Ben Munday with students reading at Holy Family Primary
Do you remember learning to drive? Even if you’ve never learned, you can probably imagine the process.
At first, there is SO much to remember and it can seem overwhelming. When you try to focus on getting the clutch right, you forget about putting on your indicator. Just when you feel you’ve got the hang of second gear, your teacher says “Now shift into third”.
If you had professional lessons, your instructor’s car had a second set of pedals on their side of the car. This way, they could share some of the control just in case you were about to drive them into a wall.
So what does all this have to do with reading?
Good readers are like good drivers. We use many, many different skills and processes all at the same time without even noticing. And just like you learn to change gears and steer so you can use the car to get somewhere, when we read we use all the different skills for a higher purpose – to make meaning from written words. In other words, to understand, or comprehend what we read. ‘Getting all the words right’ is less important than understanding what we read.
Just like driving teachers, school teachers use a ‘gradual release of responsibility’ model when teaching reading.
- In Modelled Reading, the teacher is in control.
- In Shared Reading, the teacher leads and the children join in.
- In Guided Reading, the children lead and the teacher joins in if necessary.
- In Independent Reading, the child leads and is in control.
- Read to your children every day in any language – even five minutes is a good start
- Talk about what you have read
- Talk about movies and games and compare them to stories you know
- Listen to your children read their home readers to you
- Have books available for your children to read for pleasure
- Take your children to the library to borrow books, magazines, books on CDs, anything!
- Teach your children to read a menu, a shopping list, a catalogue, a bus timetable, anything!
Mr Benjamin Munday
Assistant Principal
Holy Family East Granville
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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02 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 3 students proudly showcased their incredible endangered animal dioramas to our Year 2 and Kindergarten classes! ๐จ๐ข Through careful research, students investigated the habitats, threats, and challenges facing their chosen animals, including habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and human activities. They also explored real-world conservation efforts and suggested meaningful actions that we can all take to help protect these precious species. With confidence and enthusiasm, our young environmental advocates shared their learning, inspired others to care for wildlife, and demonstrated that even small actions can make a big difference for endangered animals. We are so proud of their creativity, knowledge, and commitment to creating a brighter future for our planet! ๐๐
29 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ถ 2026 Arts Factor Band Day ๐ถ What an incredible day of music, learning and collaboration! Today, a group of our talented Year 6 students, along with Jiji from Year 5, proudly represented Holy Family at the 2026 Arts Factor Band Day. Joining students from primary schools across the Diocese, they took part in an inspiring workshop where they learned and performed a brand-new piece of music together as one combined band. The day also provided each school with the opportunity to showcase their talents by performing two prepared pieces, celebrating the dedication, teamwork and musical growth of every student involved. We are so proud of our musicians for stepping outside their comfort zones, embracing new challenges and representing our school with confidence, enthusiasm and pride. A huge thank you to the Captivate Team Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese for providing such a memorable experience.
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02 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 3 students proudly showcased their incredible endangered animal dioramas to our Year 2 and Kindergarten classes! ๐จ๐ข Through careful research, students investigated the habitats, threats, and challenges facing their chosen animals, including habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and human activities. They also explored real-world conservation efforts and suggested meaningful actions that we can all take to help protect these precious species. With confidence and enthusiasm, our young environmental advocates shared their learning, inspired others to care for wildlife, and demonstrated that even small actions can make a big difference for endangered animals. We are so proud of their creativity, knowledge, and commitment to creating a brighter future for our planet! ๐๐
29 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ถ 2026 Arts Factor Band Day ๐ถ What an incredible day of music, learning and collaboration! Today, a group of our talented Year 6 students, along with Jiji from Year 5, proudly represented Holy Family at the 2026 Arts Factor Band Day. Joining students from primary schools across the Diocese, they took part in an inspiring workshop where they learned and performed a brand-new piece of music together as one combined band. The day also provided each school with the opportunity to showcase their talents by performing two prepared pieces, celebrating the dedication, teamwork and musical growth of every student involved. We are so proud of our musicians for stepping outside their comfort zones, embracing new challenges and representing our school with confidence, enthusiasm and pride. A huge thank you to the Captivate Team Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese for providing such a memorable experience.
