Welcome to 2022

It’s that time again! I hope that you all had the opportunity to relax and spend some precious time with family and friends over the summer holiday break. Our students and staff have returned to school for what promises to be a positive and prosperous 2022.  At the start of any new year we are filled with anticipation of what this year will deliver and I hope that prosperity, love and success is abundant. 

All of our students have commenced the school year excited and curious about the challenging and enjoyable learning opportunities they will be engaged in this term. They have all transitioned smoothly into their learning and routines, in the classroom and across the playground.

There is nothing quite like watching our Kindergarten students start their first day of school. From the moment they are dropped off by their parents, beaming with pride, there is something special that fills the air. A feeling of hope and promise, knowing that these students are about to embark on a journey of education that will see them through academic, personal and spiritual growth and accomplishment over the years to come. There is no better place to begin this journey than at St Mary’s, where adventure and exploration thrive. 

We look forward to working in partnership with you and sharing the wonderful learning that happens everyday at St Mary’s.

In 2021, we began using a Kinder to Year Two whole-class Literacy Program named InitiaLit. This is a research initiative of Macquarie University which is based on 30 years of research undertaken by members of the MultiLit Research Unit. Since the inclusion of this program at St Mary’s, we have observed our K-2 students thrive with their reading, writing, spelling and communicating skills. InitiaLit is a three-year program, covering the first three years of school and our K-2 classes will continue with this program in 2022. We are committed to ensuring that from the moment your child begins school, they engage in exceptional learning in the subject of Literacy. 

Regular data collection and analysis occurs at St Mary’s, ensuring that teaching practice and student achievement is constantly being reflected upon as an entire school. This reflective practice gives staff multiple opportunities to assess and pinpoint student progress, and make teaching and learning adjustments accordingly.

Literacy Programs in 2022
In 2021 we implemented two other programs from MultiLit called MiniLit and MacqLit, as part of the NSW Government ‘COVID-19 Intensive Learning Support’ initiative. We are fortunate to be continuing again with these programs in 2022.

The MiniLit program is a practical, systematic, explicit and effective model for teaching reading skills for Year 1 & Year 2 students who need some additional support. Students are assessed to determine their ideal starting point in the program and are grouped accordingly. Students are explicitly taught the relationship between sounds and letters and how this knowledge is critical to reading. Students are also given the opportunity to practise their reading skills using a variety of activities and resources.

MacqLit is specifically targeted for students in Year 3 and above. The primary focus for the MacqLit program is the need for older readers to develop strong word recognition strategies. It provides students with a comprehensive sequence of lessons that includes all the key components necessary for effective reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. 

MiniLit and MacqLit lessons are delivered by our trained Classroom Support Assistants in a small group situation (up to five students). These programs run for 40-50 minutes and students in the program have four sessions per week. The families of children participating in either the MiniLit or MacqLit programs this year will receive a letter about their child's participation. If you have any questions about any of these programs, please contact me for more information.

God bless and take care,

Sue Heffernan
Assistant Principal