Instructional Leader Update – Targeted Support That Makes a Difference

It has been an absolute pleasure to join the Appin PS team this term as the Instructional Leader. I had the opportunity to attend the recent ROAST demonstration day, where I listened to Appin’s story and saw firsthand the incredible impact of the co-teaching initiative in action.

Since stepping into the role, I’ve spent time analysing our school data and identifying areas where we can make the biggest difference. Sometimes, that means pushing students just below the top achievement bands into the next level. For others, it’s about consolidating key concepts, or helping students access areas of learning that require additional support.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be rolling out small group tuition programs, where students will work with a qualified teacher in focused groups for a 5-week intervention cycle. These groups are created based on a combination of internal and external data, alongside teacher professional judgment.

Groups may change as student needs evolve—this is normal and responsive school practice. So, if your child comes home and says they’re in a small group for reading, writing, or maths, please know:
👉 This is not a label
👉 This is not a problem
👉 This is good teaching

We are committed to ensuring that every child makes progress, and these flexible support structures are just one of the many ways we achieve that. We appreciate your trust in the process and your support as we continue to tailor learning to meet the needs of every student at Appin PS.

🎓Stage 3 Snapshot 

In English, students have been reading the book "One Small Island" to explore how different ideas are presented in literature. They have been examining how various genres convey messages about argument and authority. After analysing, students have been using what they've learned to create their own persuasive writing and a unique piece that blends elements from different genres. This approach encourages creativity and helps them develop important writing skills.

During mathematics, students have been learning about how visual tools can help us understand our world, focusing on chance and position. They have been exploring different ways to pinpoint exact locations on a grid, like using Cartesian coordinates and learning that probability is a way to numerically express the likelihood of an event happening, ranging from zero (impossible) to one (certain). 

Students have been enjoying learning about the Cartesian plane because as it allows them to engage in hands-on activities, create visual patterns, and see how coordinates can be applied in real-world situations, making maths both fun and relevant. They have been able to put these skills into practice in using a variety of different digital tools, as well as some classics, like the game ‘Battleship’. 

When teaching students about the Cartesian Plane, we have been using the analogy of a library and a ladder, and likening this to the x and y axis on a coordinate plane. Before you climb the ladder (y axis), you must walk across to it (x axis). You can not walk UP a ladder if you are not AT the ladder.

🎓Stage 2 Snapshot 

In English, students have been reading the book ‘Fire’ by Jackie French which is a powerful and poetic picture book that captures the terrifying and emotional experience of a bushfire sweeping through the Australian landscape. The students of Stage 2 have been learning to using similes, metaphors and rhyme to bring the fire to life and engage the audience. Our journey throughout this unit will lead us to creating a poem about natural disasters in Australia, by using imagery, symbols and poetic devices to engage our audience and create a sense of connection.  

During mathematics, Stage 2 students have been learning about directional language and landmarks in our unit of position. As part of our integrated learning, students have been exploring the significance of landmarks and how they have been traditionally used for navigation. We’ve been learning how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples used natural features—such as rivers, mountains, and even the stars—to find their way across the vast Australian landscape. Stage 2 are learning to use directional language to interpret and locate positions on grid maps, as well as describe routes between key points. Through hands-on activities, students are also developing their understanding of chance by predicting and describing possible outcomes from various experiments. 

Students are enjoying the hands-on experiences involved in mapping and understanding position. Mulga have enjoyed exploring the school and the natural landmarks. The students have been enjoying providing their peers with directions to a significant place within the school. Where will we end up? The students of Hall having been enjoying their experience to learn about the natural disaster of fires, while creating vibrant artworks.  

As part of our mapping and position learning, students have been using ‘Bee Bots’ and ‘Spheros’ to practise giving and following directional instructions. These hands-on tools help students apply their understanding of movement and navigation in a fun and interactive way. Mulga students are currently designing mazes using Minecraft Education, where they are applying their creative and critical thinking skills. Each student is challenged to build a unique maze that their peers will navigate using directional clues, combining digital technology with real-world problem-solving. 

