St Catherine of Siena Melton West

St Catherine of Siena

Melton West

REGISTERED SCHOOL NUMBER: 1878


Contents

Our School Vision

School Overview

Principal’s Report

Education in Faith

Learning & Teaching

Student Wellbeing

Leadership & Management

School Community

Financial Performance

Contact Details

ADDRESS

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Bulmans Road
Melton West VIC 3337

PRINCIPAL

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Carmel Marantelli

PARISH PRIEST

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Fr Michael Moody

TELEPHONE

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(03) 97432166

EMAIL

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WEBSITE

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Our School Vision

St. Catherine of Siena School, as an integral part ofStDominic’s Parish,

Is a Catholic learning community empowering all of its members to reach their full potential:

Spiritually, physically, emotionally, academically and socially according to Gospel values.

St. Catherine’s is a welcoming community, working in partnership with each other to develop:

An understanding of God’s love;

providing a comprehensive Religious Education Program

valuing the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church

using the Gospel values of Jesus as our guiding principle

A growth to wholeness;

valuing that the child is at the centre of the schools being

providing a challenging and extensive curriculum

ensuring the development of the whole person through challenging experiences

A love of life and learning;

valuing that learning is developmental and individual

striving continually to develop the delivery of best teaching practices

maintaining the constant affirmation of all children and their achievements

Unconditional respect for self, others and the world;

providing an environment in which all people, within the school community, see themselves as valued members of the school, parish and wider community

valuing the uniqueness of each child and member of our community

supporting home- school, community partnerships and relationships

a commitment to equity for all

providing a safe, happy and secure environment

School Overview

School Overview

St. Catherine of Siena Primary School is in the rapidly growing suburb of Melton West. It is one of two schools in the Parish of St Dominic’s.

St Catherine of Siena School prides itself on its sense of community, welcome and belonging. It is a school that ensures that a broad and inclusive Catholic vision is reflected in all areas of school life.

There is a clear philosophy of learning that is interpreted in terms of sound classroom practices reflective of innovative principles of teaching and learning. Student ‘voice’ is valued and many opportunities are given to our students to develop responsibility, leadership capacity and pride in themselves and the school. Given the size of the school, we have been able to maintain a close-knit community where children are known as individuals, creating an environment that is actively working towards greater success for all students.

Student Wellbeing is a high priority within our context, ensuring that student’s individual needs are catered for. We strive to ensure they are safe and feel connected to our school community. Adequate school resources are allocated to provide a range of support services for our students, these range from a Wellbeing Co-ordinator 0.8 per week to onsite counselling and support for students and families.

Student enrolment in 2012 was 442.4 students. These students came from 314 families. This included a Prep enrolment of66 students, with the expectation that numbers will continue to increase in future years. The teaching staff consisted of 28 teaching staff and 11auxiliary staff. There were 19 classes.

Approximately one third of our families are eligible for the Education Maintenance Allowance.

Our school is multi-cultural with many countries being represented. These include Australiaeleven of whom are indigenous, New Zealand,Bosnia and Herzegovina,England, Bangladesh, Malta,Zimbabwe, Egypt, India, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Ireland.

Our goals for 2012 were to ensure that our teaching was focused to meet the individual needs of all our students. Data was used to inform teachers about the progress students were making and the strategy required to continue on this learning journey. Goal setting was also a major goal for our students and staff. By setting goals and assessing how well they were being achieved, our students were able to monitor their own learning and develop action plans on how they could be active, self-motivating and engaged learners.

Principal’s Report

Our motto for 2012 was one taken from St Catherine of Siena, “Be all that you can be and you will set the world on fire.” The sentiment of this motto was a focus for all throughout the year. Staff and students set personal goals around their learning and interactions and were supported greatly by others within the school community in achieving these goals.

Early in the year we opened our most recent learning space. This was designed to complement our philosophy of learning and teaching and is a flexible space with eight learning areas and a dedicated art room. Bishop Long officially opened this building on March 2nd. Children and staff had eagerly awaited the time when they could move into these spaces and quickly made them their own.

2012 saw the building of the new Church for St Dominic’s Parish community commence adjacent to the school. Bishop Long was there at the start of this project and turned the soil to signify the start of building. Throughout the year we watched as the church took shape. One of the many special aspects of the Church was the sculpting of the Crucifix. All members of the parish and school communities were invited to write their name of paper which has been inserted in the crucifix.

