Serving with Faith and Love

Serving with Faith and Love

Principal’s end of year Report 23 November 2016

We are nearly at the end of another school year and for me this year has been full of challenges and new and exciting experiences. I thank the board for their continued support and input into the school.

The norm, when you start at a new school, is to integrate into the school, get to know the staff and the students and find out how it is run, without changes. My experiences were a little different. I was overwhelmed with the support of the staff, the board, the students, the whanau and the Parish. It was a great welcome and even though I tried to hold back changes, some just naturally happened. One major change was our reporting system. It became all online. Thank you to the staff for their hard work in making sure that this happened and that it went smoothly. We are now at the End of Year Report time and from our earlier experience it has become second nature to the teachers now and is running smoothly.

Another main change was to the teacher’s planning. For this we had help from Ahead Associates and we have now planned for the next two years. We have ensured that the curriculum has been covered extensively and not only had teacher input but also student voice. Planning is a liquid exercise and we are adding to it and revising it continuously.

One of my aims was to try to let each child have as many different experiences that we could offer.

Term 2 saw the children involved in football, tag coaching, art, theatre, sign language, Police safe walking, we have ex-teachers that volunteer and work with our students in the school, Pizza reading challenge, to name a few activities.

Term 3 saw our senior class interact with UNITEC students in the planning of our renovations, the whole school was involved in the renovation of the garden with the help of Countdown, Bunning and the Westhaven Rotary, free bikes were given out to deserving students, the Life Education truck was in for 3 days, our Olympic Day was supported by students from St Mary’s College, the senior classes enjoyed an afternoon at the Botanical Gardens learning about our flora and fauna, Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral with Bishop Pat with 3 of our leaders, KidsCan filming with our children, Fiafia was another great success, and the whole school also attended a puppet show as well as the Hinepau production.

Term 4, a night to remember with Smith & Caughey and KidsCan taking our children to their Christmas lights celebrations, ‘In Our Beat’ production, Kapa Haka every Friday, tag tournament, basketball, netball tournament, theatre, Science trip, Auckland Live trip, and still more to come. As you can see a very packed 3 terms.

We had a successful visit from ERO, which has seen us receive a three-year review time. We changed our IT provider which was welcomed by all staff and even though this has cost more than expected in the present we are looking towards the future and are now confident that this will set the school up to become a leader in IT for our students. We are in the process of organising grants to fund the next input of laptops and IPads into the school.

We have opened the school up to the French Kindergarten, offered Chinese lessons, Countdown continue to come in every week and work with the children in the garden, UNITEC plans have been presented to the school and board and are at the Catholic Schools Office waiting for approval, we have a new PTA which is going strong, a new maths programme to be introduced in 2017, all newsletters are now emailed to parents and are online and a skip will be organised to help with emptying out the garage and any other non-essential items around the school.

To achieve all of these activities the planning has been the hard work of many. Not only have the staff worked overtime but the support from parents, the board, outside communities, all has been overwhelming. From the love that these people have for the children in our school I can see that we are blessed and that St Mary MacKillop and St Joseph are looking after us.

We still have a lot of work to do not only to improve our role but to make sure that the children we do have get the best that we can offer. It is our responsibility that the children walk out of our school proud and confident and that they will be successful in life and know that God will always be there to guide them.

God bless

Regina Smuga

Analysis of Variance

I have attached a copy of our OTJ’s (Overall Teacher Judgement) and the analysis for term 4. As you will notice the increase from term 1 to term 4 is very positive. In every section we have improved and are well on our way to a greater percentage with students ‘above’ the National Standard. The yellow highlighted areas are term 4 results and the blue are term 1.

Reading
Maori Students: As at 21-11-2016
Students below / 2 / 50%
Students at / 2 / 50%
Students above / 0 / 0%
Term 1 / Term 4
Whole school As at 21-11-2016
Students below / 38 / 58% / 7 / 10%
Students at / 26 / 39% / 40 / 61%
Students above / 2 / 3% / 19 / 29%
Writing
Maori Students: As at 21-11-2016
Students below / 0 / 0%
Students at / 4 / 100%
Students above / 0 / 0%
Term 1 / Term 4
Whole school As at 21-11-2016
Students below / 62 / 94% / 12 / 18%
Students at / 4 / 6% / 36 / 55%
Students above / 0 / 0% / 18 / 27%
Maths
Maori Students: As at 21-11-2016
Students below / 1 / 25%
Students at / 3 / 75%
Students above / 0 / 0%
Term 1 / Term 4
Whole school As at 21-11-2016
Students below / 37 / 56% / 9 / 13%
Students at / 29 / 44% / 42 / 64%
Students above / 0 / 0% / 15 / 23%

Mathematics Report

Term 4 Assessment:

Teachers have conducted mathematics assessments with students in weeks five and six of this term.

