Lindfield Prep Meet the teacher: Mr Angus Lawson I joined the teaching staff at Newington the small town of Moss Vale in the Lindfield this year and was pleasantly Southern Highlands, I always surprised to find I recognised a few appreciated this tight-knit community. faces on the teaching staff. Ms After working in an infants’ school, I was Peterson and I completed our Masters pleased to be assigned to a junior prep of Teaching together at the University of class this year. Year 1 is a wonderful Sydney. However, while she has been time when the boys come to school full very successful at applying her of curiosity and with a burning desire to background in architecture to her learn and understand more about their teaching, I have had less success world. The current crop of students are utilising the economic principles of Smith and Maynard Keynes in a Year 1 natural inquirers. This term their setting! I have also been reunited with imagination has been captured by the my former Year 5 teacher, Mr Musgrove. class mealworms, and they have been I am pretty sure he wishes I paid as keen to discover more about these much attention in class as I did to the fascinating insect larvae. The boys Harry Potter novels I forever seemed to helped construct mealworm enclosures have my nose buried in. to keep them safe from the weather and predators, but in our first attempt the Before working at Newington, I was a mealworms inside fell prey to some classroom teacher at Australia Street inquisitive bush turkeys. The boys learnt Infants School, a K–2 school in the from their mistakes and improved their beating heart of Newtown. Having enclosures. worked at the school’s aftercare program during university, I had the I am an active person, and love the Mr Angus Lawson unique pleasure of teaching students I physical release and social aspects towards helping the boys become better had cared for since they were in pre- sport provides. I recently nailed my school. This, and the small size of the colours to the mast of the Lane Cove and smarter runners. school, firmly entrenched me in the local Rugby Club, am a keen distance runner I feel very privileged to have joined community. I couldn’t walk down King and am in the process of training for a Newington Lindfield. It’s exciting to be Street without bumping into at least one number of marathons. Working with part of an enthusiastic group of family and all the students knew my Mr Watson at cross country club has professionals dedicated to delivering favourite coffee shop. Having come from allowed me to channel this passion quality teaching to the boys in their care. Welcome Pastor Richard La’Brooy Newington has welcomed a new Chaplain Before coming to Newington, Pastor to the school, Pastor Richard La’Brooy. La’Brooy served as the Associate Uniting Pastor La’Brooy has settled in well to Church Chaplain at Macquarie University his role as Chaplain at Newington, for more than five years. He has been on leading Chapel services at Stanmore the Board of the communitydevelopment and Lindfield, as well as teaching organisation UnitingWorld for the last five Religious Education at Lindfield and years and is a member of the World becoming a firm fixture in the College’s Methodist Council, representing the broader pastoral landscape. Uniting Church. “I feel very blessed to be here at Pastor La’Brooy has been a Youth Newington and grateful for the warm Minister in both local and regional welcome I have received from the settings, and has worked on the Newington Community,” he said. “I have organisation committee of the National enjoyed getting involved in the life of the Youth Gathering of the Uniting Church. He College and look forward to continuing is an Elder and Church Councillor in his to meet more people over the next few local congregation and has served on months.” various Uniting Church Presbytery and Pastor La’Brooy was commissioned at a Synod Committees. beautiful service at the Newington Pastor La’Brooy enjoys the theatre, College chapel in Stanmore in February watching cricket and rugby and is attended by several senior members of finishing his Arts/Education degree at Pastor Richard La’Brooy the Uniting Church. Macquarie University. OPPORTUNITY| NEWS AUTUMN 2018| 47