin, students should not carry any medication in their school bags. Please contact the front office if your child needs to take medication during school hours and they will confirm the process, from your consent to ensuring the medication is stored safely and being taken at the correct times.

My Mind Check

As mentioned in a message from Mr Barrington-Higgs, we’re pleased to continue our use of My Mind Check, a new student mental health and wellbeing check-in tool for Australian schools, developed by youth mental health experts and funded by the Australian Government. 

All year levels will be invited to participate in 30-minute check-in sessions here at school, under supervision by school staff. They will use a computer or tablet to respond to age-appropriate questions about how they’re feeling and skip any questions they don’t want to answer. Only certain school staff will review their check-in outcomes and follow up on any identified needs. 

We need your consent for your child to participate in the survey. If consent is given, your child will complete the survey at school.

To read more about it click here.

Senior School Co-Education Parent Information Evening

We are delighted to invite families of future senior 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.

Parent Learning Series: Boys, Girls, Brains & Behaviour with Justin Coulson – Final chance to register!

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.  

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

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. 

Staff Profile

This week we chatted to Lindfield Year 6 Teacher William Neville. William has a double degree in Education and Psychology from Macquarie University. He joined the Lindfield team from our Wyvern Campus in 2024 where he led our Year 5W class. This year he has continued with the cohort in Year 6W where the students have enjoyed his dedication, positive attitude and outstanding teaching abilities.

Q. What is one of your best memories of being a student?  

A. Competing in a LEGO Robotics competition with my best mates in primary school. We managed to win our division, going on to represent Tasmania at the National Final on the Gold Coast. A surreal opportunity, with hindsight, and I didn’t realise at the time how fortunate I was. We were pipped for first by a team who recreated a Mission Impossible movie with their programmed LEGO, but the trip to Dreamworld afterwards certainly helped allay the pain of second place. 

Q. Did you have a favourite teacher growing up and why?  

A. I was lucky to have a host of wonderful educators during my time at school. My favourites were always nurturing, available to listen and happy to challenge me on my crazy ideas. One that stands out was my Year 3 teacher – we’ll call him ‘Mr Edmund.’ He made everyone in his class feel like they mattered and had some of the worst/best jokes of all time. In my own career, I’ve often borrowed from Mr Edmund’s playbook. I know the importance of connection and relationships for both cognitive and socioemotional development. Therefore, my classroom door will always be open in the morning for a check-in or chat.  I want my students to feel like I know and care about them. 

Q. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to students that you wish you had known when you were in school?  

A. Doing small things the right way every day really adds up. People appreciate effort and attention to detail, so committing to good habits will serve you well. A great example is to work hard on your handwriting when you’re young or it’ll be too late for you… I’ve learned this the hard way. Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody had it right – “from little things, big things grow.”