Senior students were tested using the GLOSS mathematics test.

Junior students were assessed using the JAM (Junior Assessment in Mathematics) test.

All students from Year 2-8 were also tested using the Prime Mathematics Placement Test.

Teachers used these test results, and other data and observations of their students’ performance in Mathematics, to make an Overall Teacher Judgement(OTJ).

This is measured against expectations in the Mathematics National Standards.

Results:

In term one this year, 56% of students, school wide, were below standard for mathematics.

The results for term four show that this has dropped to 13% below standard.

In term one 44% of students were at standard.

This has risen to 64% at standard this term.

In term one 0% of students were above standard.

This has risen to 23% above standard this term.

This last result indicates a gradual improvement in the numbers of students being above standard, as recommended in the ERO report earlier this year.

Recommendations for 2017:

1. To investigate the Prime MathsProgramme further and see if it is a programme that could enhance and improve our students’ learning in Mathematics.
2. To investigate the possible barriers that inhibit the acceleration of students’ learning in Mathematics at our school.
3. To continually reflect and look at ways to increase the numbers of ‘at standard’ students to ‘above standard’ for Mathematics. This may include forming target groups or putting an acceleration programme in place for certain students.
4. To incorporate digital learning into Mathematics lessons where possible.
5. To review resources for Mathematics and update where necessary.

Director of Religious Studies Report for the Board of Trustees

November 2016

The purpose of this Report is to encapsulate how the ethos of Special Catholic Character at St Joseph’s Catholic School, Grey Lynn is lived and integrated across school life.

Welcome Interim Principal and Deputy Principal (Term1) and New Principal Term 2

The year began with welcoming our Interim Principal, Maureen Grimes and Deputy Principal, Donna Southworth with a beginning of year mass. Teacher Only Day started with a morning session of prayer and liturgy reflecting on the charism of our school. Donna Southworth attended Teachers New to Catholic Schools course and completed a RE 101 Theology paper. New school parents were welcomed with a morning tea after mass. Staff attended the Dedication mass at Christ the King parish and participated in the blessing of our school candle with other schools.

BOT/staff Retreat

Staff and Board members attended a day Retreat at Mary MacKillop Centre, Mission Bay on 13th February 2016. The Retreat was facilitated by Sr. Jill Mcloughlin with the theme based on Year of Mercy and the charism of our school. This also provided an opportunity for some of the Board members to sift through the appointment process for new principal.

Our new Principal, Regina Smuga was appointed by the Board in Term 2. The school community and the wider Grey Lynn community attended the powhiri and welcome mass followed by morning tea. We thanked our Interim Principal, Maureen Grimes during the end of term assembly.

Monday Liturgy

Monday school liturgiescontinues with a focus on the Gospel values and the liturgical events.

School Masses – Parish Centennial Celebrations

Early in the year, Ash Wednesday and St Joseph’s Feast day was celebrated with a mass. The season of Lent began with Stations of the Cross culminating with the Holy Week Walk play. Reconciliation was offered to all senior class students and staff during the season of Lent and will also be available during Advent. We met with Fr. Iosefo and outlined the term’s masses and class visit. Fr. Iosefo, Father Joseph and Father Fillipo have begun class visits and we hope this will be consistent in 2017. We are blessed to have their input. Throughout the year we have celebrated term masses as per the liturgical calendar and with liturgies where relevant.

Sacramental Programme

This year, three of our students received the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharist. These students and parish students were supported with their faith journey by the DRS and a parish member. The mass was a wonderful reminder of the working partnership of the parish and school.

Professional Development: “Walk by Faith”

As part of our on-going Professional Development, we are privileged to work in partnership with the parish to attend the Walk by Faith course. We have completed the first module and classes should resume after Christmas break. Through the Induction process at school and the Special Character Mentor Group, the DRS continues to support staff and students with the delivery of the Religious Education programme. Staff Meetings, modelling of lessons and RE Appraisals are all linked with the delivery and understanding of faith concepts in our students. As mentioned above the courses run by Catholic Schools Office also supplement further understanding of the Religious Education programme.

I also attended the DRS conference at Long Bay as part of my on-going professional development.

