Campus News Term 4 Week 2

Friday, 24 Oct 2025

Teaching and Learning - Primary 

It’s hard to believe we are already in our final term of 2026!

Our teachers are busy with teaching and gathering evidence of learning, helping us see just how much growth and progress each child has made across our Primary School.

As we approach the end of the year, you can support your child by celebrating their successes, both big and small, and talking with them about what they’re most proud of. Taking time to reflect together helps build confidence and nurtures a lifelong love of learning. We’re so proud of the enthusiasm, commitment, and resilience our students have shown in their learning. It’s been a wonderful year filled with creativity, collaboration, and plenty of “lightbulb moments.”

Year 6 Spotlight - Learning Through Empathy

Year 6 wrapped up Term 3 in style, showcasing not only their incredible talents but also their deep learning. In Week 9, our students presented an outstanding play for parents and peers, impressing everyone with their creativity and confidence.

To finish the term, our dedicated Year 6 students invited their Kindergarten buddies, Stage 3, and even high school students to witness the culmination of their integrated unit, A Diverse and Connected World.

As part of this unit, students studied the novel A Long Walk to Water, which opened their eyes to the hardships faced by Sudanese refugees during the civil war. Building on this, through HSIE, each student researched the journey of a refugee coming to Australia, learning about their challenges and triumphs.

This exploration helped students develop empathy and inspired them to design practical ideas to support refugees transitioning to life in Coffs Harbour. They pitched their concepts and proudly shared their proposed solutions with their peers.

It was inspiring to see the depth of understanding, passion, and enthusiasm our Year 6 students demonstrated. With guest speakers enriching their learning and plenty of opportunities to share their knowledge, this unit was a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy, connection, and community.

Year 1 Spotlight - Exploring the Changing World of Toys

What a privilege it was to witness the creativity and learning of our talented Year 1 students as they used technology to bring their ideas to life.

This term, students have been exploring how toys have changed over time. For their Keynote assessment task, each student selected a toy of interest and researched how it looked and was used in the past compared to today. They then reflected on why those changes may have occurred.

Using Keynote, students created digital presentations that combined images, drawings, simple sentences, and voice recordings to explain their learning. The project concluded with students proudly sharing their presentations with the class, demonstrating not only their understanding of history but also their growing confidence in communicating ideas and using digital tools.

It was wonderful to see the excitement, creativity, and depth of understanding our Year 1 students brought to this task.

ICAS Awards Recognition

Last term, over 140 students from Years 3 to 6 chose to take part in the annual ICAS Assessments across five subject areas. These internationally recognised assessments are designed to challenge and extend students’ learning. Each ICAS paper is crafted by expert educators and psychometricians to assess higher-order thinking skills, providing valuable insights into every student’s strengths and areas for further growth.

During our recent assemblies, we proudly celebrated these achievements. Our students displayed excellent dedication and perseverance throughout the assessments. The photos below capture the moment our award recipients were recognised for their outstanding efforts.

Dyslexia Awareness Month

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, a wonderful opportunity to learn more about how we can support students with dyslexia. With the number of diagnosed students growing, it’s important to access reliable, research-based information.

We highly recommend the Code Read Dyslexia Network codereadnetwork.org for practical, evidence-based resources and advice for families. To mark the month, Triple Thread Learning is also offering a free online course to support parents of children transitioning to high school next year. You can find more information at triplethreadlearning.com.au/parentcourse.

Stay tuned for our upcoming newsletters to see more of the exciting learning opportunities our students are experiencing across the Primary years at BDC.

- Christabel Martin