From the Assistant Principal's Desk (Heights Campus)

Highlights from Heights  

Building a Love of Reading at Springvale Rise

At Springvale Rise, we know that reading is one of the most important skills our students can develop—and just as important is fostering a lifelong love of books. Across the school, students are engaging in rich, meaningful reading experiences that not only build literacy but also spark imagination, curiosity, and connection.

Each week we welcome our Library Buddies from Springvale Library  who work with our junior school students. Students select picture books to share and enjoy with the visiting volunteers, who listened to students read and model fluent reading by sharing stories aloud. These sessions provide a wonderful opportunity to build reading confidence and promote a joy of storytelling in a relaxed, supportive environment.

On Wednesday 21st May, students in the Foundation, Junior, and Middle Learning Centres took part in National Simultaneous Storytime, an annual celebration of Australian stories. At exactly midday, classes stopped to enjoy this year’s featured picture book, The Truck Cat, joining thousands of students across the country in reading together.

As part of Reconciliation Week, students in the Foundation and Junior Learning Centres participated in a special digital event with Gunai Woman Kirli Saunders (OAM). Kirli read her stunning picture books, The Land Recalls You and Our Dreaming, and shared insights about her work as an author, poet, artist, and musician. This powerful session helped students engage with this year’s Reconciliation Week theme, ‘Bridging Now to Next’, and deepened their understanding of the ongoing connections between the past, present, and future.

Reading at home plays a vital role in supporting students' learning and building a lifelong love of books. Sharing stories together not only strengthens language skills but also creates positive, memorable experiences. Families can encourage their child to read aloud to a sibling, a pet, or even a favourite soft toy—these fun, low-pressure opportunities help build confidence and fluency. Reading in your home language is also a powerful way to develop vocabulary, strengthen family connections, and support overall literacy development. Whether it’s enjoying a bedtime story, talking about a favourite book character, or visiting the local library, every little bit counts in nurturing a strong reading culture at home.

Across all of these experiences, it’s clear that reading is so much more than a subject—it’s a pathway to learning, empathy, creativity, and connection.

Mrs Sarah Orme

Assistant Principal

(Heights Campus)