Internal Self Review – Key Dimension focus: ‘Catholic Community’

‘Catholic Community’ was the key dimension for our Internal Self Review. Parents and Staff reviewed main indicators and the results collated and shared with the Proprietors (*see Catholic Special Character Review). This will form the basis of a summary for the annual Special Character Report to the Catholic School Office as well as the Review synopsis of ‘Catholic Community’.

End of Jubilee Year of Mercy

Our school joined in with St Joseph’s Grey Lynn parish to participate in the end of Jubilee Year of Mercy Adoration service.

Advent and Nativity Play

The Season of Advent is soon to begin and the school will continue the Advent wreath ceremony. Our leavers Mass is on the 8th December and then the annual Nativity play will be enacted and followed by our Helpers Morning tea at school.

Finally, thank you to the Board of Trustees from all the staff and myself for the overwhelming support.

Recommendations

• To continue to support Staff Professional Development in undertaking studies through National Centre of Religious Studies for 2017
• To continue to support BOT/Staff 2017 Retreat. BOT have any suggestion for a theme or a facilitator to run the Retreat? (to be discussed).

Prepared by Lydia Victor

Director of Religious Studies.

End of Year 2016 Literacy Report to the Board of Trustees

The purpose of the Report is to provide the Board of Trustees an overview of the Literacy Programmes at St Joseph’s Catholic School and its impact on students’ learning progress.

Accelerated Literacy Learning (ALL): This was a continuum process from last year but this year there were three teachers involved.Students from Year 2 to Year 8 were chosen on the basis of their 2015 literacy data to participate in this intervention for 15 weeks with writing as the focus. The purpose was to assist these students to accelerate in writing with explicit teaching. The intervention was over and above regular classroom writing programme. Teachers developed learning experiences that best suited our learners and helped them make steady gains towards National Standards. We presented the ALL Impact Report at a Cluster Meeting with other schools and at the Impact Day. This will continue next year with every teacher at St Joseph’s involved. This is part of sustaining the ALL Intervention.

Learning with Digital Technology: This year we had the privilege to be involved with Learning with Digital Technology (LwDT) professional development. As part of this process, each teacher had a Professional Goal linked with raising student achievement in Writing through the use of digital technology. Our external facilitators supported all the teachers through this journey whilst providing on-going upskilling in the use of different apps for learning. Unfortunately, as our school had initial hiccups with the technology infrastructure(server), teachers diligently maximised learning needs for the students with digital technology provided.

Professional Learning Communities PLC’s):Teachers continue to track and monitor progress of priority learners (2 from each class) in Literacy through PLC’s. Staff meetings are held periodically during the term wherein teachers continue to collaborate and discuss best possible ways to help these achieve National Standards. Professional Readings continues to be a focus to unpack the theory and research behind successful strategies for teaching and learning.

Daily Five/ Oral Language Programme: (Please read SENCO Report). One of the junior classes implements the Daily Five Literacy programme to support learners to be independent and develop reading and writing skills and strategies.

*Reading Recovery Report (Please see separate Report)

Please see Analysis of Variance (Principal’s Report) for percentage of achievement. Recommendations;

* To continue to sustain and monitor student acceleration in Literacy through PLC’s.

* Raise the percentage of students achieving ‘at’ to ‘above’.

* To engage parent community through Reading Together and other Literacy information days.

* To organise 2017 intervention programmes that best suits the needs and abilities of our learners.

I look forward to supporting our students to accelerate in their learning and raise achievement levels across the school. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Board for their continued support.

Prepared by

Lydia Victor

Literacy Leader

Notes on St Joseph’s Reading Recovery Programme for the BOT

22 November 2016

Reading Recovery lessons are still being delivered and will continue until the end of school.

The current students are different from those reported on mid-year.

End of year assessments and reporting of data back to the Ministry is underway and will be completed imminently. Testing will include checking on any continuing progress for those students who have discontinued their Reading Recovery lessons.

Results to date for the current four students are as follows:

Student 1,started the programme at the beginning of the year and had their lessons put on hold for part of Term 3 to allow space for other students needing intervention. They are in the process of being discontinued currently and are on the verge of reaching expected standards for the end of Year 2. The classroom teacher indicates that reading and writing have improved to a level where they can work more independently on set tasks in the classroom. This student will need to be monitored for achievement coming into next year however, to ensure that their literacy does not slide back too far over the summer break.

Student 2, picked up in the middle of term 3, has made accelerated progress in reading and writing. This student is now achieving above National Standards in Reading and Writing for their age. This teaching slot is currently being used to provide additional assistance for current students and to complete end of year testing and reporting.