Learning and Teaching
A Strong Start to Learning in 2026
As our Head Start program gets underway, it has been wonderful to see how positively our students have begun settling into their new classrooms and year levels. Over the first two days, students have been explicitly taught key routines, expectations and learning behaviours that will support them throughout the year. Through consistent practise and clear modelling from staff, classrooms are already calm, purposeful learning environments where students feel safe, connected and ready to learn. This strong start reflects our shared commitment to ensuring every student begins the year supported and set up for success.
Term 1 | Literature and Knowledge Rich units
This year, our teaching and learning continues to be guided by a knowledge-rich curriculum, underpinned by high-quality literature. Across all year levels, students will engage with carefully selected texts and knowledge units that build understanding of the world, develop vocabulary, and deepen comprehension over time.
From Prep through to Grade 6, students will explore rich literature alongside structured knowledge units in areas such as geography, history, science and civics. These units are deliberately sequenced so that knowledge builds cumulatively, allowing students to make connections, revisit key ideas and apply what they know across subjects. By embedding knowledge alongside literacy, we are supporting students to read with greater understanding, write with purpose, and think more deeply about what they are learning.
The attached overview provides a snapshot of the literature and knowledge-rich units students will study across each year level this term.
Meet the Teacher
The staff of Lysterfield Primary School warmly invite parents to attend our 2026 Meet the Teacher sessions.
Sessions will be held on:
Tuesday 17th February, 3:40pm – 6:30pm
Wednesday 18th February, 3:40pm – 6:30pm
Bookings will open on Friday, 6th February and close on Friday, 13th February.
If your child is due to have a Student Support Group (SSG) meeting in Week 4 or 5, you do not need to book a Meet the Teacher session, as relevant information will be shared during the SSG.
The Meet the Teacher sessions provide parents with an opportunity to:
Meet your child’s 2026 teacher/s
Share important information about your child with the classroom teacher
These meetings also provide teachers with an opportunity to:
Introduce themselves
Learn more about your child through discussion
Please note that this meeting is your opportunity to share information about your child, rather than for teachers to provide updates on academic progress.
These 10-minute, in-person sessions are an important part of our home-school partnership, and we strongly encourage parents to take advantage of this opportunity. Children are not required to attend.
Prep parents do not need to book a Meet the Teacher session, as they will meet their child’s teacher on the day of their Prep interview.
Curriculum Day: Strengthening Teaching Practice
Just as we prioritise learning for our students, we are equally committed to ongoing learning for our staff. Our upcoming Curriculum Day will provide an opportunity to deepen our shared understanding of responsive teaching, with a strong focus on the science of learning.
Building on our work with Bron Ryrie Jones last year, staff will work with Nathaniel Swain, who will focus on:
A review of key principles from cognitive science and the science of learning
How these principles translate into effective mathematics instruction, including the explicit teaching of vocabulary and the use of scaffolds and extension to support all learners
Live modelling and demonstration using document cameras
This professional learning supports our ongoing focus on clarity, explicit instruction and responsive teaching, ensuring lessons are carefully designed, concepts are modelled clearly, and all students are supported to succeed.
At Lysterfield, we believe that strong learning outcomes come from thoughtful curriculum, consistent routines, and teachers who are always refining their practice. We’re excited about the year ahead and the learning journey we will continue together.
I hope you all enjoyed a restful break with family and friends. Alongside plenty of time to recharge, my family and I were fortunate to spend some time in Singapore, which was a wonderful experience. I’ve included a few photos below from Universal Studios, the Hawkers and Marina Bay Sands that capture some special moments from our holiday.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Kristine Roose | Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
