David's Message

Dear Sunny Heights Parents and Carers, 

At Sunshine Heights, we had a great opportunity to go through the review this year. I have to be honest, it is always a nerve-wracking experience, for all involved. Being able to capture the narrative against the previous school Strategic Plan, acknowledging both the challenges and celebrations, is no mean feat. Our parents, staff and students graciously provided their time, opinions and aspirations, and we have now crafted a new Strategic Plan for the next four years. 

What this means at the grass roots level for your child, is a renewed focus on alignment between our Core Literacy (ensuring your child has a knowledge of decoding, sentence level writing and fluency), and the applied opportunities in a diverse curriculum. International research shows that when students have this core literacy, and a systemically developed knowledge-rich curriculum, they have the best chances of success in the future. This is also backed up by approaches for adaptive/responsive teaching that enable teachers to know how your child is learning and progressing, and students to critically self-reflect as self-regulated learners. 

Our work during the curriculum day on Friday 31st October, is exactly based on this. We are reviewing and revamping a Systemic Knowledge Curriculum, that builds year on year with the critical knowledge that students need to know, combined with the essential skills to bring the curriculum to life. Whether in Science, the Humanities or Technology subjects, we know that the re-designed curriculum will prepare students for a future where they can positively contribute to their communities. 

As part of this core work, we have taken all the suggestions from parents about the purpose of education, and from our staff and students, to create a new vision for 2026 and beyond. 

"Together, we create a community of belonging where knowledge and curiosity empower every child to thrive. "

This does not replace our aspirational poem, or our school values, but instead seeks to wrap around these and show our community what we believe is the purpose of our school. We have also crafted a new mission statement for our teachers, to provide tangible ways of enacting this vision:

"To deliver empowering world-class learning through expert teaching, deep knowledge, and a culture of curiosity and care, so every child grows as a confident learner who contributes positively to their local community and future world."

We look forward to sharing the connection between the work we are doing as a teaching team with our parents more as we craft the new curriculum, and continue to embed evidence-based practices for learning excellence for every student. If you are interested in finding out more, please come and chat to myself or the team in the yard!

Best Wishes,

David and the Sunny Heights Team