St Joseph’s Primary School - Class...

2013 Annual Report TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

St Joseph’s Primary School

Brunswick West

REGISTERED SCHOOL NUMBER: 0915

St Joseph’s Primary School Brunswick West

2013 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 1

Contents

Our School Vision .................................................................................................................................. 3

School Overview .................................................................................................................................... 4

Principal’s Report .................................................................................................................................. 5

School Education Board Report ........................................................................................................... 7

Education in Faith .................................................................................................................................. 8

Learning & Teaching ............................................................................................................................ 10

Student Wellbeing ................................................................................................................................ 12

Leadership & Management .................................................................................................................. 14

School Community .............................................................................................................................. 17

Financial Performance ......................................................................................................................... 19

Future Directions ................................................................................................................................. 20



Contact Details

ADDRESS

185 Hope Street

Brunswick West 3055

PRINCIPAL Mrs Rosa Wilkinson

PARISH PRIEST Fr Patrick Harvey

SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR Mr Luke Thompson

TELEPHONE (03) 9385 9800

EMAIL [email protected]

WEBSITE www.sjbwickw.catholic.edu.au

Minimum Standards Attestation

I, Rosa Wilkinson, attest that St. Joseph’s is compliant with all of the requirements for

the minimum standards and other requirements for the registration of schools as

specified in the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) and the Education and

Training Reform Regulations 2007 (Vic), except where the school has been granted

an exemption from any of these requirements by the VRQA.

23 May 2014



Our School Vision

St Joseph’s Brunswick West is a Catholic parish primary school founded on a century of care and excellence. As members of the people of God, we base our lives on the life and teachings of Christ and are also guided by the faith and service of Mary MacKillop and the Sisters of St Joseph, ‘to never see a need without doing something about it’. Our commitment to quality, contemporary education nurtures a passion for learning where all are respected and valued. We aim to develop active global citizens with the skills for the 21st

century. We encourage our school values of responsibility, empathy, honesty and respect in our relationships. We recognise the important role that the parish, families and the wider community play in enriching our learning. In our partnerships we welcome and celebrate diversity, creativity, courage and compassion.

St Joseph’s:

united in friendship,

faith and a love of

learning



School Overview

St. Joseph’s, Brunswick West is a Catholic Primary School situated in the inner northern suburbs

of Melbourne. St Joseph’s school was established in 1911 due to a growing population in the

West Brunswick area. St. Joseph’s Parish was formed in February 1913. In 1918 the first Church

was built. The Sisters of St. Joseph were at this time caring for the students. St Joseph’s School

celebrated its centenary in 2011. We celebrated our parish centenary in 2013.

In 1929 work on the current older school buildings began and St. Joseph’s grew rapidly into a

vibrant working class community. At this time, Brunswick was largely an Irish Catholic community,

with many people contributing to the development of the Parish and school. In the 1950’s the

current St. Joseph’s Church was built as the population continued to grow. St Joseph’s welcomed

migrants from Italy, Greece and the Middle East. Each of these groups has had an influence on

St. Joseph’s School, contributing to the atmosphere of acceptance and inclusion which still

permeates the school.

Today, the school offers a comprehensive personalised education to approximately 315 students

from the Parish and drawn from the Western region of Brunswick and Northern area of Parkville.

Parents are encouraged to become involved in the school through a variety of activities and are

an integral part of our school. Parent helpers give support in the classroom and Library programs.

Many parents support the school through their involvement in the Parents & Friends Committee,

School Board, fundraising opportunities, canteen, maintenance/grounds committee and Out of

School Hours Program. The School Advisory Board and portfolio committees also meet regularly

throughout the year.

St. Joseph’s, with a committed and highly professional staff, provides an exceptional standard of

education for all students. There are 13 classroom teachers, supported by specialist teachers and

paraprofessionals in the areas of LOTE (Italian), Library, Literacy, Reading Recovery, Visual Arts,

Physical Education, Learning and Teaching and ICT. Lunchtime clubs provide further

opportunities for choir, craft, technology, literacy and problem solving. School Officers ensure that

the school administration runs effectively and efficiently and provides a friendly and informed

initial point of contact with the school. Specialist instrumental music programs are also offered as

part of our extra curriculum.

