Primary School Update

The Primary School: Building Community

What a wonderful start to the new year for our Primary School community. There is a renewed sense of energy across the campus, with students and staff reconnecting with familiar faces while also forming new relationships. These early weeks remind us of the power of human connection in shaping a positive and supportive learning environment.

Strong relationships foster a sense of belonging, enhance wellbeing, and create the foundation for meaningful learning. As we begin this journey together, it is this spirit of connection - built on kindness, trust and shared experiences - that will continue to strengthen our community and support every child to thrive throughout the year ahead.

Teaching and Learning – Friends’ Early Learning & Outside School Hours Care

Friends' Early Learning

Nest

In the Nest Room, our focus is on building strong, meaningful relationships with and between children. We use the concept of circles throughout our environment - within relationships, sensory experiences and creative arts - to represent connection and continuity.

Circles have no beginning or end; they symbolise wholeness, inclusion and infinity. In the same way, each child’s sense of belonging is ongoing and ever-evolving. Belonging is not a destination, but a continuous journey.

Just as no two circles are the same, every child is unique. They differ in size, strength, flexibility and expression, yet each is equally valued and deeply connected within our learning community.

As children grow and learn throughout the year, our circle continues to expand - strengthening relationships, deepening connections and nurturing a strong sense of belonging for all.

Rose

In the Rose Room, we have been intentionally building a strong sense of belonging, connection and shared experience. Through responsive, play-based teaching, children are supported to explore alongside one another, developing early social skills such as turn-taking, cooperation and empathy.

Group experiences such as music and movement, shared story times and sensory play encourage children to participate as part of a community. Educators intentionally model language and positive interactions, supporting children to express their needs, build relationships and feel heard and valued.

Learning is extended through observation-based programming that responds to children’s emerging interests. Experiences such as water play and pouring activities have supported curiosity, problem-solving and collaborative play.

Ongoing communication with families through learning stories, photos and regular updates strengthens the connection between home and care. These shared insights invite families into the learning process and celebrate each child’s development. This work reflects our centre’s commitment to the Reggio Emilia philosophy, viewing each child as a capable and curious learner within a community.

Together, these practices create a nurturing environment where children feel safe, connected and confident to engage with others and the world around them.

Waratah

In Waratah, we honour diversity and intentionally create spaces where community can flourish. Each child, family and educator brings unique perspectives that enrich our shared journey of learning.

Together, we inquire, collaborate and thoughtfully design experiences that respond to the rhythms of each day. Guided by deep listening, educators remain attuned to the many moments of discovery unfolding within the lived curriculum of early childhood.

We recognise that learning is not confined to planned experiences; it emerges through relationships, environments and everyday encounters. Each routine becomes an opportunity to pause, connect and engage meaningfully.

In these moments, we value slowness - allowing children time and space to wonder, revisit and extend their thinking. Inspired by the principles of Reggio Emilia, we view children as capable, curious and full of potential, and we position ourselves as co-learners alongside them.

Together, we follow the threads of children’s thinking, weaving them into rich pathways of exploration. Through responsive teaching and a commitment to slow pedagogies, we nurture deeper thinking, sustained inquiry and meaningful connection.

Starlight

In the Starlight Room we seek to make a difference and to belong. Through play, we have been listening deeply, and observing with intention. How we look after each other and our things, is paramount to who we are. Children, families and educators have been problem solving collectively, working together in situations as they arise, to build strong and caring relationships. Doing this together, and in a timely way, supports cohesion, as we come together as a community of learners.

These agreements hold each other accountable and foster agency, care and respect.

As we think about the attributes that guide us as we grow as people and learners, our shared values, skills, and attitudes support us to thrive, not only in the Starlight Room, but in life. It also creates a shared language between educators, families, and children that sets the expectations that support learning, and keep us safe and happy.

A Collaborative Piece

We have been working on a collaborative piece of work to represent our thinking about how we look after each other and our things. 

We will continue to build on our connection and sense of belonging as the year unfolds.

Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)

In OSHC, we are committed to building strong connections with students and families through a service grounded in community. We listen closely to children’s voices to ensure our program is engaging, balanced and responsive to their needs and interests.

Through this approach, we support each child’s sense of belonging by creating an inclusive environment where they feel valued, respected and connected. We prioritise relationships that help children feel safe, confident and an active part of our community.

Kindergarten to Year 6

Across Term 1, our Primary School has been alive with curiosity as students engage with big ideas and build new knowledge through inquiry.

In Prep, students have been exploring the concept of “belonging” through our Word of the Week program. They have considered definitions, examples and personal connections before collaboratively developing their own understanding. Students described belonging as feeling safe, being included, helping others and playing kindly together. These reflections demonstrate their growing understanding of kindness, connection and community, which sit at the heart of our Quaker approach to education.

In Year 2, students have been engaged in an inquiry into the water cycle, exploring why water is essential for life, how it is managed and its role across the planet. They have also considered their responsibility to use this vital resource wisely.