Throughout the year we were supported by the generosity and contributions of all within the school community. Once again we had tremendous support for our PEP program, with many family members sharing their skills and passions with the children. Our Harmony Day celebrations saw members of our Indigenous and Sudanese community share dancing and precious artefacts with us. The Art Show was a great success with most families attending and a wonderful array of art skills displayed. Other activities which provided opportunities to come together and build relationships include Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day the Christmas Concert and the many expos which showcased children’s work throughout the year.

The staff of St Catherine of Siena are very professional and dedicated to improving the learning outcomes for all students. Constant reflection on practise allows for professional dialogue and continual improvement. I thank them all very much for their support throughout 2012and their dedication to the children and families of St Catherine of Siena. At the end of 2012 several staff moved on and we wish them all the very best as they move on to new settings and challenges.

The students are the heart of our school and central to all we do. Throughout 2012 they showed the calibre of who they are. The school student leaders worked hard to be a model of respect, responsibility and welcome to all while the student group as a whole, designed activities and held stalls for our Mission Fete to raise money to support others. We should all be proud of their commitment and eagerness to learn, their positive attitudes, friendliness, responsibility and the respect and care they have for one another and their environment

Thanks you to everyone who contributed to St Catherine of Siena in 2012. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and I look forward to continuing to work with you in the coming years.

Carmel Marantelli

Principal

Education in Faith

Goals & Intended Outcomes

Our aim was to develop students’ understanding of their relationship with Christ and the way that this impacts on the community. We also wanted our students to respond to a call to action as a consequence of a deeper understanding of their own identity within a faith community.

Achievements

St Catherine of Siena has been successful in achieving it’s aims. Professional Development sessions by the Religious Education Coordinator have allowed staff to plan engaging Religious Education units. Units of work were always meaningful and relevant for our children with elements of social justice action incorporated where relevant.

There were many opportunities throughout the year for the whole school community to come together and celebrate many events. St Catherine of Siena Feast Day enabled the school to reflect on the contribution of St Catherine and her importance in our life and the life of our school community today. Grandparents Day was celebrated with a whole school mass. At this liturgy Father Michael administered the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick to bring spiritual strength to those in our community. Children were in family groupings so grandparents could spend time with their grandchildren sharing stories about their school and life experiences. This experience was a highlight for both the grandparents and the children with a greater understanding of others perspectives being a positive outcome of this activity. A shared morning tea and a creative activity enabled the grandparents to spend time with their grandchildren in the school setting.

In Terms 1 and 2 our Year 3 and 4 children celebrated the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. This was a time for families and the school community to come together to support these children on their spiritual journey and celebrate these very special occasions. Father Chris Toms was invited by Father Michael to provide an opportunity for the parents of these children to further reflect on their own faith journey and the significance of the Sacraments in our lives.

Throughout the year the students developed an understanding of the Church’s stance on social justice and they engaged in many social justice actions. The students became aware of what social justice is and why it is an important part of our lives as compassionate people and such an integral part of the Catholic Church’s teachings. Our annual mission fete was a testament to this awareness in our children. They were able to identify and recognise that in our world there are people who are less fortunate thanthemselves and they realised that they could be active in providing assistance to those in need. All grades designed stalls and were given an opportunity to run these on the day in an effort to raise money for those less fortunate. The success of the mission fete was a testament to this awareness and a credit to all involved.

The Student Liturgy Team was successful this year. They have been supportive in setting up whole school masses and class liturgies. They were an enormous support to the Religious Education Coordinator and their feedback, after this experience, is that they now have a better understanding of mass and other liturgical celebrations.

Our weekly class masses haveprovided opportunities for both students and staff to reflect on their faith, join with the faith community and farther develop their relationship with God. They have been conducted with reverence and these have been an important time for both students and staff.

The community of St Catherine of Siena have been witness to the building of the church this year. Such a special event is a rare opportunity to reflect on the importance of Church in our lives. Throughout the year children reflected on what Church means, its relevance to the wider community as well as the elements we readily identify when we enter a church. Several pieces were specially commissioned for the new Church; these include the bell and crucifix. The Liturgy Team were involved in the commissioning of the bell prior to its positioning atop the bell tower while all in the school and parish community had the opportunity to have their name included on the list of names that was placed inside the crucifix.

During the season of Advent the children participated in weekly Advent Liturgies. The middle and senior children presented the Advent Liturgies which focussed on developing the sense of preparing and waiting to celebrate the birth of Christ. The junior children presented readings and symbols connected to the Jesse Tree that developed an understanding of the prophets, who came prior to the birth of Jesus and who were instrumental in preparing for the coming of Christ.