As a school we aim to be a significant part of the Parish and local community and our efforts are

directed toward the full development of students and others within a Catholic environment. Every

opportunity is taken to make use of facilities and services offered to the school. Family Masses

celebrated on the last Sunday of each month offer full involvement in the Parish. Class Masses

and whole school Masses are also celebrated throughout the year at either the Sunday Mass

times or during the term. Education in Faith and social justice is a significant part of our mission.



Principal’s Report

As the newly appointed principal of St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School it is with great

pleasure that I write the Principal’s Report for the 2013 Annual Report to the Community. On

my arrival at the school in Term 4 it was wonderful to witness how the community had worked

together to accommodate the transition from one principal to another, with an Acting Principal

in between. A change of leadership is always challenging for any community, however St.

Joseph’s had “weathered the storm” admirably. After a warm welcome from all members of the

community it was time to get down to business.

The staff were able to deliver quality education to the students while farewelling their principal

Genevieve Moss, facing a change of leadership and operating under Acting Principal, Richard

Keele, in Term 3. On my arrival Carmel Molluso and the Leadership team informed me of the

outstanding work that had been produced in the science unit earlier in the year. It is a known

fact that students in general are very motivated by hands on and discovery type activities;

science fits the bill on both these accounts. The purchase of new science equipment, expert

input to students, parent involvement and a science expo where experiments took place and

discoveries were shared, made this unit of work an engaging one for all involved. The students

were still talking about it when I arrived in October!

The teachers were also involved in extensive professional development focusing on

“Instructional Rounds” with educational consultant Chris Egan. This involved a rigorous process

where teachers identified areas of skill development to focus on both individually and as a team.

Teachers received input; they were carried out observation rounds and received feedback on

their performance. This valuable work is crucial in delivering quality teaching to our students. I

would like to thank the staff for being so open to this process and for continually giving of their

best to the students.

One of the first aspects I noticed about St. Joseph’s was the close relationship which exists

between the parish and the school. This is witnessed through the continual support and

presence of Fr.Patrick Harvey in the school. It is obvious for all to see that the school is a high

priority for Fr.Pat and I sincerely thank him for his support. The monthly Sunday family masses

and the sacramental programs also unite the school and the parish in a unique way. Our

children live in the parish and continue to live in the parish after they leave primary school.

Therefore it is important to build and encourage their relationship with the parish.

It was also obvious that the parents at St.Joseph’s are very committed to, and involved in the

life of the school. My first encounter with parents was at the Father’s Day breakfast, hosted by

the Parents and Friends Association. What a great turnout! That was the first of many social

events where I witnessed the great bond that so many parents share with one another. The

Christmas Carols was also a highlight for me. The children and teachers put on a great

performance and once again the social bonds between the parents were evident when the staff

tried to clear the grounds at the end of the night! There was much socialising and merriment

had by all.



Parent groups such as the Parents and Friends Association (P&F) and the Parish Education

Board are pivotal when involving parents in the life of a parish school. Both groups have

contributed to creating a vital and energetic parent involvement. Thank you to the P&F for

raising crucial funds for the school, for the many sausage sizzles conducted and for helping

raise funds for different charities. Thank you also to the Parish Education Board whose function

is so crucial in supporting Fr.Pat and myself in setting directions for the school. The board

played an important role in the appointment of a new principal. They were also involved in

ratifying policies, advising Fr.Pat and myself on matters such as enrolments, the implementation

of new programs and processes and liaising with the local council on traffic matters.

The canteen also plays an important role in providing nutritious food to the students and

involving parents in the school as canteen helpers. Many relationships are built through being a

canteen helper. Lisa Robortella is a dedicated and committed worker and we thank her for all

her efforts.

I would especially like to thank the Deputy Principal, Carmel Molluso, who was an enormous

support to me when I first arrived at the school. Her guidance and direction in that first term was

much appreciated. I would also like to thank the leaders on staff who work tirelessly in their

respective areas. Anne Feain’s work with special needs students is outstanding; the support

offered to the children is multilayered from one–to-one support, group support, lunch-time clubs,

support of teachers and specialist staff. Paul Staniscia’s work in the areas of both Numeracy

and ICT has reaped many benefits. The students have been producing increasingly strong

results in maths over a period of time and the ICT area is undergoing extensive development.

Sally Scicluna and Sonia Scott also delivered a comprehensive Student Wellbeing Program with

the introduction of Family Buddies and several other wellbeing initiatives designed to support

and educate the students about their emotions and how to manage them. Laura Cristini took on

the busy role of Religious Education Leader in 2013 and worked closely with Fr.Pat in

organising liturgies and sacramental programs. Thank you to all the leaders for all they do for St.