27 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ง๏ธ Rain couldnโt dampen the excitement! โฝ๏ธ๐ฆ๐บ As part of their whole school reward, our students cheered on the Socceroos, filling the afternoon with excitement, smiles and plenty of Aussie spirit. It was a fantastic way to celebrate the positive choices theyโve made by living safely, loving respectfully and learning daily. ๐๐๐
26 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐โจ Celebrating our End of Term Award recipients! โจ๐ Today we recognised students who have truly shone by choosing to Live Safely ๐, Love Respectfully โค๏ธ, and Learn Daily ๐. Their positive attitudes, kind hearts, and commitment to doing their best make our school community a wonderful place to be. We also had three Year students who were recipients of our Student of the Week awards! Congratulations to all of our award winners! ๐ Keep being role models, making great choices, and inspiring those around you. We canโt wait to see what youโll achieve next term! ๐๐ #LiveSafely #LoveRespectfully #LearnDaily
25 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ Reward Day Fun! ๐ Our students have been working hard to follow our school expectations, and their rewards were well deserved! ๐ ๐งฆ Year 1 rocked their craziest socks and enjoyed a movie afternoon ๐ฟ ๐ Year 4 showed off their favourite jerseys and earned some extra play time โฝ ๐งข Year 3 topped had the chance to wear any hat of their choice! A fantastic way to celebrate positive choices, respect, responsibility and safe learning every day! ๐โจ
24 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ Reward Day Fun! ๐ Today, our students enjoyed some well-earned rewards for consistently demonstrating our school expectations! ๐ ๐ Year 1 brightened the school by dressing in their favourite colours ๐ ๐ฐ Year 2 brought the magic to life, dressing as their favourite Disney characters โจ๐ ๐งธ Year 5 enjoyed a mufti day and brought along their favourite toys to share with friends ๐ฎ๐๐งฉ We are so proud of the way these students have shown respect, responsibility, and positive behaviour throughout the term. Rewards like these are earned through hard work and consistently making great choices every day! ๐โญ What a fantastic day of fun, colour, creativity, and celebration! ๐
23 Jun 2026
From Facebook
A huge thank you to our wonderful Community Links Cafรฉ Club members for joining us this week! It was fantastic to come together, share a coffee, and hear about the learning taking place across our school. Families had the opportunity to participate in a Learning Walk, visiting classrooms and seeing firsthand the engaging learning experiences our students are involved in every day. The positive outcomes for student learning that have emerged from these initiatives were a highlight of our discussions, and it was wonderful to celebrate the growth, achievement, and enthusiasm of our learners. We are incredibly grateful to the parents who generously gave their time to support and engage with our school community. Your interest, feedback, and partnership play an important role in helping us create the best possible learning environment for our students. Thank you for being such valued members of our Holy Family community. We look forward to welcoming you again soon! โโจ
23 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐โป๏ธ Our Year 6 students stepped up as Climate Champions, investigating important environmental issues and creating informative posters about climate change! ๐ฑ๐ They explored the causes and effects of climate change and designed engaging, eye-catching posters to educate others about simple ways we can all help care for our planet. ๐๐ Through this project, students strengthened their research, critical thinking, and communication skills while encouraging our school community to take positive action for a brighter, more sustainable future. ๐ฟโจ๐ #ClimateChampions #FutureLeaders #MakingADifference
22 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Four of our Year 6 students took part in a Vinnies Encounter Day, learning about homelessness and reflecting on how we can see Christ in the poor. Through this experience, they were challenged to respond with compassion, kindness and respect, following Jesus' example of love in action.
19 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ง Splashing into learning! Year 1 explored volume and capacity through hands-on investigations with water. Students estimated and measured how many cups of water different containers could hold, recording their findings and sharing their discoveries. It was a fun and engaging way to develop mathematical thinking and measurement skills.
17 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Who knew pyjamas could be so powerful? ๐โ๏ธ Today our students came to school dressed in their comfiest pyjamas, oodies and dressing gowns to support the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. Together, we raised an amazing $452 and helped raise awareness for those doing it tough this winter. By following Jesus' example of compassion, kindness and love in action, we are helping bring hope and support to those who need it most. Thank you to our students, families and staff for your generosity. ๐ #faithinactioncspd
16 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Year 3 had an unforgettable Science excursion to Symbio Wildlife Park! ๐๐ ๐ As part of our learning about caring for the environment and habitats of living things, students explored how animals survive, what they need to live, and ways we can help protect endangered species. From feeding wallabies and meeting meerkats to feeling pythons up close, it was a hands-on learning experience filled with excitement, curiosity and discovery! ๐ก๐ง ๐ง
12 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ Students of the Week ๐ What a fantastic group of achievers! ๐โจ This week we celebrated our talented poets ๐, brilliant mathematicians ๐ข and enthusiastic readers ๐. These students have demonstrated hard work, determination and a commitment to learning, making us incredibly proud. Congratulations on your achievements and for being shining examples in our school community! โญ๏ธ๐ Keep up the amazing work! ๐
10 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐จ Missing: Year 4! ๐จ Today, Year 4 seemed to disappear and in their place were teachers, sports stars, singers, workmen, scientists, make-up artists and surgeons! ๐ฉโ๐ซโฝ๐ค๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฉบ As a reward for consistently following our school expectations, Year 4 dressed up as who or what they wanted to be when they are older. ๐ It was wonderful to see our students dreaming big and proudly sharing what they hope to become in the future. The future is looking bright! Congratulations Year 4! Keep up the great work!
10 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Mark your calendars as Holy Family comes together to support the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal, helping those in our community who are doing it tough this winter. ๐ Wednesday 17th June ๐ฐ Gold coin donation โ๏ธWear your cosiest PJs with your enclosed sport shoes (no UGG boots, slippers or open toe shoes) Students are invited to bring a gold coin donation as we join together in living out our faith through action and compassion, supporting the important work of St Vincent de Paul in providing care and assistance to people in need.