Learning

"We believe in purposeful learning that is challenging and enables each individual to become connected and positive lifelong learners.

We value creativity, diversity, flexibility and an awareness of self, others and the world we live in."

LITERACY

At St. John Bosco, we share a love of reading and writing. We value all readers and encourage reading to happen as often as possible outside of school. Through sharing picture books, talking about reading and sounding out unknown words as we see them in the community. At school reading is taught through the MultiLit Program- IntiaLit. This is an evidence-based whole-class literacy program providing all children with the essential core knowledge and strong foundations to become successful readers and writers. InitiaLit is a three-year program, covering the first three years of school (Foundation to Year 2).

Implemented across four terms, InitiaLit–Foundation (InitiaLit–F) offers an explicit and effective model for teaching reading and related skills to children in their first year of school in a fun and engaging way.

InitiaLit–F focuses on two main components:

Phonics, to systematically and explicitly teach the basic alphabetic code in a set sequence. In addition to learning letter-sound correspondences and how these are applied to reading and spelling, children will be introduced to common morphemes and simple grammatical concepts.
Vocabulary, oral language and listening comprehension through quality children’s literature. Detailed lessons, including writing tasks, are provided for each of the storybook titles selected for use with the program.

Children will also experience literacy outside of formal instruction through discovery learning, games, visits to the school library, assembly and informal presentations and discussions with peers and teachers.

religion

St John Bosco’s is a community where a living Catholic faith underpins all we do.

The curriculum in prep provides opportunities for students to engage in the 5 content areas: Scripture and Jesus, Church and Community, God, Religion and Life, Prayer, Liturgy and Sacrament and Morality and Justice.

We encourage families to foster their children’s faith by taking an active role in our Parish community.

Everything we do is guided by our Catholic faith, recognising that our beliefs and traditions are central to who we are, what we do and how we do it. Jesus showed us that regular prayer is essential for a close and authentic relationship with God.

As your child’s primary educator of the Catholic Faith, we invite you to take home a prayer tub for your family prayers for one week throughout the year. You might choose a prayer from the Prayer book, read a bible story and invite your child to share a personal prayer. We aim to work together to promote growth in both the religious education and faith of our students.

mathematics

How do we teach maths?

Our vision for mathematics instruction involves:

• developing number sense – understanding quantities and numbers, and how to represent

them with objects and numerals

• building fluency – mastering basic arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

• teaching mathematics concepts – understanding the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of mathematics in combination with procedures and rules

• using concrete materials – using physical resources and visual representations to show

concepts and procedures

• using problem-solving strategies – organising work based on the structure of a problem

• using explicit instruction – providing opportunities for students to explain their work and thinking in oral and written forms

• using precise mathematics language – using correct terminology when discussing steps for

solving problems.

INQUIRY & Discovery Learning

At St John Bosco’s, learning is purposeful, challenging, and full of wonder, empowering every child to grow as a curious, connected, and confident lifelong learner. Grounded in the Victorian Curriculum and VRQA standards, our progressive and personalised approach nurtures the whole child, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and socially, through rich inquiry, diverse learning experiences, and evidence-based teaching. At the heart of our vision are our six core learning dispositions: students become resilient, reflective, inquisitive, collaborative, self-managing, and creative problem solvers who think deeply, take ownership of their learning, and approach challenges with confidence and curiosity. These dispositions shape not only how students learn, but who they become, capable, independent, and motivated contributors to their world. From Discovery-based Inquiry in the early years to rich, hands-on investigations across the school, our classrooms are places of safety, wonder, and meaningful connection where student voice is valued and inquiry drives engagement. Supported by strong partnerships between teachers and families, every learner at SJB is known, supported, and inspired to thrive.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

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