Head of Primary Message, Term 2, Week 2 2026

Apr 29
2 min read

Last week we welcomed students and staff back to school after a well-deserved holiday break. It is always impressive how quickly our community settles back into routine, with students reconnecting and refocusing on their core purpose at school - learning.

At the beginning of the week, on Monday and Tuesday, our staff participated in two Professional Learning Days focused on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and planning for the remainder of the semester. UDL is a strategic priority at AISHK, and the opportunity to learn and collaborate was invaluable.

UDL is a framework designed to create inclusive learning environments by addressing barriers within the curriculum itself, rather than within the learner. Grounded in neuroscience and evidence‑based educational practices, UDL aims to support all students in becoming ‘expert learners’ - confident, motivated, and capable of directing their own learning.

During the Professional Learning Days, our Primary staff reflected on and reviewed current units of work, ensuring that the eight UDL “look fors” are embedded across lessons and learning experiences. These include, learning objectives, classroom culture and belonging, emotional literacy, collaboration, self‑reflection, flexible assessment, and student voice.

This week we also held our Year 3, 4, 5, and 6 swimming galas. These events provide students with the opportunity to showcase the skills they developed during their swimming lessons last term. I thoroughly enjoyed the strong House spirit on display and the celebrations of both achievement and effort. A sincere thank you to our PDHPE team for their outstanding organisation and commitment to making these events a positive and memorable experience for students.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and our Parent Association has been working tirelessly to help us celebrate this special occasion. We are delighted to be hosting our very first AISHK Mother’s Day Stall on Tuesday 5 May, where students can bring money ($50 or $100) to school to choose a gift for their mum. Additional events will take place throughout the week. As always, we are reminded that the relationships formed through school among parents, caregivers, and children can last a lifetime.

Finally, I encourage families to make use of SchoolTV, a valuable wellbeing resource available to our community. It offers a wide range of support for families navigating challenges with children and family life. One section I would particularly like to highlight is Sibling Relationships. Over the holiday, I reflected on my own children and my personal sibling experiences, which reinforced how influential these relationships can be. SchoolTV notes, “Sibling relationships play a powerful role in shaping a child’s social and emotional development. For parents and caregivers, understanding the dynamics between siblings is key to promoting harmony at home and fostering resilience.”

While harmonious sibling relationships take time and effort, SchoolTV suggests the following strategies to support positive connections within a family: