As Term 3 draws to a close, we look back on a season filled with adventure, discovery, and some truly memorable moments across our Silkwood community.

From athletics days to community planting, Father's Day and closing with the Dreaming Festival, this term was rich with experiences that brought our students, families and staff together. 

Time and time again this term, we've seen our students dig deeper, support one another, and find confidence in the process. 

We wish all of our families a well-rested and safe holiday break and look forward to welcoming you back for Term 4.

Flags were flying across the oval as our Year 2–3 students opened their very own Mini-Olympics!

At Silkwood, we believe in creating defining moments in a student's learning journey. The kind that live on in their hearts well beyond their school days. This was one of those moments, with each Advisory representing a different country as students rotated through sprints, hurdles relays, long jump, soccer, rugby and basketball challenges.

There was plenty of competition, but more than that, there was connection. Students cheering on teammates they don't always share a classroom with. Advisories finding their footing in a sport some had never tried. A shared flag, a shared goal, a shared morning of trying, failing, and trying again.

We're proud of every student who took part today, showing us what having a go, cheering others on, and celebrating together really looks like.

A little morning drizzle didn't dampen the spirit as our Year 4 and 5 students hit the track for their Athletics Carnival!

At Silkwood, we believe there's real growth in pushing past what feels comfortable and finding what you’re capable of. This was one of those days, with students moving through sprints, long jump, high jump, shot put and the 400m, each event asking a little more of them than the last.

There was plenty of competition, but more than that, there was camaraderie. Students cheering on friends and celebrating a teammate's personal best like it was their own. Every jump, throw and time was not just an individual result, but proof of the support behind it.

We're proud of every student who took part, showing us what having a go, chasing a personal best, and discovering your own strength really looks like.

Little capes and big courage filled the oval as our Prep and Year 1 students transformed into Superheroes for their sports day!

At Silkwood, we believe some of the best learning happens through play, curiosity and trying something for the very first time. Superhero day was full of exactly that, as our littlest heroes explored themed stations, testing their super strength, super speed and superpowers along the way.

But the real superpower on display today wasn't super strength or super speed. It was curiosity. A student trying a station they'd never seen before. A friend cheering loudly from the sidelines. A superhero cape, a big smile, and the confidence to give something new a go.

Well done to every student who took part today, showing us what curiosity, courage and lifting each other up really looks like.

This is The Silkwood Way.

From the first whistle to the final relay, energy took over the track as our Middle and Senior School students came together for their Athletics Carnival.

At Silkwood, we believe effort matters as much as outcome, and at this carnival, students made space for both. Students moved through sprints, long jump, high jump, and shot put, some chasing a personal best or a shot at District trials, others simply showing up and giving it a go.

A student who doesn't love competition, lining up anyway. A group of friends louder on the sideline than on the track. Effort shown in a many different ways, all of it worth celebrating.

A big thank you to the staff, Advisors and families who came along to cheer everyone on.

We're proud of every student who took part, showing us what participation, effort and community really look like.

This term, our Silkwood community came together for our Mid-Year Music Concert and what a night it was. Our choirs, orchestras (including our budding Year 3 Beginner Strings), and guitar students took to the stage, showcasing the repertoire they've been building this year.

From first-time performers finding their confidence under the lights to our more experienced musicians polishing their craft, the night was a genuine celebration of the hard work, practice and passion that goes on behind the scenes every week.

At Silkwood, music doesn't just teach rhythm or technique. It's a place where students find their voice, build courage, and discover the quiet confidence that comes from putting themselves out there, one performance at a time.

Earlier this term, our choirs and orchestras took to the stage at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod and came home with three Silver Awards and a Gold, scoring between 75–95% across every performance.

But what stood out most wasn't on the scoresheet. Between performances, our students were watching other schools with genuine interest, listening closely to adjudicators, and cheering on musicians outside their own group. Respectful, generous, and genuinely present – that’s who our students are.

At Silkwood, music isn't just about the performance. It's about how you show up, how you support each other, and how you represent something bigger than yourself.

Congratulations to every Silkwood musician, choir member, and our Advisors who made this possible!

Two Year 3 groups took to the stage with their Group Poems – “Locked Out”, starring a very stressed Dad, a car full of kids, and a tub of “ice cream” that turned out to be shaving foam mid melt down. And “The Plant That Eats People” – a Little Shop of Horrors-inspired tale complete with a very realistic man-eating plant. Both poems were performed with brilliant comedic timing and great teamwork.

Group 1’s “Locked Out” took out First Place, with Group 2’s “The Plant That Eats People” close behind in Second Place!

The celebrations didn’t stop there. Our Year 5 & 6 Group Poem team brought the house down with “Not Another Wedding,” earning a Very Highly Commended!

Every one of these performers has spent lunchtimes and breaks this term rehearsing, and it shows.

At Silkwood, we believe creativity flourishes when students are given the time, trust and stage to shine, and moments like this are proof of just how far that hard work can take them.

Congratulations to all of our performers, and a massive thank you to Miss Taryn for your time and dedication.

This year’s Book Week theme, “A Symphony of Stories” has brought our whole community together, dressing up as their favourite characters, diving into new stories and celebrating the magic of storytelling.

Along the Golden Pathway and bridge, staff shared a glimpse into their own reading lives, with displays of the books that shaped them – proof that stories connect all of us, not just our young people. Students also hunted high and low for golden records hidden around campus, with lucky finders winning vouchers to spend at the Scholastic Book Fair.

We were lucky enough to welcome authors Liv Lorkin and Mattie Barker who led some of our youngest learners through workshops and engaging storytelling sessions.

At Silkwood, we believe that a love of reading opens doors, to imagination, empathy and a lifelong curiosity about the world. Book Week has been a joyful reminder of just how much magic a good story can hold.

Thank you to every student and staff member who got involved and embraced the dress-up spirit!

This term, we held our Father’s Day Breakfast, and it was a morning to remember. Campuses were filled with families, laughter and the smell of a good breakfast. It was a lovely reminder of just how much dads, grandads and father figures shape our students’ world.

We were lucky to welcome Tyrone from Top Blokes as our guest speaker at Mt Nathan, who spoke to our students about connection and character. One of our own students, Billy also took to the mic, sharing his experience with the program, a proud moment for him.

And of course, no Father’s Day Breakfast is complete without our much-loved paper plane competition. Watching dads and kids huddled over their designs and cheering each other on is always one of the highlights of the morning. Congratulations to our winners, Gideon and Beau!

Thank you to everyone who joined us and made this celebration a Moment that Matters.

This year was another unforgettable night at the Silkwood Bush Dance!

Students, parents, grandparents, cousins, and friends came together for a night full of music, laughter, and a dance floor that never emptied.

A huge credit to our Senior students who ran the entire event from the ground up from food stalls to ticketing.

The Rantan Bush Band had the whole venue moving, setting a rhythm that carried the night from start to finish.

At Silkwood, we believe it’s evenings like this that hold a community together, where different generations show up for each other, and the sense of belonging only grows stronger.

Thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the night a Moment That Matters.

At Silkwood, our Moments That Matter are the experiences that stay with our students long after the day is over. They’re the shared, hands-on and often unexpected moments that take learning beyond the classroom and connect students to people, place and purpose. The Dreaming Festival is one of them.

We opened the day together, with our year levels sharing their Totems in their own voices and welcoming Elders, First Nations guests and community members onto our campuses. A smoking ceremony brought our time together to a close, and from there, students moved through a day of learning shaped by the people who shared it with us.

The oval filled with traditional Indigenous games and the sound of boomerangs being thrown for the first time. Dance lessons got everyone moving, and weaving sessions opened conversations about the lifestyle and ways of the Torres Strait Islander people. In the Yarning Circle, students heard about hunting and gathering, bush tucker and medicinal plants. There was ochre and jewellery making, bush survival skills and First Nations art on canvas.

Lunch for our Middle School was catered by our Year 8 trade maths students, who put their budgeting and learning to work by feeding our guests and their peers. Real-World Learning in action, shared with the community.

Our students listened deeply, asked thoughtful questions and thanked our guests warmly.

Dreaming Festival is a meaningful celebration, but our respect for First Nations perspectives is woven through our learning every day. At Silkwood, we believe that connection to culture, Country and community helps shape who our students become.

Thank you to our Elders, guests and presenters for generously sharing your knowledge, stories and skills with us, and to our staff and families for helping bring this day to life.

For one morning, our Year 2 and Year 3 students swapped Queensland for Fiji. Meke dance, woven Salusalu and the stories of two special guests.

