Welcome Primary Writers Family to Newsletter No.7!
Primary Writers Education has been announced as a Finalist in the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Small Business Awards. Tim, Jo and all the staff want to thank you for voting and supporting them as they continue to try and make a difference in the lives of all your children. What a privilege it is each week to work alongside your family.
Over the last number of weeks, we have welcomed some wonderful new families to Primary Writers. Thank you for entrusting your children into our care.
Talking about positive stories… we now have a Google review QR code set up on the desk in Jo’s room. We would be so very grateful for any positive reviews. As our family grows, it allows Tim and Jo to offer more courses and involve new and bright educators and authors. Your word-of-mouth stories and recommendations are gold!
As we go LIVE on Monday June 1 with our Term 3 and Holiday bookings, we are excited to announce a new addition to the timetable. Jo Grinham has been working with an extraordinary early childhood educator, and we are excited to announce a brand-new School Readiness Program starting at Primary Writers in the holidays.
Based on the Science of Reading and over 30 years of experience teaching Pre K-Year 2, Corena Laso will be joining the team in Term 3.
Corena is a dynamic, experienced and inspiring educator who will bring an enormous breadth of knowledge and insight to Primary Writers. She is passionate about engaging children early with phonetics and reading confidence and developing a love of writing. Corena and Jo will offer some weekday and Saturday morning classes in Term 3.
The School Readiness classes will be tailored for 3–5-year-olds and will be 60 mins. There will also be some parent information sessions so that together we can help families understand the importance behind learning to read and write.
Huge congratulations to Ethan from Year 2, who this week earned a Primary Writers cap after reaching 250 stickers! Well done legend!
JUNE/JULY SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
WEEK 1- Monday June 29 – Friday July 3
1. Join bestselling author and Primary Writers founder Tim Harris for a 5-Day Creative Writing Workshop. The course features creative writing tasks, brainstorming tips, idea generation, planning tips, fun activities and tricks to improve creative writing with extensive personalised feedback. This course is strictly limited to 8 places per class. The cost is $550 for the week. (5 x 1.5 hr sessions)
9:00-10:30am - Year 2
10:45-12:15pm - Year 3
1:00-2:30pm - Year 4
2:30pm-4:00pm - Year 5
4:30-6:00pm - Year 6
2. Jo Grinham will be taking Private Lessons for students from Pre K - Year 6. Jo will tailor the one-hour sessions around a child’s reading assessment, spelling skills, comprehension, writing using different text types, maths assessments and is happy to discuss any parental/class teacher concerns. Bookings can be made from 8am-6pm over the 5 days. $150 cash an hour.
WEEK 2 – Monday July 6 – Wednesday July 10
1. Serena Geddes is the author and illustrator of Ella Forever, a brand-new graphic novel series following on from the beloved Ella Diaries. She’s an internationally published children’s book creator, best known for popular series like Howzat Pat and Lulu Bell, and picture books including We Are Matildas and Hope Is a Spark. Having illustrated over eighty books, Serena is passionate about helping young people connect with stories through drawing, comics and visual storytelling. She shares lively talks and hands-on workshops about character creation and bringing big ideas to life. Fun fact: Serena once worked at Walt Disney Studios on sequels to The Lion King and The Jungle Book!
Create Your Own Comic:
3-Day Graphic Novel Camp for Years K-8
Join Serena for a fun 3-Day (3 x 1.5 hr sessions) creative camp exploring the exciting world of comics and graphic novels. Using examples from her graphic novel Ella Forever and comic panels
from Miles from Home, Serena will guide students through the process of turning an idea into a short comic. Students will learn how graphic novels combine words and pictures to tell engaging stories. Together they will develop a simple story idea, write a short introductory script, and design original characters, before bringing their stories to life with full page inked illustrations and or colour.