🎓Stage 1 Snapshot 

In mathematics year 1 students are beginning to explore the concept of measurement by engaging with real-life contexts. Through hands-on activities, they learn to compare, order, and describe objects using terms like longer, shorter, heavier, and lighter. This early exposure helps them connect mathematical language to everyday experiences, building a strong foundation for understanding how measurement is used in the world around them.

In English students are learning to understand the context of stories by exploring who, what, where, and when events happen. Through guided reading and storytelling, they begin to recognise how setting, characters, and events work together to create meaning. This helps them deepen their comprehension and make connections between stories and their own experiences. 
Students are enjoying using informal units like blocks, hand spans, and paper clips to measure and compare lengths. Through fun, hands-on activities, they’re developing important skills in estimation, comparison, and mathematical thinking, all while building their understanding of how measurement works in everyday life.
Students are having a great time participating in the Gymtastics program! They’re building strength, coordination, and confidence through fun and engaging physical activities, all while developing important movement skills in a supportive and energetic environment.

🎓Early Stage 1 Snapshot 

In our mathematics program, students are exploring numbers and their relationships. They will learn to recognise, compare and order numbers, which helps build a strong foundation for all future mathematics skills. We encourage students to practice counting in different ways, such as counting objects around the house or counting steps as they walk. Our co-teaching time has a focus on additive strategies, which are techniques used to solve addition and subtraction problems.  

This week in McRae, Mr. McCloskey changed a mathematics game of ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ to move from a regular game board to a life size version. The children were very enthusiastic and loved using teddies in place of counter. Using the rhyme 'Incy Wincy Spider' to guide the mathematics game, students selected either the Sun or the Rain to role play and roll a dice to move Incy Wincy forward. If they got to the end of the board, they win that round and Incy Wincy goes back into the middle. This is just one way of how teachers constantly create exciting and engaging learning experiences for students! 

This term our creative arts focus is on music where students are participating in learning that develops musical skills, including rhythm, pitch recognition, and instrumentation. We use Amplify’s music curriculum to provide interactive and engaging lessons that cater to diverse learning styles. Students participate in lessons that include listening activities, singing, and playing instruments. All students will also create pieces of art work that reflect their understanding of books shared.  

Powerful Persuasive Writing processes 

This term, Mulga students have been diving deep into persuasive writing techniques. We've been exploring the power of high modality words and emotive language to influence our audience and strengthen our arguments. Our focus topic has been Ned Kelly: Villain or Hero?, and to support our understanding, we read Ned Kelly and the Green Sash. This sparked thoughtful discussions about the differences between objective and subjective language—learning that objective writing focuses on facts, while subjective writing introduces personal opinions. 

Magical Mathematics  

In Mathematics, we’ve been developing our skills in multiplication and division by applying a variety of strategies to solve problems and justify our reasoning. Daily times table practice is helping us improve our recall and build confidence in our number fluency. 

Connecting to Culture, Home and Family 

Last week, we acknowledged National Reconciliation Week with meaningful learning and reflection. As part of our celebration, our class performed My Island Home by Christine Anu—a powerful song that represents the importance of family and the places we call home. 

To deepen our understanding of connection to Country, home, and community, we explored the symbols commonly used in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks. After learning about the meaning behind these symbols, students created their own artworks to represent the people in their lives who make them feel safe, loved, and at home. 

This creative process gave students a chance to reflect on their personal connections and to celebrate the important role family and community play in their lives. It was a thoughtful and moving way to honour the themes of Reconciliation Week. 

Creating, Coding and Critical thinking 

We have been exploring the world of Minecraft Education, where we've begun recreating our school environment. This exciting project encourages teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving as we work collaboratively to design realistic and detailed models of our school grounds. 

PDHPE – Athletics Super Skills  

As we prepare for the upcoming Athletics Carnival, our class has been developing essential skills for track and field events. We've been focusing on relay and running techniques, using hurdles and agility ladders to improve our speed and coordination. In the coming weeks, we’ll continue building our abilities in shot put, discus, long jump, and high jump. 

Mulga is looking forward to continuing a term full of learning, collaboration, and growing confidence!