As part of their Inquiry Unit, Pacific Nature Tales, students welcomed Bola from our Site Team, and his daughter Jaelyn, a proud Silkwood Alumni. Together, they brought Fijian culture to life, sharing stories of the islands, performing traditional Meke, and showing treasured artefacts including the Salusalu and Masi. Students didn't just learn about Fiji. They felt it, through movement and connection.

At Silkwood, we believe learning should connect to the real world, not stay confined to a classroom. Jaelyn's return as an Alumni, sharing her culture with our youngest learners, is a beautiful example of that education coming full circle.

A huge thank you to Bola and Jaelyn for so generously sharing your culture with us.

Some stories aren't found in books. They're walked, listened to, and carried forward.

A part of their Sense of Place Inquiry Unit, our Year 4 students spent a day at Jellurgal, also known as Burleigh Headland. A place of deep cultural and spiritual significance to the Yugambeh people, and a living centre for Aboriginal heritage and education.

At Silkwood, we believe real understanding comes from real connection. Our students were welcomed to Country with ochre, a traditional symbol of connection and respect, before being guided by a local Kombumerri person who helped them see the headland not as scenery, but as story. They watched traditional dance, heard Dreaming stories passed down through generations, and stood beside middens that have marked this coastline for thousands of years - learning to understand what it means to care for Country rather than simply live on it.

It's experiences like this that shape how our students see the world. Grounded in connection, respect, and the generosity of those willing to share their knowledge.

Because real learning doesn't just inform how students see the world. It shapes how they choose to move through it.

Real leadership isn't taught. It's built through action, collaboration, and the courage to identify a problem and actually do something about it.

We're thrilled to share that our students have been named Runner-Up in the 2026 LeaderUP Challenge, a national youth leadership program run by the Youth Leadership Academy Australia. Over 10 weeks, our students identified a need within our school community, developed a project from the ground up, and brought it to life, going head-to-head with schools from across the country.

As part of the challenge, nine of our Youth Leadership students stepped up to plan and run a whole-school tournament designed to build connection and strengthen our sense of community. The school was divided into nine teams, rotating every 15 minutes through activities including arm wrestling, karaoke, a fashion show, musical chairs, the human knot and trivia. The energy on the day said it all: laughter, chaos, and students from across year levels coming together for a shared purpose.

At Silkwood, leadership isn't a title, it's a mindset we actively nurture. This achievement is a true reflection of our students' hard work, teamwork, and commitment throughout the program.

Our Year 11 students traded the classroom for the workshop floor, heading to the Gold Coast Trades College for a hands-on car maintenance experience.

Students got stuck into real, practical skills. From changing a tyre, using a range of automotive tools, checking and measuring oil levels, basic engine mechanics and even learning how to safely jump-start a car with a flat battery.

At Silkwood, we believe learning should equip students with skills they’ll actually use. Our Discovery Learning program helps build confidence, problem-solving skills, and valuable knowledge students can carry into everyday life.

Mud, wobbly logs, a prison break, and two nights under canvas…

Our Year 7 students headed to Emu Gully for their Real World Adventure. Three days of stepping outside their comfort zones and discovering what they're capable of.

They hit the ground running: volleyball, rugby, camp circles, wire traversing and an underground escape through a tunnel system. In between, students took on their own camp jobs - prepping meals, serving food and cleaning up after, swapping their beds at home for roll mats and a shared tent.

The real story isn't in any one activity. It's a nervous first attempt turning into a second go, a group figuring out how to work together when no one's quite sure what they're doing, or someone stepping up to help without being asked. That's the part of camp that stays with you long after the mud washes off.

At Silkwood School, we know some of the most meaningful learning happens far from a classroom. In the moments that ask a bit more of you, and the people who show up for each other when it counts. Our Year 7s did exactly that.

One city. Three days. And a whole lot of growing up.

Our Year 10 cohort returned from their Real World Learning Adventure – Urban Immersion. Three days designed to build literacy, independence, and a first taste at what life beyond senior school might look like.

From South Bank strolls to climbing the Story Bridge, Brisbane Museum, workshops at QUT, and quiet afternoons together in the Botanic Gardens, students experienced a bit of everything.

This trip wasn’t just about sightseeing. Along the way, students practised the everyday skills of independence and communication, managed their own money, navigated a new city, and started sparking ideas for future internships or pathways of their own. There were moments that felt unfamiliar, and watching our students dig deep and persevere through them and back each other was a highlight.

