Head of Primary Message, Term 3, Week 3 2026

Primary has started the term with a bang! After welcoming more than 70 new families, it has been incredible to see how resilient and adaptable our students are as they settle into a new environment. We are now seeing happy and relaxed faces coming into school each day. We hope that these families are feeling welcomed and beginning to build new relationships within our community.

I would like to remind Primary families that we have access to the fantastic parenting resource SchoolTV. Available through Dhanara, SchoolTV covers a wide range of relevant topics and provides practical tips and strategies for positive parenting. One of its greatest features is that information is presented in short, easy-to-read or easy-to-watch segments, there is also an easy translation feature that you can toggle through. I often highlight a particular topic in my Dhanara articles, and today I encourage you to explore the resource on Dealing with Conflict.

The weather has been particularly severe over the past few weeks, especially this week. As you are aware, student safety is our number one priority. Please be reassured that we closely monitor weather conditions whenever temperatures rise above approximately 32°C. Our Risk Manager measures temperatures on the field, and we make informed decisions about whether it is safe for students to play outdoors. If you have any questions about our process, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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Year 6 students have been busy with their Change Makers unit of work. Through this project, students select a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal that they feel passionate about and work towards taking meaningful action to make a difference. A special thank you goes to the many staff members who have volunteered as mentors. This initiative is an incredible step towards fostering independence, leadership, and passion in our future secondary students.

Year 6 students also enjoyed support from AustCham, which donated avocados through an initiative with Austrade, culminating in a cooking session where students prepared chocolate avocado mousse in our Food Technology classrooms.

Congratulations to Jacaranda House, which proudly won the House Points Competition last term. Early last week, students celebrated their achievement with egg waffles, drinks, and a movie. Thank you to Laura Ren, who leads the house with such enthusiasm and dedication.

Prep students recently enjoyed a visit from Jurassic Garage, where they met a range of fascinating animals including a tarantula, macaw parrot, chameleon, sugar glider, and gecko. The students were captivated by the experience, and it provided the perfect provocation for their unit of inquiry on living things.

Year 1 students also headed out on an excursion to the Mong Kok Flower Market, where they purchased plants that they will care for throughout the remainder of the term. Let's hope we have many green thumbs among them!

Year 2 students participated in a Leadership Day, where they developed skills to become positive role models for the Early Years. This week, they will begin their leadership commitments by supporting areas such as the library, cafeteria, playtimes, and the undercover playground. We are excited to see them in action.

Finally, below you will find some resources related to conflict management. We all know that conflict is a natural part of life and plays an important role in developing healthy relationships. Children benefit from guidance as they learn to navigate conflict and manage their emotions effectively. Please read on if you are interested in learning more.

Dealing with conflict - Dealing with Conflict | Australian International School Hong Kong

Next week is Bullying No Way Week, Australia’s leading bullying prevention initiative for schools. This week provides an opportunity for AISHK to build a shared understanding of bullying behaviours and to highlight strategies for preventing them.

The Primary Executive has created a video, which has been shared here on Dhanara, to encourage our students to be kind and considerate towards others. The video also introduces a collaborative activity called the Kindness Chain, which will be displayed throughout the school as a visible reminder of the positive impact of kindness within our community.

We encourage families to continue these important conversations at home by talking about kindness, respectful relationships, and the importance of seeking support when needed. Having trusted adults to turn to is an essential part of every child’s wellbeing.

As a simple activity, ask your child to name five trusted adults they can speak to if something is bothering them, one for each finger on their hand! This can help reinforce the idea that there are always people who care and are ready to listen.

Do not hesitate to reach out to the Primary Office if you need support from the Primary executive, we are only too happy to support you as you and your children navigate Primary school.