Literacy for Life at St Clair's

Students are catching the book worm at Holy Spirit St Clair’s, by being a part of its Early Bird Reading Program.

Designed to support all students by promoting the importance of reading and writing in our daily lives, this program offers more than basic literacy skills.

While improving their ability to read and write, the children spend lots of time with their peers in becoming more aware of others’ emotions, feelings and perspectives. It’s also offers a great opportunity to build positive relationships.

Reading is a major focus at Holy Spirit, as they believe success in life comes from the ability to read and understand complex concepts.

They take a whole-school approach to the teaching of reading, having strategies taught in English, as well as all key learning areas and other aspects of school life beyond the classroom.

In the classroom, children are encouraged to become active in the reading process by talking about what they are reading before, during and afterwards.

They are encouraged to understand the texts at a deep level, rather than just at the surface. This helps them develop life skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, analysis, and justification of their point of view.

Holy Spirit students and families know and understand the importance of reading at home too.

6 Tips for helping your child when reading at home

Every child reads something he or she chooses… let your child choose the story.
Every child reads accurately… be encouraging while helping them read the words correctly.
Every child reads something he or she understands… make sure the story is relevant to his or her experience.
Every child writes about something personally meaningful… encourage your child to write about his or her interests, or something they care about.
Every child talks with peers about reading and writing… try to have a conversation with your child about what they learnt from their homework.
Every child listens to a fluent adult read aloud… try to make time to read to your child or spend some time reading as a family.

(Based on six elements of literacy instruction – Richard L. Allington & Rachael E. Gabriel, 2012)

Written By

Holy Spirit Primary St Clair
www.hsstclair.catholic.edu.au

09 Jun 2026
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05 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Maths is adding up to fun in Year 5! This week, our mathematicians have been exploring percentages of collections using counters and hands-on learning experiences. Did you know? ⭐ 50% means half, so we can simply divide by 2. ⭐ 25% means a quarter, so we can divide by 4. ⭐ 10% means one tenth, so we can divide by 10. Using collections of counters, students have been discovering quick and efficient ways to find percentages and explain their mathematical thinking. They have been working collaboratively, sharing strategies, and making connections between fractions, decimals, and percentages. To extend their learning, students have also been applying percentage strategies to solve real-life problems, such as calculating discounts, working out portions of groups, and interpreting everyday situations involving percentages. These experiences help students see the relevance of mathematics beyond the classroom and develop their problem-solving skills. We love seeing our students build confidence as they tackle challenging tasks, think flexibly, and justify their reasoning. Well done, Year 5!

04 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Today, our Year 4 students and their families gathered with Father Saju to celebrate Parish Mass. Together, they reflected on Jesus’ greatest commandment: to love God with all their heart and to love their neighbour as themselves. Through prayer and reflection, students considered how they can live out this message through kindness, compassion, and respect in their everyday lives. We are proud of the reverence, participation, and faith demonstrated by our Year 4 students throughout the Mass. Thank you to the families who joined us for this special celebration.