A highlight of this learning was a journey tracing the path of a raindrop from the summit of kunanyi/Mt Wellington to North West Bay at Margate. Students later shared their learning at Wells Assembly, demonstrating strong engagement and understanding.

In Years 3–6, building inclusive learning communities has been a key focus. Guided by the IB Primary Years Programme, we recognise education as a social endeavour that benefits all members of the community. Students are supported to engage with different ways of knowing, being and doing, while sharing responsibility for learning, wellbeing and relationships.

The development of shared classroom essential agreements has been an important foundation for this work, ensuring all students have a voice in shaping their learning environment.

Beyond the classroom, students have engaged in a rich range of experiences that strengthen community and connection, including Outdoor Education programs, Year 6 civic visits, Year 5 Resilience Days, swimming carnivals, music ensembles and the School Fair. These experiences provide valuable opportunities for students to connect, collaborate and contribute.

Excursion / Outdoor Education Program

The Year 4 Outdoor Education experience at Risdon Brook Dam focused on developing foundational orienteering skills. Students built confidence using compasses and maps, learning to orientate maps using land features and compass points, read directions and follow bearings.

Teamwork was a strong focus, with students collaborating to solve navigation challenges and support one another in unfamiliar contexts. Environmental awareness was also emphasised through a “leave no trace” approach, encouraging care for the natural environment.

Year 5 students recently participated in a two-day resilience experience at Bell Street. This program provided opportunities to build relationships, develop a growth mindset and strengthen personal resilience through challenge-based activities and reflection.

Year 6 students deepened their understanding of governance through visits to Parliament House during Question Time, Hobart Town Hall and Government House. These experiences provided authentic insight into Australia’s democratic system, including direct observation of parliamentary processes and engagement with civic leaders, including Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC.

Together, these experiences brought classroom learning to life in meaningful and memorable ways.

Physical Education and Sport

Physical Education and Sport play an important role in supporting the holistic development of students in the Primary School. From Year 2 onwards, our PE program aligns closely with co-curricular sport opportunities, where possible.

Students are exposed to a wide range of activities, supported by specialist coaching in sports such as soccer, hockey, gymnastics, basketball and Little Athletics. The emphasis is on participation, enjoyment and inclusion, while fostering positive attitudes towards health, wellbeing and lifelong physical activity.

This year, more than 170 students have participated in co-curricular sport, supported by the generous involvement of parent volunteers, further strengthening our sense of community.

Art

Across the Primary School, students have been engaging with a broad range of materials, techniques and artistic concepts.

In Year 1, students have explored landscapes, portraits and abstract art, drawing inspiration from a range of artists and developing confidence in expressing ideas visually. Their enthusiasm for abstract art has been particularly evident, and they look forward to working with clay next term.

In Year 3, students have explored how artists communicate messages about important issues, including endangered animals. They have created artworks designed to raise awareness and celebrate the uniqueness of the natural world.

Year 5 students have focused on identity, exploring how artists express aspects of themselves through their work.

Year 6 students have investigated how depth and space can be represented in art, culminating in self-directed projects exploring imaginative interpretations of utopia.

Music

It has been a pleasure to see students re-engage with our vibrant music program. Choirs and ensembles are thriving, and participation continues to grow.

A particular highlight has been our whole-school singing at Assembly, where students, staff and families come together to learn and perform shared songs. These moments - bringing together up to 600 voices - are powerful expressions of belonging and connection, and they enrich the life of our school community.

Japanese

Our Japanese program continues to celebrate language learning and intercultural understanding. It has been encouraging to see students using Japanese with increasing confidence across the school.

A recent highlight was the inclusion of Torii gates in our Whole School Gathering, which provided a meaningful focus for reflection on our school theme and invited appreciation of cultural diversity within our community.

Library

Our library plays an essential role in fostering curiosity, reflection and connection. Guided by Quaker values, it provides access to rich print and digital resources, encourages dialogue and collaboration, and creates inclusive spaces where all students feel respected and heard.

With weekly library lessons for all classes and strong integration with classroom inquiry, the library supports ethical research, international-mindedness and a lifelong love of reading. With nearly 42,000 loans last year, it remains a vibrant hub of learning and community.

Co-Curricular Clubs

Our break-time co-curricular clubs provide students with opportunities to connect, explore interests and develop new skills. These include a wide range of activities across sport, the arts, technology, literature and environmental learning.

Students engage in clubs such as cricket, skipping, Tinker and Minecraft, Maths Olympiad, Drift Bike and Chalk Club. These experiences support friendship, creativity, problem-solving and enjoyment of school life.

Conclusion

A Primary School education at Friends’ is grounded in a deep commitment to our Purpose and Concerns, supporting the intellectual, emotional and social development of every child.

Through rich opportunities across academic, creative, cultural and physical domains, students are encouraged to explore their interests and develop their strengths. Central to this experience is the importance of relationships - within classrooms, across year levels and throughout the wider community.

These connections, alongside a values-driven education, nurture confidence, curiosity and compassion, equipping students not only for future learning, but for meaningful and engaged participation in the world.

Mark Febey - Head of Primary School (Early Learning to Year 6)