Joseph’s.

Finally, learning about, and living out, our Catholic faith was a major focus for the year. We

believe that in order for one’s faith to be developed fully it needs to be a lived faith which

permeates all we do at St. Joseph’s. Faith development does not only take place during

religious education lessons. Whilst doctrine is taught and discussions take place at this time,

living out one’s faith takes place continually throughout the day. Therefore providing justice and

equity for all students is a faith issue; treating one another with respect and fairness is a faith

issue; celebrating our Catholic faith at masses, paraliturgies and assemblies is a faith issue. We

emphasise to our students that we live out our Christian Catholic faith at all times. This is the

faith that Mary MacKillop spoke about when she said, “to never see a need without doing

something about it.” This is the faith that Jesus challenges us to take on in order that we may be

spirit filled people.

Rosa Wilkinson - Principal



School Education Board Report

Boards in parish primary schools are an advisory body offering council to the school principal

and the parish priest on school matters. Members of the board are the Parish Priest - Fr Pat

Harvey, School Principal - Ms Rosa Wilkinson, representatives from school bodies, teachers -

Ms Sonja Scott, OSCH - Ms Jenny Delprete, Parents and Friends - Ms Nicole Guarino, Parish

Council - Mr Luke Wilson, Parents - Mr George Koulis, Mr Alex Marchione, Mr Nick Hagiliassis

and Mr Luke Thompson.

The Board is supported by Portfolio Groups acting as sub-committees and reporting to the

board. Portfolio groups are focused in areas of Faith and Community, Property and Resources,

Community and Policy. The Board and Portfolio groups meets four times a year and individual

Portfolio Groups meeting more frequently if required.

The board has contributed and advised on a number of topics and issues this year including:

Continued lobbying for transport safety, namely reduction of speed limit on Melville Road

with a submission to VicRoads in conjunction with other local schools and local member

Ratification of a revised school vision statement

Recruitment of a new principal

ICT planning

The board also completed a professional learning seminar held by the Catholic Education Office,

‘Building Better Boards’.

I am always impressed by the number and calibre of people who give their time and energy

toward making St. Joseph’s Primary School not only a great place to learn but also be

associated with. Being a board or portfolio group member is a fabulous way to contribute to the

school community as well as a fantastic way to meet other parents and staff not directly in your

circle of contact. I am proud of the support St. Joseph’s receives from all aspects of the school

community, much of it from volunteers and always with fantastic results. For this, I thank you all.

Also my deepest gratitude goes to my fellow board and portfolio group members, parents and

friends, parish council, OSHC and of course parents as it is their support makes the board the

pleasurable task it is.

I would also like to recognise staff for their commitment and passion in devising and delivering

the personalised programs making learning interesting and fun.

Looking forward to next year, there is much to be done making plenty of opportunity for anyone

to be involved.

Luke Thompson

Chair St. Joseph's Primary School Board



.

Education in Faith

Goals & Intended Outcomes

To continue to foster and understand the Catholic Identity of St Joseph’s

To continue to develop and strengthen the links between the school and

parish community

That personal and community engagement be further developed through enhanced behaviour and opportunities in social justice

Achievements

At St Joseph’s we have worked hard to provide opportunities for all members of the school community to reflect on and develop their faith. We have done this through regular invitation to participate in prayer, liturgy and the sacraments, as well as working toward fostering a contemporary understanding of prayer and liturgy. We have had significant success in reaching our targets of improving meaningful opportunities for prayer and worship. There has been an upward trend for most stakeholders in the responses for Social Justice in the Education and Faith survey.

To assist in faith development for all, we aim to foster an understanding of

contemporary prayer, as well as ensuring the opportunity for regular participation in

prayer and liturgy. A strategic plan was followed for this to occur, which began with the

appointment of a Religious Education Leader with one full day of release per week

dedicated to this role since 2009. The staff professional have received extensive

professional development in Christian Meditation and this practice continues to be a

feature at the beginning of each school day.



The 2013 school year was significant for both the parish and the school of St.Joseph’s

as the parish celebrated its 100 year anniversary. This was marked in a variety of ways

with the parish and the school coming together as one community celebrating with

special masses, a parish ball, and an organ recital. The100 year anniversary culminated

with a mass celebrated by the Archbishop Hart in November. The yearlong events were

a fitting way to honour the significant work that had gone into building St.Joseph’s

parish by past and present parishioners.

St Joseph’s community is invited to celebrate Mass on a regular basis, providing many

opportunities for evangelisation. Each class is scheduled to participate in liturgy each

term, with students taking part in the liturgy. A new family mass structure was trialled

with the class/grade levels hosting the family masses once a month; between 10 and 70

children and their families taking part in the children’s liturgy. Prayer routines exist in

class, with students experiencing and facilitating prayer on a daily basis. Students, staff

and parents also have the opportunity to pray together at school assemblies which

occur on a weekly basis. Year 6 Leaders have extra leadership responsibilities in

Education in Faith and have opportunities to represent St Joseph’s at events such as St

Patrick’s Day Mass and the children’s Mission Mass at the Cathedral. St Joseph’s offers

Sacramental Programs and preparation for students and parents in Years 3

(Reconciliation), Year 4 (Eucharist) and Year 6 (Confirmation). St Joeseph’s students

also ‘socked it’ to poverty during ‘Socktober;’ a wonderful campaign run during mission

month to raise awareness about poverty. Students were involved in class and buddy

activities to help educate them and encourage them to ‘take action’.

Opportunities for staff faith development have occurred in a variety of ways. Teachers

are involved in regular professional learning focused on Education in Faith and RE.

They attend an annual staff conference providing the opportunity for personal faith

development. This year our two day staff conference was dedicated to reflecting on our

own spiritual journey and how this impacts our work as teachers. Staff meetings begin

with prayer provided by teachers. We offer adult Education in Faith opportunities and

participation has increased.

At St Joseph’s we have worked explicitly to create a strong partnership between the

school and parish. We have put many things in place to create this partnership. The

School Board is divided into portfolios, one being the Faith and Community portfolio.

This highlights the value placed on Education in Faith in our community. We are

involved in an induction program for Seminarians annually. Staff, in particular the

Principal and RE Leader, works closely with parish staff and Father Patrick Harvey.

School families and staff fully support parish events, such as the annual dinner dance.

Parents are welcome to take part and offer input in a variety of ways including surveys,

the school board, parents and friends meetings and Parish Council. The parish calendar

is also aligned to our school events.



Learning & Teaching


To strengthen students’ engagement in learning through further developing quality teaching

That consistent teaching expectations are identified and developed That feedback and reflection protocols are identified and developed That consistent vocabulary, skills and language are identified and developed That data is collected and analysed to track and drive student improvement and outcomes in all curriculum areas, including Religious

Education.

Achievements

Through strategic, focused professional learning for teachers, and the provision of a

wide and varied curriculum, we have worked to maximise growth for all students in all

dimensions of their learning. We have extended our knowledge and skills in the area of

Inquiry and use inquiry pedagogy across the curriculum. We believe students benefit

from open-ended tasks and encourage them to solve problems in a variety of ways.

To further improve student engagement in learning, teachers have had the opportunity

to develop their skills through a variety of professional learning experiences, with a

focus on the use of consistent pedagogy and language. Teachers now employ the

inquiry process readily and effectively, gathering data on student interests, using this

data to guide their planning. Teachers have been developing their knowledge and skills

in how best to personalise learning for all students.

In 2013 teachers continued to develop their skills in implementing the inquiry approach

to learning. The school embarked on two whole school inquiry units in the areas of

Science and Australian History. The students were initially immersed in these areas and

then encouraged to formulate questions about areas they wanted to further explore.

Their findings were then presented to the community at the Science and Australian

History Expos. Within these units, skills in the areas of oral language, questioning and

critical thinking became a focus.

In the area of literacy Reciprocal Reading was introduced in Years 3 to 6. This program

involves a group of children, facilitated by a teacher, exploring a particular novel. The

students were encouraged to think critically about the novel using Blooms questioning –

a thinking skills strategy. Critical thinking was also highlighted in the area of numeracy

with problem solving strategies to solve worded mathematical problems becoming a

focus. A number of resources were purchased for all of the above areas in order to

enhance learning.



