Curriculum News
Welcome Back!
Welcome back to all our returning families at St Anthony's and a special welcome to the new students and families joining our community in 2026. I hope you enjoyed a restful and refreshing break.
This year, as Instructional Specialist at St Anthony's, I will be leading whole-school teaching and learning initiatives, supporting teachers to deliver a high-quality, reformed curriculum and guiding the continued growth of our pedagogical practices. My focus is to help ensure that every student experiences excellent learning opportunities and achieves strong outcomes.
Why Writing Matters: Our School's Focus for 2026
This year, our school is placing a renewed emphasis on writing across all year levels. Writing
is more than just putting words on a page - it is a foundation for clear thinking, confident communication and success across every learning area. When students learn to express their ideas effectively, they strengthen their reading, speaking, problem‑solving and creativity all at once.
A whole‑school focus ensures that every student, from our youngest learners to our senior primary students, builds strong writing habits. Whether they are learning to form letters, crafting imaginative stories or explaining their thinking in maths, writing helps students organise their thoughts and communicate with purpose.
This focus is especially important as students prepare for NAPLAN. The writing assessment asks students to respond to a prompt in a clear, structured and engaging way. By building writing skills throughout the year - not just in the lead‑up to the test - students develop confidence, stamina and the ability to express themselves under timed conditions.
Most importantly, writing empowers students beyond NAPLAN. It gives them a voice. It helps them share their ideas, connect with others and participate fully in the world around them. By strengthening writing across the school, we’re giving every child the tools they need to succeed now and into the future.
Daily Review
In 2026, we will continue to focus on Daily Review. This is the practice of regularly revisiting and reinforcing previously taught content, often at the start of a lesson. This routine helps students strengthen their understanding, build long‑term retention and connect prior learning with new concepts. Its purpose is to boost students’ confidence, develop fluency and ensure they have the essential skills needed for the learning ahead.
Daily review is effective because it supports the development of long‑term memory and deepens comprehension. It is a highly impactful teaching strategy that keeps students engaged, enhances recall and promotes continuous learning in the classroom.
I look forward to highlighting the wonderful work happening in our classrooms and the ways our teachers are supporting student learning and growth throughout the year.
Working together for our students,
Leanna Langlands
Instructional Specialist