Assistant Principal's 

News

I hope that all students and their families enjoyed their extra day off on Monday. I am sure it was lovely not to have to set an alarm clock and put your uniforms on!

The teachers from St Francis Xavier spent the day in collaboration with peers from other schools in our network at two locations - Our Lady of the Assumption at North Strathfield and St Vincent’s College at Ashfield. 

There, we unpacked the new 3-6 English syllabus and looked at ways in which the new curriculum supports our students in the areas of English and literacy.

An area which particularly interested me was that of the explicit teaching of vocabulary. It is expected that over the course of a year, students in Stage Two and Three should learn 10,000 new words. As educators, it would be impossible to achieve this learning during the nine to three school day. That’s where parents and the link between home and school comes in. 

We encourage all students from Kindergarten to Year Six to engage in reading everyday. Reading out loud provides an opportunity for parents to become involved and potentially explain some tricky words and how to use them in everyday speech - thus expanding your child’s vocabulary. 

Incorporating reading into a child’s daily routine not only offers immediate benefits but also sets the child on the path toward a more enriched and fulfilling life. Whether through books, magazines or online resources, exposing children to a variety of reading materials can foster a lifelong love of learning and exploration. 

With Book Week around the corner, now is the perfect time to visit the local library and borrow some of the shortlisted books for 2023. 

Kind regards,

Fiona Scullion 

Acting Assistant Principal