PROPORTION OF STUDENTS MEETING THE MININUM STANDARDS

NAPLAN TESTS 2011

%

2012

%

2011–2012

Changes

%

2013

%

2012–2013

Changes

%

YR 03 Reading 100.0 97.6 -2.4 100.0 2.4

YR 03 Writing 100.0 100.0 0.0 100.0 0.0

YR 03 Spelling 100.0 95.1 -4.9 100.0 4.9

YR 03 Grammar & Punctuation 100.0 97.6 -2.4 100.0 2.4

YR 03 Numeracy 97.4 100.0 2.6 97.8 -2.2

YR 05 Reading 100.0 100.0 0.0 100.0 0.0

YR 05 Writing 100.0 98.1 -1.9 100.0 1.9

YR 05 Spelling 100.0 100.0 0.0 100.0 0.0

YR 05 Grammar & Punctuation 100.0 98.1 -1.9 94.7 -3.4

YR 05 Numeracy 100.0 100.0 0.0 94.7 -5.3

PROPORTION OF STUDENTS MEETING THE MINIMUM STANDARDS IN YEARS 3 & 5

NAPLAN TESTS

2011

%

2012

%

2011–2012

Changes

%

2013

%

2012–2013

Changes

%

YEAR 3 READING 100.0 97.6 -2.4 100.0 2.4

YEAR 3 WRITING 100.0 100.0 0.0 100.0 0.0

YEAR 3 SPELLING 100.0 95.1 -4.9 100.0 4.9

YEAR 3 GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION 100.0 97.6 -2.4 100.0 2.4

YEAR 3 NUMERACY 97.4 100.0 2.6 97.8 -2.2

YEAR 5 READING 100.0 100.0 0.0 100.0 0.0

YEAR 5 WRITING 100.0 98.1 -1.9 100.0 1.9

YEAR 5 SPELLING 100.0 100.0 0.0 100.0 0.0

YEAR 5 GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION 100.0 98.1 -1.9 94.7 -3.4

YEAR 5 NUMERACY 100.0 100.0 0.0 94.7 -5.3

The Naplan results for Year 3 and 5 continue to show strong results in the areas of

Reading, Writing and Spelling with 100% of students reaching the National Minimum

Standards. 100% of Year 3 students and 94.7% of students in Year 5 reached the

National Minimum Standards in Grammar and Punctuation.

In the area of Numeracy 97.8% of students in Year 3 reached the National Minimum

Standards and 94.7% of Year 5 students reached the National Minimum Standards. A

focus in the area of problem solving will continue in 2014.



Student Wellbeing


To continue to work in partnership with parents to provide opportunities for students to develop their social and emotional intelligence

To provide social and emotional programs that scaffold and support student development

That student connectedness to school and peers be improved That student wellbeing is fostered through engagement in a rich and diverse curriculum That explicit Social and Emotional Programs (Restorative Practices, Start Up, FisT, CASEA) continue and CEO initiatives such as SEL are explored

Achievements

St.Joseph’s Student Wellbeing program is a high priority in the school. Sonia Scott and

Sally Scicluna shared the role of Student Wellbeing Leaders in 2013. The development

of the Start Up Program has had an impact on the development of Gospel values at St

Joseph’s. This program is a whole school initiative which occurs in the first two weeks of

the year. It focuses on our school values, relationships and expectations. Teachers and

students take time to get to know each other and set up their class for the year. Values

are explicitly taught and displayed in classrooms and around the school. At all

assemblies a Mary MacKillop Values award is presented to acknowledge values in

action in our school community. Also, acknowledgement of others in our community

such as our crossing inspector, on their positive contribution also highlights values

being lived in our community.

Since our accreditation as a Restorative Practices school in 2010, we continue to

ensure ongoing professional learning in this area for all staff. The benefits of this

approach, along with the Start Up Program, are obvious and reflected in the SRC

students. All new staff members attend professional learning in Restorative Practices on

appointment.

The Family Buddies Program was also implemented in 2013. Each teacher was

allocated a group of students form Prep to Year 6; this group was known as the Family

Buddy Group and met regularly. The aim was for the students to create relationships

and encourage leadership and respect for one another across year levels.

Each class also implemented Circle Time; this time provides an opportunity for children

to discuss important issues that may be taking place either in or out of the classroom

and causing them concern. Facilitated by the teacher, children can share their concerns

in a safe environment and come up with strategies.



St.Joseph’s School also holds a variety of Lunchtime Clubs for the students. They cover

such areas as dance, chess, lego and origami. Children are able to choose whether

they want to play outside or participate in a club. These clubs are especially beneficial

to those children who find the lunchtime break challenging.

