Literacy is a key focus at Mary MacKillop Catholic College. As a way to support students in the effective development of their vocabulary skills, all students of the College are partaking in the literacy initiative, Word of the Week (WOW). By exposing students to new vocabulary, students will be able to increase their understanding of challenging words, which will support their reading and writing skills.

Miss Mokdassi, the College’s Literacy Coordinator, worked together with the student learning team and College leaders to launch this initiative in Term 2. Word of the Week focuses on releasing one word each week, which students must use correctly in a sentence within their classes to earn a point for their house. This is a fun and creative initiative which was introduced with the intention of encouraging students to expand their vocabulary, and boost confidence when faced with unfamiliar words. It is also designed for teachers to offer support to students by providing guidance in its correct uses within class discussions and written work.

In order to make this an enriching program, the words chosen align directly with NAPLAN, in the hope to encourage their uses in their writing. Throughout the term, students will be completing Word of the Week activities by exploring different variations of the word, definitions and origins, for the purpose of understanding how to use it in various contexts.

By participating in this initiative, students will be supporting their reading and writing skills as well as supporting their house.

Make sure your house is in it to win it!