Primary School

Primary School at Sunrise Christian School Marion starts with transition visits for all new students. ELC children benefit from our Transition to School Program, which provides opportunities for children to meet primary school teachers and form friendships with Grade 5 buddies before they even start Reception.

Our school serves Christian parents and the community around us. Our passionate teachers and staff strive to help your child fulfil their potential academically, emotionally, socially, and physically. Students participate in fundraising activities throughout the year, one of the highlights being our Colour Fun Run on Wellbeing Day. Part of the funds raised on this day go towards our Sunrise Christian Schools in Papua New Guinea.

Sunrise Marion is a great blend of different cultures, ages, backgrounds and even a combination of two schools, with Temple Marion Middle School at the heart of our teaching hub onsite. All of this contributes to our strength as we celebrate our differences but still exhibit profound unity. Even though we form a small part of the body of Christ, we have an essential role to play in the greater Kingdom of God.

Two girls looking at each other after the colour fun run

The small family setting at our school contributes to a safe and positive environment best able to encourage excellent learning outcomes. Upper Primary students engage with Temple Christian College teachers to explore different areas of the curriculum without leaving Sunrise Marion.

Our students are well prepared for a seamless entry into their Middle and then Senior School years through a range of specialised subjects and a character development program.

There are some fantastic opportunities for Sunrise Marion students to engage in academic, sporting, and artistic events throughout the year including:

Aquatics Program
Grandparents' Day
Chaplain Programs
Charity Events
Swimming Carnival
Sport's Day
SALA Festival

School Musical
Drama productions
Book Week
Camps
Temple Christian College classes and
Special Days (e.g. Clean Up Australia Day).

Phonics Program

At Sunrise, we take great pride in our Phonics Program. Years of development and refinement have led to outstanding outcomes for our students.

Phonics is an analytical approach to teaching literacy, providing students with the skills to successfully decode both known and unknown words. It is not just about memorisation, but rather, understanding the rules of why words are spelled and sound the way they do. Phonics has shown positive results in our classrooms, is backed by research, and has been perfected by teachers and educators for over 40 years.

Our Sunrise Phonics program is made up of:

Phonograms - Using the phonograms inspired by Spalding and LEM Phonics is the most comprehensive phonics approach available in Australia today. Each phonogram is taught in the order in which it occurs in the English Language, which provides inbuilt strategies for decoding print.
Fingerspelling - teaches children to blend and sound out words based on their phonograms. It provides the scaffolding needed for children to be actively engaged in working out how words are spelled.
Syllables - teaching students how words can be broken down into smaller units and then blended back together has been shown to be essential in teaching good spelling and reading strategies.

Knowledge of the Rules - enables children to approach reading with higher order thinking. Understanding the why can be empowering and motivating for children, rather than becoming a mindless, memory exercise.
Base Words and Endings - teaching students how words can be changed and manipulated by adding endings.

We make Phonics enjoyable for children and through these activities, children become excited about learning to read and write. We believe that Phonics is a crucial part of educating students for reading and writing, and we are dedicated to providing the best possible program to our students.