Learning & Teaching

Magnify Sandhurst

As we step into the second year of Magnify Sandhurst, there is a real sense of excitement and momentum across our school. We are building on the strong foundations established last year, our teachers are continuing to implement the evidence-based programs introduced in 2025, ensuring consistency and high-quality instruction for every child, in every classroom, every day. This year also brings exciting opportunities for us to continue to grow our knowledge and expertise as a staff at St Patrick’s. Through ongoing professional learning, collaboration and reflective practice, we are committed to strengthening teaching and learning to achieve the best possible outcomes for all of our students.

Our dioceses have scheduled a whole school closure day on April 20, which will focus on Learning and Teaching. This professional learning day planned for our staff is shaping up to be an inspiring and transformative event! We will welcome back Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, who we worked with last year and also hear from Dr Nathaniel Swain and the ‘Teach Well’ team.  

It is fantastic to walk through our classrooms and see the consistent and high-quality implementation of our MultiLit and Ochre programs in action. Across the school, we have students actively engaged in InitiaLit, InitialWrite, MiniLit, MacqLit, SpellEx, Ochre Reading, Ochre Maths and Ochre Science, where they are building strong foundations in literacy and numeracy through explicit, evidence-based instruction.

Each day, students are:

• Practising phonemic awareness and decoding skills
• Rehearsing and writing sentences using explicit spelling and grammar instruction
• Building fluency through guided and supported reading
• Expanding vocabulary and comprehension skills
• Developing automatic recall of number facts
• Solving multi-step problems 
• Building on their reasoning skills
• and so much more!

Home Reading

As we continue to foster strong reading habits at home, we’d like to remind parents of the importance of daily reading practice. Encouraging your child to read each night not only strengthens their fluency and comprehension skills but also builds confidence and a love of learning. Please ensure you are recording your child’s reading in their reader diary, as this helps us track their progress and celebrate their achievements. Don’t forget that reaching key milestones will earn students reading certificates at our whole-school assemblies!  

To further enhance and support reading at home, we have provided helpful handouts with practical tips, strategies, and insights. These resources are designed to guide parents in fostering a positive reading environment, supporting student decoding and encouraging meaningful reading discussions with your children. By utilising these handouts, you can play an active role in developing your child’s literacy skills and instilling a lifelong love of reading.

Additionally, our morning reading sessions continue to be a valuable opportunity for students to practice reading with an adult at school. Held every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 to 9:00 am, these sessions provide extra support and encouragement for young readers. We warmly invite parents to join us during these times to listen to students read and help foster a culture of lifelong learning. Thank you for your ongoing support in making both home and school reading a daily priority.