Literacy
At Holy Cross, we strive to foster confident, imaginative and informed children. Building the literacy capacity of all children is key to our teaching and learning.
Children learn to read, write, speak, listen and create on a daily basis. Through evidence based practice and with data at the forefront, literacy is differentiated to meet the needs of each child. At Holy Cross, we use quality teaching and learning strategies that promote a love of all skills in Literacy. Children in Foundation to Year 2 engage in a structured literacy approach following the sequence of instruction from Decodable Readers Australia, and follow the approach of the Write 2 Learn program during writing, focusing on sentence level and text level writing, daily. Children in Years 3-6 take part in highly structured novel studies, focusing on spelling, morphology, word work, reading, sentence level and text level writing, daily.
Literacy planning is facilitated weekly and our teams always begin a planning session with data; seeking what our children currently know, determining what strategies they are using and shaping what the next step in their learning looks like.
Maths
The dynamic Mathematics program at Holy Cross is meticulously designed and data-driven to support all children across the Victorian Curriculum’s mathematics domains: Number, Algebra, Measurement, Space, Statistics, and Probability. Each lesson begins with a Review Process, grounded in the Science of Learning, to consolidate prior knowledge and ensure readiness for new concepts. We use an Explicit Instruction model in our Mathematics teaching, ensuring clarity and structure in delivering new content.
To cater for diverse learning needs, we build in targeted focus group teaching in small groups with the teacher. We also extend mathematical thinking with an explicit focus on justification, explanations, and generating multiple strategies to solve problems alongside working through mathematics concepts of increasing difficulty. Our approach ensures every child receives tailored attention, fostering robust mathematical skills and problem-solving abilities essential for their future success.
Inquiry
Our Inquiry Program emphasises the cultivation of lifelong learning skills essential for our children. Rooted in fostering critical thinking and learning processes, our inquiry program encourages student agency, inviting them to take ownership of their learning journey. This approach provides a platform where children explore diverse strategies to demonstrate their comprehension and mastery of key content areas. Through this dynamic process, children not only gain knowledge but also develop invaluable skills that will serve them as lifelong learners.