Learning & Wellbeing

LEARNING

Literacy @ MPHPS in 2026

This year, students in Foundation to Year 2 will participate in 25 minutes of explicit phonics and phonemic awareness instruction each day. Instruction will be guided by the Phonics Plus program, developed by the Department of Education.

The program integrates both reading and writing practice to build students’ decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) skills, with a strong focus on phonics, phonemic awareness, and fluency.

This approach develops:

• Phonic knowledge (sound–letter patterns)
• Word recognition
• Reading and spelling fluency
• Morphological knowledge (understanding of word parts and meanings).

Students in Years 3 to 6 continue to build on the strong phonics foundation developed in the early years. Instruction will focus on spelling, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, helping students become confident and independent readers and writers.

Through explicit teaching, students explore:

• Morphology - understanding how prefixes, suffixes, and root words change meaning
• Etymology – exploring word origins to strengthen spelling and vocabulary knowledge
• Advanced spelling patterns and word study based on the English spelling system
• Fluency and comprehension strategies to support deeper understanding of texts.

This continued focus ensures all students can have the opportunity to develop the skills needed to read, write, and communicate effectively across all areas of learning.

WELLBEING

At Mill Park Heights, we follow the School-wide Positive Behaviour (SWPBS) framework. This approach helps us to create a safe, positive and inclusive environment where our school community can learn and thrive.

Around the school, you may notice our behaviour matrix displayed in classrooms and shared spaces. The matrix outlines our school vision, values and clear expectations for positive behaviour, helping students understand how to make good choices throughout the day.

We also love celebrating our students when they demonstrate these values. Parents and carers can look out for positive notifications on Compass when your child has been ‘Caught Showing Our School Values’. These messages recognise and celebrate the positive behaviours we see every day at Mill Park Heights.