At Silkwood, Real World Adventures are designed to take students beyond their comfort zone and into the kind of learning and experiences that shape who they become.

Adventure Learning has been in full swing for our Senior students this term!

Year 10 headed offsite to take on the Twin Falls circuit through Springbrook National Park, a great chance to explore an incredible part of the Gold Coast and challenge themselves along the way. Plenty of walking, good conversations, teamwork and some tired legs along the way.

Year 12 stepped things up with a day of paintball, bringing plenty of strategy, teamwork, communication and healthy competition across a range of games and challenges. A great way to have some fun and make a few more memories together before finishing their Year 12 journey.

At Silkwood, moments like these are exactly what Adventure Learning is about. Stepping beyond comfort zones, working through challenges together and building resilience, leadership and sense of belonging that carries students well beyond the trail or the field.

There's something meaningful about seeing young people step beyond what feels familiar, especially when they do it together.

This term, our Year 9 students got outdoors with Vertec Adventure, bushwalking through Cedar Creek Conservation Area and kayaking the Broadwater. Both days asked similar things of them: navigate challenge, adapt as conditions changed, and lean on each other when things felt unfamiliar.

Students tested themselves, encouraged their mates, and discovered a little more about what they're capable of. The kind of confidence, resilience and connection that doesn't always come from sitting in a classroom.

And there's a bigger adventure ahead! Term 4 will see our Year 9s take on their Real World Adventure to Tasmania, with these experiences laying the groundwork for the independence, teamwork and adaptability they'll need for it.

At Silkwood, we believe adventure becomes learning when students are willing to have a go, embrace challenge, and reflect on what they discover along the way.

This term, our Year 2 and Year 5 families swapped classrooms for a morning outdoors, with their sleeves rolled up, ready to give back to the land that holds our school community. The morning opened with Year 2 and Year 5 each sharing a song with the crowd, little voices setting the tone before the real digging began.

Each student then planted three trees, working hand-in-hand with our Site Team, who prepped the ground and guided little green thumbs through every step.

But the growing didn't stop there. Students got creative decorating their own pots before potting up a plant to take home and turned dirt and seeds into seed bombs ready to be scattered and grown.

At Silkwood, we believe that caring for the Earth starts with getting your hands in it. Real World Learning isn't just a phrase on a page. It's a Year 2 student learning why trees matter by planting one and a Year 5 buddy showing them how.

Thank you to every family who helped this morning become one of connection, contribution, and growth.

Our Silkwood students rolled up their sleeves for Connect 2 Home this National Homelessness Week.

This free annual event brings together community services and volunteers to support Gold Coast locals experiencing or at risk of homelessness and financial disadvantage, offering everything from hot meals and haircuts to health check-ups and genuine social connection.

Our students didn’t just lend a hand for the day, they were helping build bridges to the ongoing support services people need long after the event ends. Real World Learning in action, and a powerful reminder of what community looks like when we show up for each other.

At Silkwood, we nurture students who act with respect, towards themselves, others and the world around them.

We welcomed Matt Purcell from Social Kung Fu to work with our Year 8–12 students on the skills to navigate a world where the online and offline no longer feel separate.

Recent research from eSafety Australia shows more than half of Australian teens have experienced cyberbullying, a reminder of just how real this world is for our students, and why the skills to navigate it matter. Social Kung Fu is an evidence-based program developed in partnership with the University of Sydney, grounded in research on adolescent mental health.
Students walked away with practical tools. How to ask the right question, hold a boundary, and back themselves in a hard conversation, both on and offline.

At Silkwood, we believe confidence and self-identity are built, not assumed, and that our students deserve real, researched tools to navigate the world they're actually growing up in.

Our Year 3 to 7 students sat down with expert facilitator Abi, from ySafe for a hands-on workshop on Cyber Safety and tackling bullying online.

It’s a conversation that matters more than ever. eSafety research shows 96% of Australian children aged 10 to 15 are active on social media, making these skills an essential part of growing up in a connected world.

Students walked away with practical tools: how to spot the warning signs, respond safely, and speak up. Families and staff were part of the conversation too, joining a practical, eye-opening session designed to support their roles at home and in the classroom in addressing these challenges together.

At Silkwood, we believe keeping our students safe, both online and off, is a shared responsibility between school and home.