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Students in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Armidale will benefit from books and computers worth more than $1.5 million. New resources for Catholic schools arrived in the new year with over $550,000 in new reading books and over $1 million in computer equipment delivered to the Catholic Schools Office (CSO) in Armidale. The books will be used to teach reading in primary schools in the Diocese of Armidale, and the new IT equipment will ensure all students have access to the best learning devices, said Chris Smyth, principal of Catholic Schools (diocese of ‘Armidale). READ MORE: ‘Schools receiving these resources are educating students in many of the state’s rural and regional communities that have been hardest hit in recent years by drought, fires, mouse plagues and recent flooding’ , said Mr. Smyth. “In our school system, we explicitly and consistently teach phonics as part of a balanced approach to literacy that develops student language and instills good reading habits.” The recent purchase of reading materials includes decodable texts to support very early learning to read; level readers who cover a wide range of highly engaging fiction and non-fiction topics; and quality literature so that our students have access to the best children’s books currently available. Smyth said the system has also purchased about $75,000 worth of math-related reading books to help students understand that literacy is essential for math success. “Over the past few years, the Armidale Catholic School System has focused on improving literacy and numeracy outcomes,” he said. “This success in reading can be attributed to the outstanding work of teachers who focus on using evidence-based strategies such as guided reading, explicit instruction, phonics, and continued commitment to ICT in the part of how students learn every day.” ICT’s new purchase includes replacement iPads for each student in kindergarten through second grade. “This will enable peer-to-peer collaboration and immediate teacher feedback to improve learning in all of our early years classrooms every day,” Smyth said. our smaller regional schools to our larger colleges. These computers will allow teaching staff to have safe and secure access to CSO systems and data, whether they are working in our schools or remotely.” The system will also benefit from the installation of Vivi screen sharing devices on large format screens in every classroom in the diocese. These Australian-made devices are recognized as the best universal streaming solution for educational environments, allowing teachers to manage student device sharing. screens on the classroom screen and displaying engaging educational content. “Our students are highly literate with technology to enhance their learning, and that’s why against all odds, our students continue to make gains in their learning during COVID-mandated remote learning times,” Smyth said. “The new and updated devices will allow us to continue to provide the best learning experience for all of our students.” The CSO Diocese of Armidale administers 19 primary, two central and three secondary schools, and serves the learning needs of nearly 6,000 students.
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Students in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Armidale will benefit from books and computers worth more than $1.5 million.
New resources for Catholic schools arrived in the new year with over $550,000 in new reading books and over $1 million in computer equipment delivered to the Catholic Schools Office (CSO) in Armidale.
The books will be used to teach reading in primary schools in the Diocese of Armidale, and the new IT equipment will ensure all students have access to the best learning devices, said Chris Smyth, principal of Catholic Schools (diocese of ‘Armidale).
“Schools receiving these resources are educating students in many rural and regional communities across the state that have been hardest hit in recent years by drought, fires, mouse plagues and recent flooding,” said Mr. Smith.
“In our school system, we explicitly and systematically teach phonics as part of a balanced approach to literacy that develops students’ language and instills good reading habits.
“Recent reading material purchases include decodable texts to support very early learning to read; leveled readers that cover a wide range of highly engaging fiction and non-fiction topics; and quality literature so that our students have access to the best children’s books currently available.”
Chris Smyth, Education Manager Kerrie Priddis and Subject Matter Expert Alicia Pringle review some of the new readers delivered to Armidale Diocesan Elementary Schools.
Smyth said the system has also purchased about $75,000 worth of reading books related to math topics to help students understand that literacy is essential for math success.
“Over the past few years, the Armidale system of Catholic schools has been laser-focused on improving literacy and numeracy outcomes,” he said.
“This success in reading can be attributed to the exceptional work of teachers who focus on using evidence-based strategies such as guided reading, explicit instruction, phonics and ongoing engagement with ICT as part of how students learn every day.”
The new ICT purchase includes replacement iPads for each K-2 student.
“This will enable peer-to-peer collaboration and immediate teacher feedback to improve learning in all of our early years classrooms every day,” Smyth said.
“All teachers are provided with a computer as a tool of the trade, from our smallest regional schools to our largest colleges. These computers will allow teaching staff to have safe and secure access to CSO systems and data, whether they are working in our schools or remotely.”
The system will also benefit from the installation of Vivi screen sharing devices on large format screens in all classrooms in the diocese.
These Australian-made devices are recognized as the best universal streaming solution for educational environments, allowing teachers to manage the sharing of student device screens on the classroom screen and display engaging educational content.
“Our students are well versed in technology to enhance their learning, and that’s why against all odds, our students continue to progress in their learning during the COVID-enforced remote learning times,” Smyth said.
“The new updated devices will allow us to continue to provide the best learning experience for all of our students.”
The CSO Diocese of Armidale administers 19 primary schools, two central schools and three secondary schools and serves the learning needs of nearly 6,000 students.
