Kulap Primary School Newsletter – Issue #1

Dear Kulap Primary School Community,

Welcome to our very first newsletter for Term 1, 2026. It is with great pride and excitement that I write to you as the founding Principal of Kulap Primary School. Opening a brand new school is a rare and special opportunity, and I would like to thank our students, families, and staff for helping create such a positive and welcoming environment from day one.

From the moment our gates opened, it has been clear that Kulap Primary is already a place of connection, curiosity, and high expectations. Our students have settled beautifully into their classrooms, and our staff have worked tirelessly to establish strong routines and engaging learning experiences.

A Warm Welcome to Our Prep Students

A very special welcome goes to our Prep students, who have made a fantastic start to their schooling journey. Starting school is a significant milestone, and we are incredibly proud of how confidently and enthusiastically our youngest learners have embraced their new environment. Thank you to our Prep families for your support during this important transition.

Official Opening Ceremony

We were honoured to celebrate our official opening ceremony earlier this term, marked by the attendance of Ben Carroll. This was a significant occasion in the life of our school, recognising the beginning of a vibrant learning community. Our students represented the school with pride, and it was wonderful to share this milestone with families and invited guests.

Harmony Week Celebrations

Harmony Week provided a valuable opportunity for our school community to celebrate diversity, inclusion, and respect. Students participated in a range of activities that highlighted the importance of belonging and understanding one another. It was inspiring to see our students demonstrate kindness and appreciation for the many cultures that make up our community.

NAPLAN Completion

Our Year 3 and Year 5 students successfully completed NAPLAN this term. I commend them for their focus and perseverance throughout the assessment period. These assessments provide useful information to support teaching and learning, and we are proud of the effort our students demonstrated.

Student Progress Reports

At the end of this term, families will receive our first Termly Progress Reports. These reports will provide insights into your child’s learning and development across:

• Literacy
• Numeracy
• STEAM
• Health and Physical Education

In addition, the reports will include feedback on student work habits and attendance. We value the strong partnership between school and home, and we encourage families to discuss these reports with their children to celebrate achievements and set goals for continued growth.

Newsletter Communication

To keep our community informed and connected, our school newsletter will be published twice per term. These newsletters will include important updates, celebrations of student learning, and key dates. We encourage all families to read each edition carefully and stay engaged with school life.

Student Leadership Congratulations

Congratulations to our inaugural School Captains and House Captains. These students have already demonstrated outstanding leadership, responsibility, and school pride. We look forward to seeing them grow into their roles and contribute positively to our school culture.

House Cross Country Success

Our first House Cross Country event was a fantastic success! Students showed great determination, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout the day. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm and support across all Houses, and we look forward to many more sporting events in the future.

Easter Bonnet Parade

To conclude the term, our Easter Bonnet Parade brought creativity and joy to our school community. Students proudly showcased their colourful and imaginative bonnets, and it was a delight to see families join us for this special celebration.

Looking Ahead

As we finish our first term together, I would like to thank our entire school community for your support, positivity, and commitment to making Kulap Primary School a wonderful place to learn and grow. We are building something truly special together, and I am excited for what lies ahead in Term 2.

Wishing all families a safe and enjoyable break.

Warm regards,
Mati Azadzoi
Principal
Kulap Primary School

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Prep

Hello families, 

We have had such a fantastic Term One, students have been settled, happy and ready to learn! We are blown away by our students’ resilience and ability to adapt to such a big change in a brand new school. 

Literacy: 

Students have been learning their first 15 letter sounds this term! We are half way through knowing all 26 single letter sounds. 

The Prep students have been doing amazing at reading cvc words, learning to blend and segment sounds to create words and in general having a positive mindset to learning a very hard skill! 

Skills we have been practising this term: 

• Decoding three letter words or CVC words (Consonant – vowel – consonant. For example, cat, mat, rat) 
• Practising predicting using the front cover of a book. 
• Using pictures to tell stories and recount events. 
• Learning about stories and information texts and why we have different kinds of books. 
• Practising rhyming words
• Forming letters from the top and moving down, in one motion. 
• Learning about curved and straight letters and becoming faster at writing them. 

Coming up in Term two, 

We will continue learning single letter sounds, using these sounds in words and sentences and becoming more confident in our reading/spelling skills. 

We will begin learning to form letters on lines using ground, grass and sky lines to help children identify where lowercase and uppercase letters sit. 

Maths: 

In maths this term we have been having fun learning about numbers to 10, patterns, ordering numbers from smallest to largest and using hands on materials to create numbers. 

We have been using strategies that help us count effectively. For example, lining materials up, placing items on a tens frame or counting and moving objects. 

We learnt about simple shapes, created artwork and identified shapes in the environment around us.

We have been identifying days of the week and discussing time in a simple way that makes students navigate school easier. 

