Sacred Heart: Read To Learn Program

Sacred Heart, Fitzroy is a small primary school with big expectations. We embrace the challenge of providing a comprehensive learning program that will enable all our young people to fully participate in modern society. ACU and Sacred Heart partner to enhance the academic, social and emotional skills of students through literacy and education support programs.

The aim of the Read to Learn program is to help address any gaps in the children’s learning and support the social and emotional needs of students . Many of the children are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD), coming from refugee backgrounds and have experienced significant disadvantage.

The Read to Learn program:

• provides a safe learning environment where children are supported by tutors to improve their literacy and numeracy skills and promote success in education.
• builds children’s educational aspirations through positive role-modelling and mentoring between the students of Sacred Heart and ACU.
• supports the Restorative Practices model utilised by the school to encourage the development of behaviour, social skills and resilience.
• provides opportunities for building connections to further social and emotional skills between the students of Sacred Heart and ACU.
• provides ACU students with first hand experience contributing to the growth and development of a child, a space to practice teaching methodology and opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of others.

The role

ACU students will work one-on-one or in small groups with students from Sacred Heart to read books and complete literacy games. Tutors and students collaborate each week to build children’s confidence around their participation in education. In this tutoring / mentoring role, ACU students will be expected to coach and assist Sacred Heart students in their reading and increase their understanding of the English language.

The Read to Learn program operates within a school where most students are from refugee migrant backgrounds. ACU students must demonstrate their commitment to the inclusion, wellbeing, dignity and success of people from disadvantaged and/or marginalised communities.

This is a face to face community engagement opportunity. We have every intention of delivering the program at Sacred Heart when it is safe to do so. This program does not operate under lockdown conditions and unfortunately there is no online alternative available at this time. Please refer to the revised calendar below for the dates we are preparing to run Read to Learn, however, we must adhere to public health orders and Dept of Education guidelines for schools.