Other programs that promote positive social relationships include programs developed

in conjunction with the Mental Health Department at the Children’s Hospital. These are

the CASEA (Prep –Year 2) and Feeling is Thinking, FisT (Year 3-Year 6) Programs.

These programs, which began in 2008, target students with social and emotional needs

and are enhanced by parent / school partnership and include teacher training as well as

parent input and education. The Life Education Van visited in 2013; this is a service

which gives the students general information about the different drugs – legal ones such

as tobacco and alcohol – which exist in our society.

As part of the National Chaplaincy Program, we have been able to continue to employ a

chaplain to work with students and their families who may be experiencing grief, anxiety

or another issue requiring a listening ear. A school psychologist was also employed in

order to provide students and families with support through counselling. The

psychologist also carries out assessments when necessary with the approval of the

parents. All personnel involved in Student Wellbeing come together on a regular basis

to discuss students’ needs.

Further to the Student Wellbeing role, we have a Special Education Leader who

facilitates internal professional learning opportunities, gifted program, as well as

differentiated learning plans and PSGs. Our Wellbeing, Special Needs and Behaviour

Management and Bullying policy documents reflect our belief in educating the whole

child and respecting them as individuals.

AVERAGE STUDENT ATTENDANCE RATE BY YEAR LEVEL %

Year 1 95.18

Year 2 93.81

Year 3 97.13

Year 4 95.31

Year 5 95.52

Year 6 94.67

Overall average attendance 95.27

Parents phone in to notify the school of absence. In situations of extended absence (more than two days) with no contact from a parent, the teacher/Principal will contact the parent for details and to offer appropriate support if required.



Leadership & Management


To continue to foster a professional learning community, with student outcomes as a core focus

To ensure that there is effective and efficient management of resources, both human and physical

That staff engagement and learning will be improved through enhanced supportive leadership That teaching and leadership expertise is developed, so as to improve student learning outcomes in all areas of the curriculum That resourcing is directly linked to enhancing student outcomes

Achievements

At St Joseph’s we continue to focus on building teacher capacity through providing

many opportunities for professional dialogue and structures such as professional

learning teams, a strategic planning timetable which provides levels with the opportunity

to plan together and staff meetings focusing on professional learning and

communication. Our Professional Learning budget was extended to support

professional mentors (including Jeni Wilson, Daniel Birch, Chris Egan,) to work with

specific staff learning needs based on the School Improvement Plan. Teachers discuss

and work collaboratively to improve the learning outcomes.

In 2013 working collaboratively was mostly evidenced in the new initiative of

Instructional Rounds in which all staff participated. This strategy was facilitated by

Educational Consultant Chris Egan, and involved teachers observing their peers,

concentrating on the teacher, the task and the student. The teachers then came

together to formulate a list of “Theories of Action” – a structure or skill for the classroom

that encourages effective teaching and deep learning. For example, we know that

children benefit from clear and regular feedback from their peers and teachers;

therefore it is beneficial for this theory of action to be present in the classroom.

Within the Instructional Round process teachers were encouraged to explore what is

quality teaching and then give feedback of both a positive and critical nature. Teachers

then chose a Theory of Action to implement in their class and present to the staff at a

staff meeting. The teachers spoke about how a particular theory of action impacted on

students’ learning. Theories of Action were then documented for future reference.



At St Joseph’s, we have established a clear, shared educational vision, reinforced by

many opportunities which have led to high levels of professional growth. We have

established efficient and effective timetables and processes which are followed to

support the orderly and calm operation of our school. These timetables and processes,

as well as high expectations, encourage high levels of staff team work in a variety of

team settings. Positions of Leadership have been established in priority focus areas,

with these leaders all having an active role on the leadership team and all staff invited to

participate in leadership team meetings. A formal mentoring program has also been put

in place for new teachers, giving them the opportunity to have an experienced staff

member to refer to when required.

Our Personalised Learning philosophy promotes all staff being responsible for all

students. This philosophy has led to the class structures we have in place as well as the

employment of paraprofessionals and teachers as support staff from Prep to Year 6

students. Support teachers include Literacy and Learning and Teaching Leaders,

Reading Recovery, Maths Intervention and Literacy support as well as Team Leaders.

Parent helpers, with appropriate in-school training, also offer added support in the

classroom.

In fourth term the staff were also involved in an extensive audit of all programs and

processes implemented throughout the year. This allowed the staff to give valuable

feedback about a variety of areas to the Leadership Team who were then involved in

planning for 2014.