Humanities: 

We have been learning about ourselves, our families, culture and where we come from. This term students discussed how time changes us, moving from babies to children and then to adulthood. We created family trees and discussed how everyone’s families are different, this led nicely to Harmony week where we learnt about our peers’ cultures, food they eat and what celebrations are meaningful to them. 

We are wishing you all the very best for the school holidays, stay safe and enjoy the rest!

Grade 1/2

Literacy

Students are learning how informative texts are structured (headings, facts, clear organisation) and are using information from texts to create their own informative pieces.

(Victorian Curriculum – English: understanding and creating informative texts).

Students have also been exploring characters, settings and morals in fables, and are creating their own stories with clear messages. In poetry, they are experimenting with rhyme, rhythm and alliteration.

(Victorian Curriculum – English: creating imaginative texts).

Phonics

Focus on long vowel sounds:

Long e: ea, ee, e_e, y

Long i: ie, igh, i_e

Long a: ay, ai, a_e

Students are also learning compound words and adding suffixes -ing and -ed.

(Victorian Curriculum – English: phonics and word knowledge).

How you can support literacy learning at home

Read regularly and talk about facts or the message of a story. Encourage your child to write stories, fables or simple poems. Practise spotting long vowel sounds in everyday words. Play word games (e.g. jump → jumping, play → played)

Mathematics

This term in Maths, students have been developing key skills across several areas. In Number, they have explored number bonds to 10, solved simple subtraction problems, and practised addition and subtraction to 100 (without regrouping) using hands-on materials. They have also been introduced to vertical algorithms and solving word problems by identifying key information.

In Measurement, students have learnt to use calendars, tell time to the hour, and measure using both informal and formal units. In Geometry, they have identified and described 2D shapes using terms such as sides and corners. In Statistics, students have collected and represented data using lists, tables, tally marks, and pictographs.

This learning aligns with the Victorian Curriculum and supports the development of problem-solving, logical thinking, and confidence in everyday Maths.

How you can support mathematics learning at home

Support your child’s Maths learning at home by practising time during daily routines (e.g. meals, bedtime, activities), measuring objects using both rulers (formal) and everyday items (informal), and comparing lengths using simple language (shorter/longer).

You can also play simple games involving addition and subtraction, look for shapes around the house, and discuss everyday word problems during activities like cooking, shopping, or reading to help connect Maths to real life.

Humanities

In Humanities this term, students have focused on History, comparing past and present using terms like “then” and “now”. Students have been learning about how daily life has changed over time and what has stayed the same. We explored school, games, transport and communication in the past and present, and began learning from family stories.

This learning helps students understand change over time, build connections to their family and community, and develop important thinking skills like comparing and questioning.

How you can help at home

Talk with your child about your childhood

What games did you play, how did you travel to and from school, etc

Look at old photos together

Discuss similarities and differences between your childhood and theirs

Important Dates & Reminders

Wednesday 1st April

Cross Country – Students must wear their school uniform. Students are encouraged to accessorise in house colours

Thursday 2nd April

Last day of school – Early finish time at 2:30. DS Sports available for booking from this time.

Easter Bonnet Parade

Monday 20th April

Term 2 starts

Celebrations & Highlights

This term we have had a lot to celebrate! Students took part in Harmony Day, learning about inclusivity, respect, and the importance of celebrating our diverse backgrounds. We also participated in Cross Country, where students demonstrated great perseverance, sportsmanship, and enthusiasm. In addition, our THRIVE Awards have recognised students who consistently show our school values, celebrating their efforts and positive contributions to our classroom and school community.

English

Students have been reading Matilda, using it as a mentor text to understand narrative structure of writing, including characters, setting, problem, and solution. Alongside this, we have been studying Off We Go Around Australia, which has supported our learning in recount writing and information texts. Through this text, students have been learning how to sequence events, use factual language, and organise their ideas clearly when sharing information.

Maths

Students have been developing their understanding of addition and subtraction through vertical algorithms, with a focus on accuracy and place value. They have also been exploring 3D shapes, learning to identify and describe their properties, such as faces, edges, and vertices. In addition, students are beginning to develop multiplication strategies, including using arrays and doubling, to support their understanding of groups and build confidence in solving problems.

Humanities

Students have been learning about celebrations and commemorations in Australia, exploring why we recognise important events and how they are observed across the country. They have also been developing their understanding of the significance of Country and Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, recognising the deep cultural, spiritual, and historical connections that First Nations Australians have to the land and their local area. During Harmony Week, students loved sharing and trying different foods from around the world, and created a hand representing their culture to add to our Tree of Harmony. 

