Numeracy
At Holy Family, we believe that Numeracy is an integral part of everyday life. Learning through an investigative approach, students are exposed to 3 stages of the session.
Firstly a Launch at the beginning of the session to engage and captivate. Then to an Explore where students participate in a variety of tasks to investigate and experiment and finally through the Reflection phase where summaries and discoveries are shared about their learning from the session. This discussion leads to independent learning for the future.
Number, Measurement and Geometry, Statistics and Probability are common aspects of people’s mathematical experience in everyday situations.
In line with this we aim to develop learners who:
- demonstrate sophisticated independent mathematical and numeracy skills to be successfully numerate
- grow an appreciation and curiosity of mathematics
- utilise a range of strategies to become confident mathematical problem solvers
- strengthen speed and accuracy in computational skills consistent with their age and stages of development (Number blast session)
- acquire the mathematical knowledge, ways of thinking and confidence to apply mathematics in real and abstract situations
Literacy
At Holy Family we believe that English is the core to all our learning. We provide a structured approach that purposely includes skills and knowledge in the areas of Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening.
Literacy sessions consist of a whole group, small group and individual teaching. This enables the teachers to differentiate the teaching focus and learning experiences to cater for individual student’s needs. Skills are taught explicitly using a variety of strategies and approaches. Explicit phonics teaching, aims to develop phonological awareness and reading fluency – both essential for comprehension to occur. We provide a variety of intervention programs for those students who are experiencing difficulties in literacy.
As our students progress through the school they are introduced to higher order comprehension skills such as learning to make inferences and evaluations. They work to increase their reading stamina and have opportunities to select appropriate personalised texts. Students continue to build upon their knowledge of the various writing genres such as persuasive, factual and narrative pieces.
Students explore the language of different text types, including visual texts, advertising, digital/online and media texts.
In line with this we aim to develop learners who:
- read and view with understanding (multimodal texts)
- develop a passion for reading
- speak with fluency, expression and confidence
- be active listeners
- develop and expand their vocabulary
- communicate their ideas through writing for different social purposes.
Student Wellbeing
Holy Family School provides a welcoming, safe and positive learning environment with strong emphasis on the wellbeing of all members of our school community. We believe that students learn best in environments where their social, emotional and physical wellbeing is nurtured.
Holy Family promotes student’s social and emotional wellbeing through the School-Wide Positive Behaviours framework which encourages our students to make responsible choices about personal and social behaviour in a supportive school climate.
Through Social and Emotional Learning our students recognise the importance of their own emotions and their impact on others. The use of the Zones of Regulation guides students in identifying and managing their emotions.
Holy Family is a partner school in helping educate students on the importance of Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships in order to promote positive, healthy relationships in all aspects of their lives.
Supporting the Wellbeing of our school community includes:
- A Student Wellbeing Leader
- Care and Child Safety Team
- Compliance Officer – ensure all Victorian safety standards are met
- Diversity Team – work with teachers to identify and support students with learning needs
- Psychologist
- Play Therapist
- Speech Pathology
- Occupational Therapy
Specialists
Holy Family provides Specialist programs in Visual/Performing Arts, Physical Education, and languages including Croatian and Italian at all levels.
3-6 iPad Program
Holy Family students from Grade 3-6 are part of the 1:1 iPad program. iPad technology is integrated as an educational tool across our learning environments at Holy Family. We believe that students are to be equipped to seize opportunities to broaden their knowledge, skills, attitudes and understandings to live in a changing, complex and interdependent digital world. Holy Family encourages the learning to be enriched by strong connections, effective communicating online and offline, collaborating locally and globally; being well equipped to be safe and responsible cyber citizens.
Education in Faith
Holy Family school is a part of St Michael’s Parish with a partnership of continual support to those in need in the Philippines as an ongoing Social Justice action.
We aim to develop renewed hope for the future through engagement in the contemporary world, supported by a faith filled community which is guided by the Gospel and our Catholic faith.
At Holy Family school we engage in Christian Meditation with the repetition of the silent mantra ‘Maranatha’ meaning ‘Come Lord Jesus’. Meditation provides many benefits to children’s wellbeing and faith through the experience of stillness and silence.
The learning structure for Religious Education consists of:
- Knowledge and Understanding
- Reasoning and Responding
- Personal Communal Engagement
The content of what is taught is organised in the following areas:
- Jesus and Scripture
- Church and Community
- God, Religion and Life
- Prayer, Liturgy and Sacrament
- Morality and Justice
Sacraments
Students deepen their understanding of the sacraments throughout their primary years. Students prepare for and celebrate the formal reception of particular sacraments in the following year levels:
- Year 3 – The Sacrament of Reconciliation
- Year 4 – The Sacrament of First Eucharist
- Year 6 -The Sacrament of Confirmation
Our Religious Education program seeks to integrate parish, family and school life in a context of faith and is designed to strengthen religious attitudes and Gospel values in the lives of students. We recognise individual learning styles and acknowledge the different gifts each student brings to the life of our school community. We recognise and value the rich and diverse cultures in the Holy Family Community.