The Parish School Advisory Board comprises three sub-committees of Faith and

Community, Property and Resources and Policy. This structure provides greater

community input into the school as a wider group of people are invited to participate and

give feedback. Each year they set achievable goals that will support the vision for the

school. These goals include, review and update relevant policies, data and feedback

collection, school vegetable garden, grants and funding, parent choir and outreach

opportunities.

TEACHING STAFF ATTENDANCE RATE 95.78%

STAFF RETENTION RATE 85.00%



EXPENDITURE AND TEACHER PARTICIPATION IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

DESCRIPTION OF PL UNDERTAKEN IN 2012

Leadership, First Aid, Restorative Practices, Inquiry and Personalised Learning, Network meetings (ICT, Literacy, Learning and Teaching, Wellbeing and Maths), Special and Gifted Education, Intervention (Literacy and Numeracy), Assessment, Student Wellbeing, Instructional Rounds.

NUMBER OF TEACHERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN PL 35

AVERAGE EXPENDITURE PER TEACHER FOR PL $3,000

STAFF COMPOSITION

PRINCIPAL CLASS 5

TEACHING STAFF (HEAD COUNT) 27

FTE TEACHING STAFF 26.300

NON-TEACHING STAFF (HEAD COUNT) 11

FTE NON-TEACHING STAFF 6.389

INDIGENOUS TEACHING STAFF 0

TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS

DOCTORATE

0.00%

MASTERS 8.33%

GRADUATE 25.00%

CERTIFICATE GRADUATE 4.17%

DEGREE BACHELOR 58.33%

DIPLOMA ADVANCED 0.00%

NO QUALIFICATIONS LISTED 0.00%



School Community


To enhance parent connectedness with the parish school community

To provide opportunities to deepen parents understanding of and involvement in the learning process

That parents are provided with opportunities to engage in the learning process, particularly in personalised learning That structures are provided to connect parents within the parish school community That our school supports and interacts with the wider community in a collaborative relationship

Achievements

We value and welcome parents as partners in education and provide opportunities for them to

be involved in student learning, as well as developing their own learning with the Parent Helper

Course and Parent Information Evenings, which include support tips on how to help your child

at home.

The development of the School Advisory Board and the sub-committee portfolios ensures more

parents are able to participate and have input into the school. They liaise with the council in

relation to issues such as working on the school crossing and traffic issues, etc. Parents and

staff have also created links with the local community newspaper, helping us to highlight issues

to the wider community, as well as marketing and celebrating important events.

Parents and families have many opportunities to become involved in the community through

informal functions and social events. These events further develop the links between school and

parish. St. Joseph’s Centenary celebrations also brought the community together in a unique

way. Family Masses offer an opportunity for parishioners to get to know each other with

morning tea after Mass, and barbecues after Mass on special occasions (such as Prep

Welcome at the Beginning of the Year). The wider parish and surrounding community are

invited to attend school events such as the Fete, and the senior students reach out to the

elderly with their fortnightly visit to a local nursing home. Other important events include the

biannual School Ball, the annual Parish Ball, the biannual School Fete, the Christmas Carols,

Parent Information Evenings, Reunions, Blessings, and many other social occasions.

Opportunities facilitated by internal and external professional staff have also provided

information for parents in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy to further support their children’s

learning

All parish and school events are well organised with a multitude of volunteers. Events such as

the Parish and School Balls, Trivia Nights, etc. are usually sold out well before the event. All

funds raised by the P & F go towards school improvement, such as the funding of the new turf

on the playgrounds. This is very representative of the community commitment at St Joseph’s as

most of the community is willing to contribute in a variety of capacities.



Community links have been developed with local charities and council organisations. Students

are involved in excursions to local places of interest, meeting guest speakers and developing

community links. Parents and local community members are invited to say to students and

share their expertise when required.

School Improvement Surveys

The Catholic Education Office requires all Catholic schools to conduct a range of surveys as part of

the School Improvement Framework. Parents, students and staff are offered the opportunity to

complete these surveys and the results are communicated to the school where they are used to

inform our Annual Action Plan.

In 2013 St.Joesph’s underwent a change of leadership on two occasions. Genevieve Moss left at the

end of term 2 and Richard Keele, the Acting Principal was employed to run the school in term 3.

