Growing Great Readers and Writers
In Junior School, we believe that every child is a reader in the making. Literacy is more than just reading and writing—it’s about building confidence, curiosity, and a love for learning. This term, our classrooms have been buzzing with exciting strategies to help students strengthen their literacy skills in fun and meaningful ways. This week we invited K-2 parents to a literacy seminar to hear more about what we are doing in the classroom and how they can help students at home. Next week we will be sharing with parents of Years 3-6.
Sounding It Out
One of the key strategies we use in the early years is phonics—helping students connect letters with their sounds. Through games, songs, and hands-on activities, children learn to “sound out” words, which builds strong decoding skills and boosts reading fluency.
Reading for Meaning
In all year levels, we focus on comprehension—understanding what we read. Teachers use strategies like predicting, questioning, and summarising to help students think deeply about texts. We encourage students to ask, “What do I think will happen next?” or “Why did the character do that?”
Writing with Purpose
From writing postcards to persuasive letters, our students are learning to write for real audiences. We explicitly teach handwriting skills and provide further guidance as students use these skills in other subject areas. Students are also provided with instruction and practice in typing. As they progress from Kindergarten to Year 2, they are introduced to paragraphs, applying spelling patterns and rules, and re-reading and editing their own work.
Reading at Home
Families play a big role in literacy development. Reading together at home, talking about books, and visiting the local library are wonderful ways to support your child’s learning. Even 10 minutes a day can make a big difference.
Let’s Talk!
Oral language is the foundation of literacy. We encourage lots of talking, storytelling, and sharing ideas in class. Whether it’s news or group discussions, speaking and listening are key parts of our literacy program.
Have questions or want to know more? Contact your child’s teacher, Mrs Watkins, Mrs Swan or Miss Lee, or come to the 3-6 Literacy workshop next Wednesday at 4:00 in the MPH for more literacy tips and resources.
Parent Recommendation: Amazing Me Seminar
We’re pleased to recommend the upcoming Amazing Me seminar for Stage 3 students “Bodies, Babies and Puberty’—an engaging and age-appropriate program designed to support children’s personal development and wellbeing. This session is a great opportunity for families to explore important topics together in a safe and supportive environment. Rowena Thomas is an engaging, experienced and trusted presenter, who has been running these seminars at the College for a number of years. The seminar will be held in Term 3 (11th August) – please save the date in your diaries now.
We’re over halfway through the term, and what a fantastic journey it’s been so far. Our students have been busy learning, exploring, and growing every day. A big thank you to our dedicated teachers and supportive families for helping make this term such a success. We’re looking forward to an even more amazing second half of the term.
God bless,
Mrs Jenny Squire
Deputy Principal – Head of Junior School
Sport
It’s been a busy and exciting term for sport at Oran Park Anglican with plenty of action-packed moments, the weather hasn’t always been on our side! Unfortunately, a number of our scheduled games and events were rained out—but that hasn’t dampened our spirits with plenty of events still going ahead.
K-2 Soccer Academy
Our K–2 students have been having a blast at Soccer Academy each Monday and Thursday! The sessions are packed with excitement as the children learn new skills, play fun games, and build their confidence on the field. It’s been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and teamwork grow each week.
CSSA State Cross Country
The 2025 CSSA State Cross Country Championships took place on Friday, May 30, at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre in Horsley Park. This annual event brought together primary and secondary students from Christian schools across New South Wales to compete in a series of challenging races. The venue, renowned for its Olympic-standard facilities and expansive cross-country course, provided an ideal setting for the competition.
The CSSA State Cross Country Championships serve as a pivotal event in the school sports calendar, offering students the opportunity to showcase their athleticism and sportsmanship. We had an awesome day with students representing our college proudly.
CSSA and CIS Nominations
From time to time, the College is able to nominate some of our exceptional athletes to trial for CSSA or CIS representative teams. These teams are selected for high level representative competitions, drawing from almost 100 schools across NSW. If you would like the College to nominate your child for one of these events, please follow the procedure below:
- Go to CSSA website to see the list and dates of these trials (cssa.net.au)
- Email me (swright@opac.nsw.edu.au), expressing your child’s interest, background and skills in the sport
- If they fit the requirements of the trials, I will nominate them to attend
- Attend the trials with your child
Upcoming Sport Events
Week 7
Wednesday 11th June
IPSSO
- Training 7:45am
- Home Game against St Gregs College
Boys Football and Mixed AFL at Doohan Reserve
Netball and Necomball/Volleyball at OPAC
- Juniors 11:35am
- Seniors 1:00pm
Week 8
Monday 16th June
CSSA Boys Football Gala Day
Location: The Ridge Playing fields.
CSSA Girls Netball Gala Day
Location: The Ridge Sporting Complex
*Students who are currently in the IPSSO Netball and IPSSO Boys Soccer team have been selected to participate in these gala days.
Wednesday 18th June
IPSSO
- Training 7:45am
- Home Game against Macarthur Anglican College
Boys Football and Mixed AFL at Doohan Reserve
Netball and Necomball/Volleyball at OPAC
- Juniors 11:35am
- Seniors 1:00pm
Week 9
Wednesday 25th June
IPSSO
- Training 7:45am
- Away Game against Broughton Anglican College – All games at Broughton.
- Juniors 11:55pm
- Seniors 1:00pm
