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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19 Aug 2026
From Facebook
❄ Vinnies Winter Sleepout – Faith in Action ❄ Our students took part in a meaningful evening of prayer, meditation, learning and service as part of our Vinnies Winter Sleepout. Using David’s story and reflected on how quickly and unexpectedly people in our community can be one crisis away from homelessness. Students shared a simple meal of soup, a bread roll, fruit and water, before gathering in our Holy Family Prayer Garden for a Liturgy of the Word, where they led us beautifully in prayer and song. We finished the evening with a team-building challenge, constructing our own shelters. While this was a fun experience for us, it carried an important message, for many people, finding a safe place to sleep is not a game or a choice. It helped our students finish the night with a deeper sense of gratitude, compassion and responsibility to care for others. Through our Faith in Action initiatives, our Holy Family community has raised $1,277 so far to support the vision and mission of the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW and the important work they do supporting people experiencing hardship and homelessness. Thank you to our students, families and staff for continuing to put our faith into action.💙 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Vinnies Australia
15 Aug 2026
From Facebook
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mary is being taken body and soul into heaven. The Assumption reminds us that Mary’s life was a perfect “yes” to God, and because of that, she was drawn fully into His glory body and soul. It is a feast of hope. Her Assumption is not only a moment of triumph; it is a promise. A promise that holiness is not wasted, that love is not forgotten, and that every faithful “yes” is gathered into eternity.
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19 Aug 2026
From Facebook
❄ Vinnies Winter Sleepout – Faith in Action ❄ Our students took part in a meaningful evening of prayer, meditation, learning and service as part of our Vinnies Winter Sleepout. Using David’s story and reflected on how quickly and unexpectedly people in our community can be one crisis away from homelessness. Students shared a simple meal of soup, a bread roll, fruit and water, before gathering in our Holy Family Prayer Garden for a Liturgy of the Word, where they led us beautifully in prayer and song. We finished the evening with a team-building challenge, constructing our own shelters. While this was a fun experience for us, it carried an important message, for many people, finding a safe place to sleep is not a game or a choice. It helped our students finish the night with a deeper sense of gratitude, compassion and responsibility to care for others. Through our Faith in Action initiatives, our Holy Family community has raised $1,277 so far to support the vision and mission of the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW and the important work they do supporting people experiencing hardship and homelessness. Thank you to our students, families and staff for continuing to put our faith into action.💙 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Vinnies Australia
15 Aug 2026
From Facebook
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mary is being taken body and soul into heaven. The Assumption reminds us that Mary’s life was a perfect “yes” to God, and because of that, she was drawn fully into His glory body and soul. It is a feast of hope. Her Assumption is not only a moment of triumph; it is a promise. A promise that holiness is not wasted, that love is not forgotten, and that every faithful “yes” is gathered into eternity.
12 Aug 2026
From Facebook
🧁 BAKE SALE SUCCESS! 🧁 What a sweet success! 💙 A huge thank you to our generous teachers for donating delicious treats and to our wonderful students for showing up and supporting our Vinnies Bake Sale. Together, we raised an incredible $454 for our Winter Sleepout! 🙏✨ Every cupcake, cookie and donation is helping us shine a light on homelessness and put our faith into action. 🕯️💙 #Vinnies #WinterSleepout #FaithInAction #ShiningALightOnHomelessness Vinnies Australia
11 Aug 2026
From Facebook
🎉 Year 5 Reward Day! 🧢⚽️ Our first reward for following our school expectations! 🙌 Year 5 enjoyed a fun-filled session at the local park, kicking off their reward with football skills, teamwork and plenty of energy! 🌳⚽️🏃♀️ A well-deserved morning of mufti, movement and fun! 👏💙
10 Aug 2026
From Facebook
🍰✨ Bake Sale for a BIG cause! 💙 Grab a delicious treat and help us shine a light on homelessness as we support Vinnies and our upcoming Winter Sleepout! 🏠💙 🍪 Treat yourself, make a difference, and spread a little kindness! ✨ Every treat helps us put our faith into action. 💙
10 Aug 2026
From Facebook
🤝 Parents, this one is worth your time! Friendships can be one of the trickiest parts of growing up, and it’s not always easy to know when to step in or what to say. This FREE session with Michelle Mitchell will give parents practical strategies to help children navigate friendship issues, conflict, boundaries and bullying. 📅 Monday 31 August | 7:00–8:30pm 📍 Nagle College, Blacktown Highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity! 👏
10 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Year 3 are the first grade to achieve their first reward for Term 3! 🎉👏🏻 Today, they dressed up in mufti and had a board games afternoon! 🧤🧣🧢 Congratulations Year 3! Keep up the fantastic work you are doing ✨⭐️
08 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Inspired by Mary MacKillop’s words, “Never see a need without doing something about it,” we are called to continue her mission by caring for one another, welcoming all, serving those in need and bringing the love of Christ to life through our words and actions. Today we celebrate Holy Family’s Josephite heritage with gratitude and pray that, like Mary MacKillop, we may be people of faith, hope and generous service. Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us. 💙🙏
05 Aug 2026
From Facebook
💛🌞 100 Days Brighter! 🌞💛 Our Kindergarten students celebrated 100 Days Brighter with a fun-filled day of activities, marking 100 wonderful days of learning, growing and making memories together. Over the past 100 days, our Kindergarten students have built friendships, discovered new skills, grown in confidence and embraced every learning opportunity with curiosity and enthusiasm. We are so proud of everything they have achieved and can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store. Here’s to 100 bright days and many more wonderful moments ahead! ✨📚 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
04 Aug 2026
From Facebook
⚽️ What a fantastic day at the Soccer Gala Day! 💙💛 We are so proud of every student who represented our school with outstanding sportsmanship, teamwork and determination. Whether celebrating a goal, encouraging a teammate or showing respect to their opponents, our students demonstrated what it truly means to be part of the Holy Family community. Thank you to our students, staff and families for making it such a memorable day. We couldn’t be prouder of the way you represented our school both on and off the field! 👏⚽️ #Teamwork #Sportsmanship
31 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Grandparents are a treasured part of our Holy Family community. 💛 Thank you to all the grandparents and special loved ones who joined us for our Grandparents Day celebration. From our liturgy and open classrooms to sharing recess together, it was a joy to celebrate with you. Thank you for the love, wisdom and support you bring to our students each day. Happy Grandparents Day! 🌼💙
31 Jul 2026
From Facebook
⭐️Holy Family celebrated Grandparents Day this morning! Here are a few special moments capturing the smiles and excitement of our students as they shared this wonderful day with their grandparents. Keep an eye out for more photos from our beautiful Liturgy, open classrooms and shared morning tea later today. Happy Grandparents' Day⭐️ Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese #GrandparentsDay #celebration
29 Jul 2026
From Facebook
🎶 2026 Arts Factor Band Day 🎶 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.