Though necessary, this was a challenging and unsettling time for the school. The staff survey

reflects this with a significant dip in the area of role clarity. However they indicated that they held a

very positive view of student engagement and behaviour, team based practice and teaching and

learning. They found the professional learning particularly helpful in building their teaching capacity

and confidence. They recognised that developing contemporary learning practices is essential for

student engagement but that it does result in additional pressures.

The student survey results indicated that student motivation remained consistently high. Learning

confidence and teacher empathy was relatively strong and that the general climate was a positive

one. Students in general felt a connectedness to the school but indicated that there was room for

improvement in classroom behavior. Responses regarding student safety showed that students were

positive in this area.

The move to increasing student voice in learning, through the implementation of a personalised

curriculum, had seen some challenges. However, this also resulted in improved student learning

and a school community which supports students to develop the skills for life-long learning, namely

ownership of and accountability for their learning - skills that are essential for long term resilience

and wellbeing.

The parent survey also reflected the effect in the change of leadership; there was a dip in the areas

of community engagement and learning opportunity. However the areas of student engagement and

peer relations were strong.

The Catholic Culture section of the survey reflected strong result from the students. They indicated

that it is important to celebrate and live out your faith and that the school provided them with many

opportunities to do this. The staff and parents results indicated that more opportunities to express

their faith are needed; they both agreed that expressing one’s catholic identity is extremely

important.



Financial Performance

REPORTING FRAMEWORK MODIFIED CASH

$

Recurrent income Tuition

School fees 187,959

Other fee income 199,455

Private income 85,290

State government recurrent grants 614,056

Australian government recurrent grants 1,829,259

Total recurrent income 2,916,019

Recurrent Expenditure Tuition

Salaries; allowances and related expenses 1,993,137

Non salary expenses 495,691

Total recurrent expenditure 2,488,828

Capital income and expenditure Tuition

Government capital grants -

Capital fees and levies 145,802

Other capital income 79,899

Total capital income 225,701

Total capital expenditure 86,784

Loans (includes refundable enrolment deposits and recurrent, capital

and bridging loans)

Total opening balance 444,175

Total closing balance 318,175

Note that the information provided above does not include the following items:

System levies charged to individual schools, intra-systemic transfers and diocesan supplementary capital fund (SCF) supported borrowings for primary schools. The information provided is not comparable with other educational sectors. This VRQA template is not comparable to the ACARA school-level income reporting requirements which are to be reported on the MySchool website. ACARA school level reporting requirements will require system level income from Government grants and some private income to be allocated by school. This will be a small adjustment in relation to the total level of school resources. At this stage, recurrent income from Government sources, school generated income and capital expenditure are to be reported by

schools. Additionally when assessing the private income of the school include both recurrent and capital school fees.



Future Directions

St.Joseph’s community was involved in writing a new Vision Statement in 2012. It is this

Vision Statement that guides us when setting directions for the future. As members of a

Catholic parish we are called to be active members in the community, reaching out to

those in need. Therefore, there are plans to extend our involvement with the parish and

the nursing homes in the area, visiting and sharing different activities with parishioners

and the elderly. The Parish Education Board, through the portfolio committees, will be

investigating ways to engage with the parish and local community.

The goal to support each child to reach their potential continues to be a strong vision for

our dynamic community. Our “commitment to quality, contemporary education” is our

overriding focus as we expand the ICT program in the school. The personalised

approach to learning will continue to be developed as we provide richer and deeper

learning experiences for our students. There will be a focus on making the learning

visible for our students so that they are aware of what they have achieved and where

they need to go to next in their learning. Performing Arts will also be a feature in the

future giving our students the opportunity to let their talents in the area of drama, dance

and music to shine.

Involvement of and consultation with parents will also be a future focus as we recognise

the important role “the wider community play in enriching our learning.” Creating

opportunities for parents to become involved in the school will be developed.

Opportunities for parents to discuss educational and parenting issues will also be

enhanced through the Parent Conversation Program.

I appreciate and thank the partnership, tireless work and support of families and staff in

our community who have contributed to making St. Joseph’s the vibrant community it is

today. I wish to express my appreciation to Fr Patrick Harvey, our guiding mentor, and

our staff for their dedication, and to the Board, Portfolio Committees and Parents and

Friends for their continued support and partnership at St Joseph’s. Also congratulations

and gratitude goes to our delightful students who continue to be outstanding

ambassadors and a source of great joy and hope for the future.

St Joseph’s Primary School - Class...

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