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)
Holy Spirit Primary St Clair
www.hsstclair.catholic.edu.au
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26 Jun 2026
From Facebook
ππ Go Socceroos! ππ Today our school community came together to celebrate the Socceroos by wearing green and gold with pride! Students enjoyed watching the match together during lunchtime, cheering on Australia and showing fantastic school spirit. It was wonderful to see so much excitement, teamwork and support as we celebrated this special sporting event together. β½π¦πΊ
26 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Year 6 Parish Mass βοΈ Today, our Year 6 students reverently attended Parish Mass, celebrated by Father Dave. The Gospel reading from Matthew 8:1β4 reminded us of Jesus' compassion and mercy as He healed a man with leprosy. Through this powerful story, students reflected on the importance of showing kindness, acceptance and care for others, just as Jesus did. We are grateful to Father Dave for leading us in prayer and helping our students deepen their understanding of God's love and the call to treat every person with dignity and compassion. "Lord, help us to be kind, welcoming and compassionate to everyone we meet." ππ
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26 Jun 2026
From Facebook
ππ Go Socceroos! ππ Today our school community came together to celebrate the Socceroos by wearing green and gold with pride! Students enjoyed watching the match together during lunchtime, cheering on Australia and showing fantastic school spirit. It was wonderful to see so much excitement, teamwork and support as we celebrated this special sporting event together. β½π¦πΊ
26 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Year 6 Parish Mass βοΈ Today, our Year 6 students reverently attended Parish Mass, celebrated by Father Dave. The Gospel reading from Matthew 8:1β4 reminded us of Jesus' compassion and mercy as He healed a man with leprosy. Through this powerful story, students reflected on the importance of showing kindness, acceptance and care for others, just as Jesus did. We are grateful to Father Dave for leading us in prayer and helping our students deepen their understanding of God's love and the call to treat every person with dignity and compassion. "Lord, help us to be kind, welcoming and compassionate to everyone we meet." ππ
24 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 3 students have been exploring the mystery of the Holy Trinity β Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through rich class discussions and learning activities, students developed their understanding of how the three Persons of the Trinity are united as one God. To deepen their learning, students participated in a directed drawing activity, creatively recreating a visual representation of the Holy Trinity. This hands-on experience allowed them to reflect on and express their understanding of this important belief in our Catholic faith. We are proud of the thoughtful reflections, creativity and engagement our students demonstrated as they explored this central mystery of our faith.
23 Jun 2026
From Facebook
πβ¨ Tricky Words, Here We Come! β¨π Our Kindergarten superstars have been busy practising their tricky words through reading and writing! π These words don't always follow the usual phonics rules, so they take extra effort to learn. We are so proud of the persistence, confidence and enthusiasm our students are showing as they work towards becoming independent readers and writers. π
22 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 2 mathematicians have been exploring 3D objects by exploring rectangular prisms through hands-on learning, creating their own models of cubes to deepen their understanding. As they built, students described their cubes using mathematical language such as faces, edges, and vertices, and recognised that the flat surfaces of these objects are 2D shapes. Itβs been wonderful to see students confidently applying their learning and explaining their thinking β check out their fantastic cube creations!
21 Jun 2026
From Facebook
What a fantastic Pyjama Day at our school last Friday! π€π It was wonderful to see our students and staff embracing the day, with many arriving in their favourite pyjamas and some even twinning with friends and teachers! A huge thank you to our families for their generous support of the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. Thanks to your kindness, we have already raised almost $300 through the Qkr! app. If you haven't had a chance to donate yet, the Qkr! app will remain open until the end of next week. Every contribution helps support those in our community who are experiencing hardship during the colder months. Thank you for helping us put our faith into action and make a difference for others this winter. πβοΈ #FaithInAction #PyjamaDay #WinterAppeal #StVincentdePaul #TogetherWeGrow
19 Jun 2026
From Facebook
This week, our Year 5 students gathered as a faith community to celebrate Mass. Students learned about the courage and faithfulness of the prophet Elijah, whose trust in God inspired those around him. In the Gospel (Matthew 6:7 - 15), Jesus taught His disciples how to pray through the Lord's Prayer, reminding us to trust in our Heavenly Father and to show forgiveness to others. As we prayed together, students were encouraged to reflect on how they can follow Elijah's example of faith, deepen their relationship with God through prayer, and live out Jesus' call to forgive and love one another each day. May we continue to grow in faith, gratitude, and compassion as a community.
19 Jun 2026
From Facebook
β½ Stage 3 Soccer Gala Day Success! β½ On Wednesday, our Stage 3 Boys and Girls teams headed to Jamison Park for an action-packed day of soccer! All three teams played with immense heart, teamwork, and gritβincluding a few spectacular goals (one all the way from midfield!). While there were plenty of hard-earned victories and close battles, the real win was the incredible sportsmanship and pride our students showed. They were outstanding ambassadors for our school from start to finish. π A massive thank you to our amazing parent community for the sideline cheers, and a huge shoutout to our fantastic parent coachesβMrs Cassar, Mr Spears, and Mr Thomasβfor volunteering their time and expertise. Congratulations to all our Stage 3 soccer stars! π₯³π #Stage3 #SoccerGalaDay #Teamwork #SchoolPride #CommunitySpirit
19 Jun 2026
From Facebook
βοΈβ€οΈ Do Something! β€οΈβοΈ A huge thank you to our Year 4, 5 and 6 students for participating in our Winter Sleep out Experience and for generously donating winter accessories and blankets to support those in need this winter. Inspired by the theme "Do Something," students discovered that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. Through four engaging stations, students explored the challenges faced by those experiencing hardship and reflected on how they can show love, compassion and kindness to others. Thank you to Joan and Janice from St Vincent de Paul for sharing the important work they do and helping our students see how their support can make a real difference. Together, we are learning to live like Christ by caring for those most in need. ππ
18 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Filling Baskets, Warming Hearts! Our wonderful Year 1 students are learning all about kindness and community spirit this week! They are currently on a mission to collect 100 items for the St Vincent de Paul Food Drive. As part of their learning, our youngest students are discovering how their own small actions and generosity can make a massive difference to local families in need. We are so close to our goal! π₯«β€οΈ #CommunitySpirit #StVinniesFoodDrive #GenerosityInAction #Year1 #KindnessCoun
18 Jun 2026
From Facebook
β€οΈ A Heartfelt Thank You β€οΈ We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Wickramanayaka family, especially Elena and Aidan, for their incredibly generous donation of sleeping bags and inflatable mattresses to support our St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. As the colder months settle in, many members of our community are facing the harsh reality of homelessness and financial hardship. These donations will provide warmth, comfort, and dignity to those who need it most during winter. Elena, Aidan and their familyβs kindness and compassion are wonderful examples of how every act of generosity can make a significant difference in the lives of others. We are so proud to see young people actively supporting those in need and helping to build a more caring community. Thank you, Wickramanayaka family, for your generosity and for helping us make a positive impact this winter. Your support will bring comfort and hope to many people in our community. βοΈπ #WinterAppeal #StVincentDePaul #CommunityKindness #MakingADifference #GivingBack #ProudSchoolCommunity
18 Jun 2026
From Facebook
π Year 4 are bringing the energy! π Our amazing Year 4 students had an absolute blast participating in ZING! It was fantastic to see them putting their teamwork, focus, and coordination skills to the test through so many fun, high-energy challenges. Everyone showed incredible sportsmanship and gave it 100%. Check out some of the action shots below! πΈπ #Year4 #Teamwork #ActiveKids #SchoolPride