Workshop Outcome
By the end of the 3-Day camp students will;
• Understand the basics of graphic novel storytelling
• Learn how words and pictures work together
• Create their own characters and story ideas
• Plan comic panels and dialogue
• Produce their own short comic page
· 9:00am - 10:30 / Years K- 3
· 10:30 - 12:00pm / Year 4 – 6
· 12:30 - 2:00 / Years 7 - 8
(Groups of 12 @ $99 for 1.5 hours/ 3 Days=$297.00)
2. Kate Addison will be taking Private Lessons for students from Pre K - Year 4.
Kate will focus on your child’s reading, vocabulary, comprehension, grammar and spelling. Bookings can be made from 9am-2pm over the 3 days. $99 an hour.
WEEK 3 – July 13 - July 17
1. Join bestselling author and Primary Writers founder Tim Harris for a 4-Day Vocabulary and Grammar Course, July 13-16. The course features daily vocabulary lists, descriptive writing challenges and extensive grammatical tasks all presented in a fun, accessible way. Each student will also receive extensive personalised feedback. This course is strictly limited to 8 places per class. The cost is $440 for the week. (4 x 1.5 hr sessions)
· 9:00-10:30am - Year 2
· 10:45-12:15pm - Year 3
· 1:00-2:30pm - Year 5
· 2:30pm-4:00pm - Year 4
· 4:30-6:00pm - Year 6
2. Corena Laso will be offering a 3-Day School Readiness Launch program
The School Readiness Phonics Course is designed to prepare young learners for a confident and successful transition into school. Through playful, engaging, and hands-on learning experiences, children develop early literacy foundations, listening skills, and confidence with sounds, letters, words, and communication.
· 9:00-10:00am
· 10:00-11:00am
· 11:30-12:30pm
(Groups of 6 @ $69 for hour / 3 Days=$207.00)
3. Jo Grinham will be offering a 5-Day Reading and Public Speaking course and Private Lessons
Through fun, structured learning experiences, students become enthusiastic readers and capable communicators who are prepared to participate confidently in both classroom and real-world settings. The course nurtures confidence, creativity, and communication by helping students:
· Read with fluency, accuracy, and expression
Develop comprehension and vocabulary skills
Speak clearly and confidently to an audience
Build listening and discussion skills
Use voice, gesture, and expression effectively
Share ideas creatively and respectfully
Strengthen collaboration and teamwork
· 9:00am-10:30 / Kindy and Year One
· 10:30-12:00pm / Year 2
· 12:30-2:00pm / Years 3 and 4
(Groups of 6 @ $110 for 1.5 hours/ 5 Days=$550.00)
· 2:00pm-6:00pm / Private Lessons. $150 cash an hour.
Bookings for Holiday Workshops and Term 3 lessons will go LIVE on
Monday 1 June / Week 7 @ 10am for current families. Please send screenshot of payment to confirm your child’s class and time to -info.primarywriters@gmail.com
PRIMARY WRITERS EDUCATION / BSB 633 000 / ACC 206 816 597
Bookings will open to the waitlist in Week 9.
Term 3 is a 9-week term / Sunday 19 July- Sunday 20 September
(10-week term for Novel course)
The following link will take you to the website timetable - https://www.primarywriters.com.au/term-courses
TERM 3 SUMMARY OF CLASSES
WRITING LESSONS - Tim Harris and Jo Grinham/Masterclasses ($99 per hour)
Our weekly masterclasses are the most popular classes at Primary Writers. During each term, students are exposed to multiple text types, predominantly narrative and persuasive. Lessons feature exemplar texts, analysis and specific writing skills, which students are then able to apply to an independent main writing task. Students receive personalised feedback during the entire lesson.
READING AND COMPREHENSION LESSONS - Kate Roberts, Kate Addison and Emma Maltman ($66 per hour)
This weekly Reading and Comprehension course supports students in developing strong literacy skills through the guided use of a structured text. Each lesson focuses on explicit reading strategies that help students understand, interpret, and respond to a variety of texts. Through guided reading, discussion, questioning, and written responses, students learn how to identify key ideas, make predictions, infer meaning, and analyse language features within texts. The course encourages students to become confident, thoughtful readers while developing essential communication and comprehension skills that support success across all learning areas.
