Literacy

St Roch's Reading Challenge Update

Our annual St Roch’s Reading Challenge is now in its fifth week and we are absolutely astounded and impressed by the number of books our students have already read and registered!

Last year, our St Roch’s community read an incredible 2 851 books. After just four weeks of this year’s challenge, we have already reached 1101 books!

Can we beat last year’s record? We certainly think we can!

A huge congratulations to Year 2 and Year 5, who are currently leading the way in their respective competitions for the class that reads the most books.

We encourage all students and all classes to keep reading, sharing their favourite books and, most importantly, registering every book they read. Every book counts towards our whole-school total!

Let's keep those pages turning and see if we can smash our 2 851-book record!

Parents can support the challenge by encouraging regular reading at home and helping students record the books they have read using the following link.

Round 1: Prime Minister's Spelling Bee

We are very impressed and proud to have had 30 students from Years 3–6 participate in this year’s Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee! It is fantastic to see so many students willing to step outside their comfort zones, challenge themselves and put their spelling skills to the test.

We would like to congratulate every student who chose to participate. Taking part in a competition like this is a wonderful opportunity for students to build confidence, develop their spelling skills and experience the excitement of challenging themselves.

Most of our students have now completed the first round, with a make-up session being held this week for students who were unable to participate last week.

We will then eagerly await the results after 21st August to find out which students will progress to the next round.

A huge well done to all 30 participants! We are incredibly proud of your effort, enthusiasm and willingness to have a go.

Children's Book Council of Australia – Book Week

Throughout the term, classes have been reading and enjoying books shortlisted for the 2026 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards.

This year's Book Week theme, "Symphony of Stories," celebrates the way stories come together to inspire, entertain and connect us. Students have been exploring a wonderful range of Australian literature through read-alouds, classroom discussions and literacy activities inspired by the shortlisted books.

These beautiful stories encourage imagination, creativity, empathy and a lifelong appreciation of reading.

CBCA Shortlist Spotlight: Bob and Dob

One of the books on this year’s CBCA Picture Book of the Year shortlist is Bob and Dob, written and illustrated by Sean E. Avery.

This quirky and hilarious story follows two brothers, Bob and Dob. Dob has a habit of telling Mum about all the things Bob gets up to, earning himself the title of the family “dobber”. But when Bob really does find himself in danger, Dob discovers that perhaps being a dobber isn't always such a bad thing!

With humour, clever illustrations and plenty of opportunities for discussion, Bob and Dob is a wonderful book for exploring sibling relationships, telling the truth, making choices and knowing when it is important to speak up. It is the kind of story that will have children laughing while also prompting some great conversations about whether they are more like Bob, Dob - or perhaps a little bit of both!

A fun, funny read that is sure to spark plenty of discussion!

The book is shortlisted in the 2026 CBCA Picture Book of the Year category.

Our Book Week Parade is Approaching!

It’s time to start planning and preparing your outfits because our annual Book Week Parade is just around the corner!

One of the highlights of the school year, our Book Week Parade will be held on Tuesday 1 September. Students are invited to come dressed as their favourite book character and join us as we celebrate our love of books, reading and storytelling.

Now is the perfect time to start thinking about costume ideas and getting creative. Costumes can be simple or imaginative. We love seeing students use their creativity to bring their favourite characters and stories to life. We can't wait to see our school transformed into a wonderful world of book characters, stories and imagination.

Parents are warmly invited to join us in the hall from 8:45 for our Book Week Parade.

So, start planning, get creative and let stories inspire your imagination!

Indigenous Literacy Foundation – Great Book Swap

On Tuesday 1 September, St Roch's will proudly participate in the Indigenous Literacy Foundation's Great Book Swap.

The Great Book Swap is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to celebrate reading while making a real difference. Students are invited to bring along a pre-loved book to swap with another student in exchange for a gold coin donation.

To help us prepare, students are asked to bring in their gold coin and pre-loved books prior to the day so we can organise and display them, ready for a seamless swap.

Parents and carers are also warmly invited to participate! You can bring in a book and join the swap following the parade or after school.

All funds raised support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, helping provide culturally relevant books and literacy resources to children living in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia. By participating, our school community not only discovers 'new' books to enjoy, but also helps ensure that every child has access to quality literature and the opportunity to enjoy the magic of reading.

There is so much happening this term!. We thank our families for supporting these exciting literacy initiatives and for encouraging children to read every day. Together, we can continue to foster confident readers, curious learners and a lifelong love of books. Happy reading!

Rachel Gray

Literacy Instructional Coach and Leader

Mathematics Instructional Coach and Leader