Greenacre Primary Campus Update
Assalaamu Alaykum WRWB,
Alhamdulillah, Term 3 has been a busy and rewarding term at Greenacre Primary. As we pass the halfway point of the term, I am pleased to share some of the learning, initiatives and developments taking place across our campus.
Towards an Aspect Satellite Class at Greenacre Primary
Another exciting development has been the launch of our campaign to establish an Aspect satellite class for students with autism at Greenacre Primary, with our first parent information session held on 19 August.
The proposed partnership would provide eligible students with specialised learning delivered by Aspect-trained educators while remaining within an Islamic school environment. Importantly, students would also have opportunities, where appropriate, to participate in aspects of mainstream school life and routines, including prayer and other shared experiences.
Our aim is to establish a K–4 satellite class at Greenacre Primary. Families interested in learning more are encouraged to contact our Primary Administration Office at psadmin@mfis.nsw.edu.au.
Australian Islamic Schooling Conference – Reflecting on Our Purpose
One of the highlights of the term was having ten colleagues from Greenacre Primary attend and present at the annual Australian Islamic Schooling Conference, alongside hundreds of educators and school leaders from across the country.
This year’s conference centred on the concept of tarbiyah and invited us to reflect on an important question: Who is the human being we are seeking to form through the educational process, and who are we becoming as educators through that process?
The keynote address by Professor Mohamad Abdalla shared insights from his recent six month research in Qatar and explored understandings of tarbiyah drawn from our classical Islamic tradition and their implications for contemporary Islamic schooling.
Opportunities such as these are important because they allow Islamic educators to develop a shared language and understanding of the purpose of Islamic education, which can then inform what happens within our schools and classrooms. It was particularly encouraging to see the depth of discussion and collaboration occurring across the sector. Alhamdulillah, there is much to be optimistic about regarding the future of Islamic schooling in Australia.
Deepening Our Understanding of Islamic Education
This conversation has continued within our own campus through staff professional learning focused on clarifying some of the key concepts that underpin Islamic education. This term, our staff explored Islamic Pedagogy and its relationship with the Islamic Tradition and Islamic Worldview. Put simply, our Islamic tradition informs how we understand the world and the human being, and this worldview should subsequently influence how we teach.
For our teachers, this means Islamic education is not simply about adding an Islamic reference, Qur'anic verse or value to an otherwise unchanged lesson. Rather, it requires us to think intentionally about how our Islamic worldview shapes the learning experience itself. This might include encouraging gratitude through learning, contemplating the signs of Allah in His creation, teaching with greater intentionality, or providing opportunities for students to move from simply knowing towards deeper thinking and reflection (tafakkur).
This work forms part of our continuing aspiration to ensure that Islamic education is holistic, purposeful and transformative.
Holistic Assessment – From Philosophy to Practice
As part of our ongoing Niyyah Project, our teachers have been working collaboratively this term to develop Holistic Assessment tasks across each grade. This represents an important step in translating our renewed understanding of Islamic education into classroom practice.
For the first time at this depth, each grade has designed an integrated assessment task that brings together learning outcomes from multiple Key Learning Areas (KLAs) through an Islamic worldview, while intentionally creating opportunities to nurture the whole child through our Graduate Qualities.
Our aspiration is for assessment to extend beyond measuring only what is readily observable or a student's intellectual attainment. From an Islamic perspective, education is concerned with the formation of the whole human being. Our assessment practices should therefore provide opportunities for students to demonstrate knowledge and skills while also developing the dispositions, values and qualities we seek to nurture through an Islamic education.
We look forward to seeing these assessment tasks implemented across our classrooms throughout the remainder of the term. In Term 4, our educators will showcase their experiences with colleagues, reflecting on what worked well, what they learned through implementation, and what could be refined. This reflective process will help us continue developing a more purposeful and authentically holistic approach to assessment at Greenacre Primary, insha'Allah.
Qur'anic Studies Program Enhancement
Alhamdulillah, we have also strengthened our K–6 Qur'anic Studies Program this term through the incorporation of Qur'an memorisation (Hifdh) alongside the tafsir, or explanation and understanding, of the surahs being studied.
Our aspiration is for students not only to memorise the words of Allah, but also to understand their meanings, develop a stronger relationship with the Qur'an and increasingly apply its guidance within their lives.
This enhancement complements our existing IQRA homework program, which continues to support Qur'an recitation and reading development. Together, these elements aim to strengthen students' reading, memorisation and understanding of the Book of Allah.
Strengthening Numeracy Teaching
After a year-long partnership with the ISNSW Numeracy Project has now concluded. The project focused on strengthening numeracy instruction through explicit teaching practices, with particular attention given to the use of daily reviews and concrete and visual representations of mathematical concepts.
Our teachers participated in a series of professional learning modules before observing our ISNSW consultant model daily reviews in classrooms. Throughout the year, this progressed to our teachers implementing daily reviews themselves and receiving observation and feedback from the consultant.
The project was warmly received by our educators, who identified a range of benefits to their classroom practice. We look forward, insha'Allah, to seeing the longer-term impact of this investment reflected in our students' numeracy learning and achievement.