Students will develop:
Reading fluency and accuracy
Vocabulary and language comprehension
Literal and inferential comprehension skills
Confidence in discussing and responding to texts
Critical thinking and analytical skills
Listening and collaborative discussion skills
Written response and summarising skills
SCHOOL READINESS - Corena Laso and Jo Grinham ($69 per hour)
The School Readiness Phonics Course is designed to prepare young learners for a confident and successful transition into school. Through playful, engaging, and hands-on learning experiences, children develop early literacy foundations, listening skills, and confidence with sounds, letters, words, and communication.
The course introduces children to phonemic awareness, letter recognition, early reading behaviours, and oral language development using songs, stories, games, movement, craft, and interactive activities. Students learn in a supportive environment that encourages curiosity, participation, and a love of learning.
Students will:
Recognise and name letters of the alphabet
Identify and produce letter sounds
Develop phonemic awareness skills
Build early vocabulary and speaking confidence
Strengthen listening and concentration skills
Begin blending and segmenting simple sounds
Develop pencil grip and early writing readiness
Participate confidently in group learning activities
NOVEL STUDY - DENISE HAYWARD (FACE-TO-FACE AND ONLINE)
Fridays - Years 6-9 5:00pm – 6:30pm ($79 per 1.5 hours)
Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief by Katrina Nannestad
This book study course explores the powerful and moving novel Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief by Katrina Nannestad. Through guided reading, discussion, and reflective activities, students engage deeply with the novel’s themes, characters, historical context, and literary techniques.
Set during World War II, the story follows Sasha, a young boy navigating hardship, loss, courage, and hope. Students explore themes of resilience, friendship, survival, compassion, and the impact of war while developing critical reading and comprehension skills.
The course encourages thoughtful discussion and personal reflection as students analyse character development, symbolism, author’s purpose, and the emotional journey within the text. Learning activities support students in making connections between the novel, history, and their own experiences and perspectives.
Students will develop:
Reading comprehension and analytical thinking skills
Understanding of characterisation and narrative structure
Vocabulary and language interpretation skills
Discussion and reflective speaking skills
Written response and creative writing abilities
Empathy and understanding of historical experiences
Confidence in expressing opinions and interpretations
ONLINE CLASSES - DANI VEE -/YEARS 6-12 ($79 per 1.5 hours)
ESSAY WRITING and Film (online) Years 6 – 12
Wednesday 5:00-6:30pm or 6:30-8:00pm
This online course is the perfect way to hone your essay writing and deeply analyse film and visual techniques by analysing a range of films. Whether you are a continuing student or brand new, each workshop is individualised to ensure we develop the skills of every student. If you're a returning student, we continue to build upon your skills over time to ensure you are HSC ready!
In Term 3, we have fun learning about film and visual techniques while discussing how films reflect society. Learn how to hack your essay writing with a simple structure to write complex essays that will get you that A grade. We will work individually, and in groups to create strong arguments, analyse HSC questions, and structure an essay using tips and tricks from an experienced HSC marker.
2026-2027 NOVEL CLASS ($150 per week/$1500 Term)
The Novel Writing course is the flagship course at Primary Writers. Capable students are invited apply for this 12-month course that guides students through the process of writing an entire 20,000-word novel. The course includes:
· Master workshops with Tim Harris, Belinda Murrell and Kristin Darell
· Extensive drafting and revision
· Collaborating with a freelance illustrator
· Working with a professional book designer
· Preparing a book launch speech
· Producing a complete, professional-quality novel
· Pizza and ice-cream parties!
The course will run from Term 3, 2026 to Term 2, 2027.
The first term will run Sunday 19th July – Sunday 20th September.
When enrolling, please select a class time that best suits you.
· 2:00pm – 3:30pm
· 3:30pm – 5:00pm
· 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Please reach out with any questions.
Many thanks from Tim, Jo and the Primary Writers Team x