PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Dear Parents,

We are in the Olympic season which means rich conversations in classrooms about
the athletes, the variety of sports and the cultural traditions of the games. We are hopeful that the weather improves so we can enjoy some of our own Olympic themed competition over the next fortnight. Let us hope that the Rugby 7’s give us much to cheer for with Sharni Williams representing our town and country.

Literacy

Our bold goal in the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese is that every child will become a competent reader.

Every day at St Mary’s, we use a range of MultiLit resources to support our students in Literacy. K/1/2 are using Initialit and we are using Maclit and Reading Tutor for Intensive Learning Support for some students in Year 3-6. Some resources are for a whole class groups and some resources are for small groups or individuals.

The emphasis is on developing student skills in decoding text and comprehending language vocabulary. Staff have undergone professional development training and we are so pleased with initial results. All this is backed up by new decodeable readers and a well resourced school library.

Library Borrowing

Please remember that Library lessons are every Friday with Ms Murray and students may borrow and return chosen books on this day. We are also opening the library at lunch times during Term 3 for children who wish to read and exchange books more often. This is a great option especially in the colder months of the year.

Book Week Celebration

And last, but not least, it’s time to get planning for our Book Week parade for 2021. The theme is 'Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds' and every child (and staff member) is invited to come dressed as their favourite book character. It’s always a highlight of Term 3 and loads of fun. Our Book Week parade is scheduled for Friday 20 August. That’s just 4 weeks away!

Have a lovely week everyone!

Jannine