Parents and Friends
The Newington College Parents and Friends Association (P&F) is an active and significant part of our College community.
Community in Partnership
It is hard to imagine an excellent school that does not engage families. At the heart of every boy at Newington is a family, and this gives him his identity and shapes his values.
The Parents and Friends Association (P&F) at Newington has spent time defining its mission for engagement. The P&F members acknowledge it is important that the boys do not move between disconnected worlds—the world of home and the world of school— and yet as parents it can sometimes feel that this is the reality. When teenage boys become less communicative about what happens at school day-to-day, rightly as a claim for greater independence, parents can be forgiven for thinking that they will only hear about school, when there is something wrong.
By consciously working to develop stronger connections and communication with families, whether that is through co-curricular support groups, parenting forums or social events, the P&F is providing opportunities for parents to be included in a positive and beneficial network of school parent ‘experts’. These groups, their meetings and their events are the ‘how’ of successful family and community involvement.
For more information contact:
p&f@newington.nsw.edu.au
A Diverse Community
Our Parents and Friends Association is a diverse group of committed individuals with many talents. We are constantly looking for new members and welcome all to join the Association.
Sporting and cultural support groups play a big part of keeping our P&F Association diverse and accessible to all. Our Supporters’ Groups play a pivotal role in the operation and success of our various co-curricular choices.
Our Volunteers
Time spent at the Saturday sport barbecue, whether you are cooking the sausages or feeding hungry footballers, is also a time to share positive stories, hear that others are sharing the same journey, or maybe clarify how a system works at the College, or who coordinates an event.
Our Vision
- A stronger community through a connected community
Our Mission
- Providing opportunities for parent/carers to connect with each other and the school
Our Objectives
- Bring parents/carers together
- Improve facilities and resources for the boys
- Provide a parent perspective on school life to the school executive
Our Key Drivers
- Connection
- Communication
- Community
P&F Logo
The tree represents a long established, healthy and still growing organisation. The three campuses, individual support groups and their initiatives, are the interconnected leaves—all branching out to create a canopy of protection and support over the boys and their learning.
Parent Forums
Alleviating a lack of understanding around an expectation the College has of your son, or becoming more aware of typical peer and social dynamics for his age, can go a long way to improving conversations at home around a young boy’s worries or concerns. Forums held by the P&F on parenting issues clarify that there is real partnership between all parents in navigating the challenges of adolescence.
A Wellbeing Series of Lectures, “Forging Strong Foundations” is held annually to make easier some of the difficult but necessary conversations we have with teenagers. The guest speakers are experts in their field and they focus on boys and the role of a parent when discussing these sensitive topics.
This series is the initiative of the Deputy Head of Stanmore Campus (Students) in partnership with Newington College P&F.
Associations and Groups
Association Support Groups
- AFL Support Group
- Basketball Association
- Creative Arts Association
- Cricket Association
- Cross Country Association
- Fencing Support Group
- Football Association
- NEW Social
- Rowing Association
- Rugby Association
- Tennis Support Group
- Volleyball Support Group
- Water Polo Support Group
Join a Support Group
We have a number of Parent Support Groups for the diverse range of activities available to our boys. These support groups are formed by parents who are keen to promote and support each sport, with the aim of allowing all boys to get the most out of their sporting experience at the College.
NEW Social
As a not for profit organisation that supports Stanmore P&F, NEW Social welcomes members from across the Newington community. NEW Social annual functions include the Mother & Son Dinner, the Father & Son Breakfast, Parent Coffee Mornings and the Winter Soiree. NEW Social also coordinates the Black & White Cafe, Cake and Flower stalls, and the Marketplace as part of Back to Newington Day.
Through these events NEW Social raises funds which, for example, have supported the Artist-in-Residence program at Concordia Gallery, Macleay Vocational College in Kempsey and Tupou College in Tonga.
The Black & White Store
The Black & White Store offers a collection of quality merchandise suitable for a number of occasions. Identify yourself on the side of a field to other Newington parents with a hat or scarf. Items from the Black & White store make excellent gifts for former students (Old Boys) and new boys coming into the school.
The range is updated annually and items come and go seasonally. All items are available for sale at the Newington Uniform Shop in Concordia.
The P&F vision is: “A stronger community through a connected community.” With that sentiment, the store is run by parent volunteers. Any surplus goes back into programs and activities to support our boys. If you would like to volunteer, please contact us.
For general inquiries; information about volunteering and orders, please contact Sophie Campbell at: black&whitestore@newington.nsw.edu.au.
Click here to view the Black and White price list
P&F Awards
Newington Citation
Many individuals and families have made outstanding contributions to the welfare and future of the College through their voluntary support and participation in College life during and often beyond their son’s schooling. The award of the Newington Citation recognises individuals or families who have made very positive contributions to Newington’s values, thereby maintaining the quality of education and community support as well as enriching the College’s long cultural history. The 2021 Newington Citation was awarded to Ms Shelagh Doyle.
Recent Recipients