Afiya Week – Nurturing Holistic Wellbeing
Our Counselling Faculty facilitated Afiya Week this term, providing students with a range of experiences centred around 'afiyah—holistic wellbeing. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged us to ask Allah for 'afiyah, reminding us of the importance of wellbeing across the different dimensions of our lives.
Our K–4 students enjoyed an animal farm experience, while Years 5–6 participated in traditional Ottoman archery, providing an opportunity to engage with the Prophetic tradition of archery while exploring noble character traits associated with discipline, patience and focus.
Students also participated in role-plays centred around our Counselling Faculty's Duha Framework, which supports students to turn to Allah ﷻ for consolation, guidance and strength during times of difficulty and distress.
Book Week – Character Beyond Costume
Our upcoming Book Week Character Assembly provides another opportunity to connect learning with our broader educational purpose. Families have been encouraged to select book characters whose qualities align with our school's Graduate Qualities.
This reflects an important dimension of our aspiration for tajdid (renewal) at MFIS: that education extends beyond the transmission of knowledge towards the formation and transformation of the human being.
Book Week therefore becomes more than dressing as a favourite character. It provides an opportunity for students to think about the qualities they admire, the people they aspire to become and how these qualities align with their Islamic faith and identity.
Strengthening Support for Student Wellbeing
As part of our ongoing commitment to student wellbeing, we have introduced an updated Primary Wellbeing structure this term.
Each Primary Wellbeing Coordinator has now been allocated responsibility for particular grades and student groups. This provides families with a clearer point of contact while allowing our coordinators to build stronger relationships with the students, staff and families they support.
Our allocation is as follows:
Mr Ahmed Sabouni: Kindergarten–Year 2 and 3P, 3Y and 3B Boys
Ms Mariam El Samman: Kindergarten–Year 2 and 3P, 3Y and 3B Girls
Sheikh Amer Qaddoura: 3R, 3G, 3O and Years 4–6 Boys
Ms Zena Maarbani: 3R, 3G, 3O and Years 4–6 Girls
We encourage families requiring wellbeing support or guidance regarding their child to reach out to the relevant coordinator. Our Wellbeing Team remains committed to working alongside families so that every child feels safe, supported and able to flourish at school.
Supporting the Transition to Secondary School
During the second half of Term 3, we will also be hosting a Years 5 and 6 Parent Workshop to help families better understand and prepare for the transition into Secondary School.
The workshop will explore the journey from Years 7–12, academic expectations, ATAR and non-ATAR pathways, enrichment and extracurricular opportunities, careers guidance, preparation for the senior years and HSC, and the importance of developing strong habits from the beginning of Year 7.
Most importantly, the session will explore how parents and the School can work in partnership throughout the Secondary years. We strongly encourage our Years 5 and 6 families to attend.
Parent Halaqah
Our weekly Parent Halaqah has also continued this term on Tuesday afternoons in the Primary School Library, led by our Wellbeing Coordinator, Sheikh Amer Qaddoura.
The Halaqah provides our parents with a regular space to deepen their connection with Allah ﷻ, engage in spiritual reflection and strengthen the bonds of our school community through faith and shared purpose. May Allah ﷻ make these gatherings a source of benefit, guidance and increased connection for our families.
Australian Soccer School Program
We are pleased to welcome back our Soccer Program in partnership with the Australian Soccer School. Students from Kindergarten to Year 6 have access to weekly 45-minute, skill-based coaching sessions designed to promote physical fitness, teamwork and soccer development across different ability levels.
The program also provides opportunities for talented players to be identified for further development, including potential overseas training opportunities.
Our New COLA
Alhamdulillah, the completion and use of our new Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA) has been another significant milestone for Greenacre Primary.
The COLA has substantially increased access to covered play and activity spaces for our K–6 students and has already made a positive difference to campus life. It has also enabled a smoother and safer afternoon dismissal process, with our K–2 students now able to be dismissed from covered areas and protected from the elements.
We are grateful to see our students enjoying this new space and the immediate benefits it has brought to both recreation and daily school operations.
A Reminder About Road Safety and Parking
Finally, I ask all families to continue exercising patience and caution when driving and parking around the school, particularly during afternoon dismissal.
Please avoid double parking, blocking other vehicles or obstructing neighbouring driveways, including those around Chullora Marketplace, Suttons Chullora and EWE Global Express Transport Group. These areas remain active throughout the day and are used by cars and delivery vehicles.
Where parking is unavailable on school grounds, we ask families to park safely outside the campus and walk to Primary. Please also continue to follow the directions of our staff and security personnel.
The few minutes we may save through unsafe parking are never worth compromising the safety of a child. We therefore ask every member of our community to place safety, patience and consideration above convenience.
Looking Ahead
As we move through the remainder of Term 3, I am grateful for the continued efforts of our students, staff and families. The initiatives outlined above may appear diverse—from Qur'an and Islamic pedagogy to numeracy, wellbeing, inclusion, sport and new facilities—but they share a common purpose: supporting the holistic formation and flourishing of every child entrusted to our care.
We ask Allah ﷻ to place barakah in our collective efforts, grant our students beneficial knowledge and noble character, and enable us as educators and parents to fulfil the amanah of nurturing the next generation.
Jazakum Allahu khayran for your continued trust, partnership and support.
Ali Arabaci, Head of Campus