VALUE ADDED
  • Student Liturgy Team consisting of Year 6 students
  • Mission Fete
  • Student Representative Council raising money for charity
  • Class liturgies
  • Fr Michael’s visits to classes
  • Whole school liturgies

Learning & Teaching

Goals & Intended Outcomes

Our goals for 2012 were to ensure that all students would progress to an appropriate level at an appropriate rate in all areas of the curriculum. We identified that for this to happen we would need to provide a curriculum and environment that was engaging. Therefore our second goal was to enhance student engagement within our contemporary context. In order to facilitate these goals we needed to work on building teacher capacity in the area of contemporary pedagogy, embed a culture of explicit feedback and continue to build opportunities for student voice and choice.

Achievements

St. Catherine of Siena has been successful in achieving all of its learning and teaching outcomes. We have worked collaboratively to develop a shared and deeper understanding of pedagogical approaches that meet the needs of all students in all areas of the curriculum. Through professional dialogue, co-teaching, peer observation and collaborative planning, contemporary learning practices are being developed and implemented to engage the students in rich and meaningful learning.

Throughout the year teachers have participated in a number of professional development strategies to build capacity in the area of Contemporary Learning and Teaching. Teachers coached and mentored each other in a range of teaching practices across all areas of the curriculum with the opportunity to debrief and feedback their thoughts and observations. All teaching staff participated in Contemporary Learning Walks both within our learning community and at three other schools. Through these initiatives we have been able to evaluate our understandings of Contemporary Learning and Teaching as individuals as well as a team. What we have gained from these initiatives we have brought back into the learning spaces.

We have consistently used ongoing data to inform personalised and differentiated delivery of all curriculum areas thus ensuring student progress. Our ongoing teacher development in the understanding of the Inquiry approach has enabled us to provide a curriculum that is engaging, challenging and accessible to all.

The new learning space afforded students and teachers with a contemporary venue for learning. Years 4, 5 and 6 worked within the space in three separate teams. Students in these spaces were able to make choices about which modules of learning they would access in each specialist area of Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Physical Education. This co-construction of the curriculum has been a great success with every student being able to access the curriculum at their point of need and within their range of interest.

Literacy

The focus for 2012 was to continue to monitor the progress of Years Prep to Six students through the use of a school-based Writing Continuum and to identify the student needs through the use of data. Teachers used data in a range of contexts to inform student performance, understandings and directions for ‘where to next’. We have become more strategic in the gathering and use of Literacy data thus ensuring all students’ needs are identified and are catered for.

Numeracy

In 2012 we have continued to monitor student progress via our school-based Maths Continuum. Much time has been spent on the gathering and analysis of data in order to inform student needs and resultant teaching and learning. We are in our second year of administering the PatMaths tests and have been able to identify areas where we have added value to our previous year’s results. Teachers participated in school-based Professional Development led by the Maths Coordinator aimed at building teacher understanding of the test, and how to administer it, gather and analyse the data. This has enabled teachers to gain a better understanding of how students learn mathematical concepts and how we can be responsive to their needs.

During Term 3 students participated in a Maths incursion where they were invited to solve a range of problem-based tasks. The tasks were hands-on and employed a range of dynamic and engaging materials designed to motivate and support student learning. Participation in this incursion has supported the way we learn and teach Maths, through Project-based learning and Problem Solving.

Inquiry

We have continued to use the Conceptual Framework to guide our Inquiry approach, continuing the work started by Education Consultant Deb Vietri in 2011. All units of work were planned from concepts and broad understandings and focus questions to guide the inquiry learning and allow for student voice. This process ensured real and authentic learning took place. Students from across the entire school have had the opportunity to express their learning through Personal Investigations. Students showcased their work throughout the year in a range of innovative ways. For example, in Term 2 Year 4 students created and ran a conference about building the future today. Other classes ran expos in their learning spaces or workshops for other students to attend. Students across all levels attended a range of excursions designed to stimulate and support their learning. These included trips to Ecolinc in Bacchus Marsh where students explored ideas around Sustainability, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, Gecko Fitness in Ballarat and Coles Supermarket in our local community. We have also invited the wider community into our school to enrich our experiences. We have been fortunate enough to have parents and friends of students and teachers to share their expertise in a range of fields connected to our learning.