Literacy is a vital component of all children's learning. Our aim is to develop students's competence in the uses of language and to encourage positive attitudes towards learning and language.
At Mary Immaculate we begin each day engaged in reading, writing, talking and listening. A two hour uninterrupted teaching block each morning allows for whole class, small group and individual structured lessons to take place.
Our outlook
As a school community, we have a shared outlook when it comes to literacy. This allows us to develop students in their uses of language, while encouraging and maintaining a positive attitude towards learning.
We Value
- an open and supportive climate
- children immersed in languages
- catering for individual needs and abilities
- meaningful activities which are purposeful and relevant to children's life experiences
- ongoing staff development and parent education
- parent support, both at home and at school
- the use of technology to support and enhance learning
The students are taught by a dedicated team of experienced and highly qualified teachers who have high expectations of student achievement. Classroom teaching programs are structured to focus on the learning needs of all students to gain maximum success.
Teachers draw on a wide variety of strategies to promote a rich learning environment for all children. A balanced literacy block can be observed in each and every classroom, and consists of:
- modelled writing
- guided writing
- independent writing
- reading to children
- guided reading
- reader’s circle/reciprocal reading
- shared reading
- independent reading
- talking and listening
- visual literacy
Technology is integrated into the literacy program, allowing students the opportunity to use a variety of tools to support their learning and their understanding of language.
English competitions
Voice of Youth
The Voice of Youth is a public speaking competition for Year 6 students. All students are given the opportunity to present a short oral presentation on an issue that is closest to their hearts. Following a school competition, a small group of students are sent to represent our school at the cluster final. In previous years Mary Immaculate students have been awarded places in the zone final and been presented with the 'Social Justice' trophy for creating awareness of social justice issues.
UNSW Competitions
These competitions are available to all students in Years 3-6 and cover English, Spelling and Writing.
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge
The Premier's Reading Challenge is a special initiative of the Premier of NSW, presented by the NSW Department of Education and Training to foster a love of literature and to encourage children to read widely for leisure and for pleasure.
It is offered to all children from Kindergarten to Year 9, and each of our K-6 year groups are invited to participate. Each year, we look forward to completing the challenge and enjoying the tales, journeys and interesting places that our reading will take us.
The challenge for Years 3-4 and Years 5-6 is to read 20 books in one year, a minimum of books should be chosen from the PRC booklist (available from the web site or the school). Up to five of the books can be their own choice.
Kinder to Year 2 need to "experience" 30 books in one year. Again, up to 5 books can be the children's own choices.
In K-2, a child experiences a book by having it read to them, jointly reading a book or reading independently. In Years 3-6, a child must read the book independently, but someone can help them choose what to read.
Parent Training Programs
At Mary immaculate we value the role of parent as educator. To assist parents, there are three courses offered in literacy education. These are:
- Developing Literacy Partnerships
- Classroom Helpers
- Parent as Reading Tutors
These courses are designed to help parents understand how literacy is taught and provide practical support, especially in the area of reading.
These courses are run by the literacy support team.