What you can do at home to support your child:

• Read regularly together – Encourage daily reading and discuss the story, characters, and new vocabulary to build comprehension and language skills.
• Practise writing for real purposes – Have your child write shopping lists, short stories, or diary entries to build confidence and structure in writing.
• Use maths in everyday life – Involve your child in cooking, shopping, or measuring to practise addition, subtraction, and problem-solving. 
• Build number fluency – Practise basic facts through games, flashcards, or quick daily quizzes to strengthen recall of addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
• Play games that involve thinking – Board games, puzzles, and card games can support strategic thinking, counting, and pattern recognition.

REMINDERS

• Encourage students to record their reading in their diary, and bring this to school daily. 
• Bring fruit/vegetable snack in a separate container, if possible. A brain food break in the morning helps us to make the most of our learning!
• Please bring a water bottle to school daily.
• Please check to make sure you have access to Compass, and have notifications turned on. All communication and permissions will be through the Compass App. See the office if you have any issues connecting.

Literacy

Students have been engaged in rich literacy learning this term. As a class, we studied War Horse, exploring themes, characters and historical context. This supported students in writing their own historical narratives, with a focus on structure, descriptive language and historical accuracy.

In addition, students investigated How Was That Built?, thinking like engineers as they analysed how structures are designed and constructed. They then created their own explanation texts on a famous structure, focusing on clear organisation and technical vocabulary.

How you can support at home
Encourage your child to every night, listening to them read aloud at least twice a week and discussing what they have read. Please ensure all reading is recorded in their diary and signed at the end of each week.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, students have been developing skills across several key areas. They have explored fractions, perimeter, multiplication and division, and place value. Students have been applying these concepts through problem-solving tasks and real-world contexts, helping to build both confidence and mathematical understanding.

Humanities

This term in Humanities, students have been learning about Australian colonisation. They have explored what life was like before and after colonisation, and how this period brought significant change for different groups of people.

Students have considered a range of perspectives, including those of First Nations Australians and early settlers, helping them to develop a deeper and more balanced understanding of Australia’s history. Through discussions and classroom activities, students have also been building their skills in questioning, comparing, and reflecting on the impact of historical events.

Celebrations & Highlights

We have had a fantastic term with many highlights. Our student leaders, including School and House Captains, proudly represented our school at the Young Leaders Day.

Students also enjoyed celebrating Harmony Day through food sharing, recognising and appreciating the diversity within our community.

Our buddy program has continued to be a success, with students building strong connections while spending time with both Prep and Grade 5/6 classes.

Prep

The Prep’s hit the ground running in STEAM! This term we focused on biological science and finding the features of plants and animals using the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste and feel). They have observed and recorded seed growth, taste tested and categorised parts of plants that we can eat, coded BeeBots using simple steps to move from point A to B and we finished the term looking at the features of animals and making a model of an animal out of playdough.

Next term we will be focusing on chemical science and learning about the physical properties of different materials.

Year 1/2 

The Year 1/2‘s had a wonderful start to STEAM, with a biological science focus on how plants and animals survive in their environments. Students have planted, observed and recorded plant growth determining that plants need water, space, soil and sunlight to grow and be healthy. They created a tree artwork inspired by the artist Kandinsky, learnt about what animals need to survive, used block coding to program animals to move on ScratchJr and finished the term learning about how humans survive using plants and animals. 

Next term we will be focusing on chemical science and learning about how materials physically change when we heat and cool them. 

Year 3/4

The Year 3/4‘s have been so enthusiastic about their learning this term. We have focused on biological science and learning about living, non-living and once-living things. Students have learnt to determine if something is living or non-living using the acronym MRS GREN, the fossilisation process and lifecycles of plants and animals. They made a dinosaur fossil using air dry clay and created an interactive quiz to show their knowledge from across the term. To finish the term, students created a diorama of an environment including living, non-living and once-living things specific to their environment. 

Next term we will be focusing on chemical science and learning about the observable properties of solids, liquids and gases.

Year 5/6 

The Year 5/6‘s jumped straight into learning this term. We focused on biological science learning about different adaptations of plants and animals for survival. Students investigated cooling and camouflage adaptations, learnt why some animals are not camouflaged, created a colourful peacock inspired by Pete Cromer and researched adaptations of particular Australian desert species. To finish the term, they designed their own adapted creature and brought it to life using technology. 

Next term we will be focusing on chemical science and learning about the behaviour of solid, liquid and gas particles.

Prep

The prep classes have enjoyed a mix of movement, singing and percussion instruments every week. We start each class singing and dancing to ‘Say Hello’ as the prep students enter the Performing Arts classroom. Using instruments is always a highlight of music – we have used egg shakers and claves so far, learning their names and how they make their sound, making sure we use them in a safe, sensible and musical way. We have performed a variety of games, songs and dances with a strong sense of beat, and used scarves and our bodies in different levels, directions and pathways. Each class ends with singing, and we have sung several songs, learning through echoing or copying and repeating small phrases at a time.

Next term we will continue learning about and playing more percussion instruments, explore more ways to move our bodies and learn several more songs.

Year 1/2 

Every class starts immediately as students enter the classroom with a scarf dance, focussing students and moving in a variety of ways. Term 1 focussed on beat and body percussion – following and creating body percussion patterns and performing them to the beat. Students worked individually and in small groups, taking turns following and leading. Everyone enjoyed singing and playing instruments to a funny song ‘What Goes Up’ and we ended the term with songs and dances from several other countries.

Next term we will start a drama unit on mime, using our faces, gestures and bodies to tell stories without words. In music we will continue learning about the musical elements of beat and rhythm, starting an exciting journey in musical notation. Our dance unit will work on dancing to the beat and learning some basic dance steps.

Year 3/4 

We have had a busy term in Year 3/4, playing boomwhackers and percussion instruments, reading and playing musical notation, keeping a steady beat, distinguishing the difference between beat and rhythm, following body percussion from videos and notation, exploring a variety of body percussion, creating our own body percussion performances in small groups, singing 2 songs ‘Something In My Shoe’ and ‘The Mummy Song’, playing a drama game ‘2 Truths, 1 Lie’ and ending the term with songs and dances from other countries.

Next term we will be starting with a drama unit focussing on using our voices in different ways, learn and perform 2 dances, as well as continue with our musical literacy – reading, listening to, playing and writing musical notation.

Year 5/6 

Term 1 included some ensemble drama games, but most of the term was very much focussed on the musical elements beat and rhythm. We played boomwhackers and percussion instruments, performed body percussion, played different rhythms and patterns using cups and performed several clapping games. In pairs, small groups and individually we created rhythmic compositions, including one using cups and body percussion and writing the corresponding musical notation and one exploring different ‘handshakes’ using body percussion.

Next term we will be starting with a drama unit reading scripts. In music we will use glockenspiels to further work on the musical elements beat and rhythm, musical notation, and also adding in the element of pitch. And in dance we will look at line dances, ending with small groups collaborating to create their own.

Prep:

In their very first term of schooling, our preps have been learning about the equipment that is used in P.E as well as some fundamental warm up games. These games have focused on playing fairly, learning new rules and establishing common movement patterns that will be used throughout the year. The games that the preps have loved the most have been Fruit Salad, Ship Shark Shore and Octopus.

Next term we will be focusing on: Rolling, Underarm Throw and Catching.

Grade 1/2

Our focus for Term One has incorporated locomotor movements such as hopping, jumping,  leaping, dodging and running. These movements have been practiced throughout a range of skill based activities where students have learnt to wait for their turn, encourage peers positively and accepting the results of various games.

Next term we will be focusing on: Underarm Throw, Overarm Throw and Catching.

Grade 3/4

Our Middle students started the year with a Netball unit which incorporated elements of throwing and catching. Although some grades didn’t get to play a Netball game with Netball positions, we played a modified version which focused on the stepping and obstruction rule.

Towards the end of the term, students begun to develop their running skills in preparation for our cross country.

Next term we will be focusing on: Athletics and Volleyball

Grade 5/6 

Our Senior students also begun the year with a Netball unit, focusing primarily on attacking and defending strategies. They also became familiar with the various Netball positions including where the positions are allowed to travel on the court. Students really enjoyed playing full scale games where they could trial playing in different positions on the court.

Towards the end of the term, students begun to develop their running skills in preparation for our cross country.

Next term we will be focusing on: Athletics and Volleyball

Term 1 Teaching and Learning Overview

We’ve had a fantastic start to the school year, with students settling into routines and engaging positively in their learning. This term, our focus has been on building strong foundations, establishing consistent classroom practices, and getting to know each learner as an individual.

Consistent Teaching Across Our School

This year, we are embedding our whole-school instructional model to ensure consistency in teaching and learning across all classrooms. This means students experience familiar lesson structures, clear learning intentions, and explicit teaching practices no matter which class they are in. This consistency supports students to feel confident, know what to expect, and focus on their learning.

Supporting Every Learner

Our teachers have been actively engaging in professional learning to further develop their skills and better meet the diverse needs of our students. This includes refining instructional strategies, using data more effectively, and providing targeted support and extension where needed.

Understanding Student Progress

To ensure we are meeting each child at their point of need, we have been collecting valuable student data through a range of assessments, including:

• PAT Reading and Mathematics
• Essential Assessment

These assessments help teachers identify strengths, areas for growth, and plan targeted teaching to support every student’s progress.

How You Can Support Learning at Home

Families play an important role in supporting learning, and there are simple ways you can help at home:

• Read with your child every day – this builds vocabulary, comprehension, and a love of reading.
• Encourage regular use of online learning platforms such as:
  • Reading Eggs for literacy development
  • Mathletics for numeracy practice

These tools reinforce classroom learning in a fun and engaging way.

We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with you to support your child’s learning journey throughout the year.