PRINCIPAL’S REPORT - saps.catholic.edu.au AGM Booklet-Principal... · PRINCIPAL’S REPORT ......

ST AUGUSTINE’S PARISH SCHOOL

2015 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

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PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

INTRODUCTION It is with a great sense of pride in community achievement that I present the 2015 report to the Annual General Meeting of the St Augustine’s School Board. The report outlines and expands upon key areas in the life of the school and our legal reporting requirements of the Australian Education Act in conjunction with the responsibilities of a School Board of a Catholic Diocesan school in South Australia. 2015 was a year which saw significant change in education and employment, both at the local level and on the national horizon. This report will distil the impact of local and national agenda and its effect on the St Augustine’s community. We will illuminate how we have forged our identity as a Catholic Parish School in the local environs of the economically and sometimes socially challenged Northern suburbs of Adelaide. Cognizant of the impact of the closure of General Motors Holden and the subsequent devastation of local manufacturing industries, we have strived to focus on the positive and to involve ourselves in the restructuring programs of the north, particularly Northern Futures, as a vital part of our outreach to those on the margins. St Augustine’s is a Catholic Parish School in the Salisbury Parish and proudly shares deep connections with the two other schools: Thomas More College and Holy Family Catholic School. The uniqueness of our situation is underpinned by our Dominican tradition and spirit, which is lived out as Veritas in our daily lives and strategic planning for the future. We enjoy and are nurtured by a close affiliation with the other Catholic schools in the Central Region. In 2015 there was a change of leadership with the appointment of an Acting Deputy Principal while Josette Charles assumed the role of Acting Principal at St John the Baptist at Plympton. While the role was initially for one term, it soon extended to the end of Term 4, 2015. Ms Kerri Dent applied for and won the position of Acting Deputy Principal at St Augustine’s for the year. Kerri’s experience as a leader and RE Consultant brought a depth of wisdom and understandings surrounding Catholic leadership. We thank Kerri for her work in this domain and for the many gifts that she brought so generously to the role and to the community in general. In 2015, we continued our work welcoming families to the school community and connecting in a broader sense with the wider local community. In 2014, we recognised that many people did not know of the existence of the school and so we employed a new Enrolments Registrar and school promotions person, Leanne Wood. In 2015, Leanne’s work embraced our school vision and strategically placed the school in the consciousness of the wider community by building new partnerships and welcoming those on the margins. We forged new and exciting partnerships with all the local preschools and many commercial and community identities, including Bendigo Bank, the University of South Australia, Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange as well as our sister schools in the Salisbury Parish. Throughout 2015, St Augustine’s continued to work towards engaging with new initiatives and continuous change for improvement. Nurturing a love of learning in



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each child lies at the heart of our core business. Teaching for excellence for each individual requires acquisition of knowledge and skills as well as the seven General Capabilities of the Australian Curriculum, Literacy, Numeracy, Information and Communication Technology capability, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability, ethical understanding and intercultural understanding. In 2015 we continued to encourage our children and young people to strive for excellence for both themselves and their peers, nourished by their Catholic Faith. St Augustine’s continued to improve educational standards through initiatives in all nine curriculum areas. The school community interrogated and applied best practice in teaching and learning which placed the child at the centre of our professional endeavours. We operated in a culture of high demandingness and high support for both teachers and students while exploring the provocation, “How do we welcome the competent, capable and intelligent child?” This report provides a synopsis of the academic year 2015. It will also be available on our website - http://www.saps.catholic.edu.au/. SCHOOL PERFORMANCE INFORMATION Introduction As required by the “Australian Education Act”, St Augustine’s Parish School has produced an annual performance report. This report provides information in three key areas:

Professional Engagement

Key Student outcomes

Satisfaction We hope that you find this report useful and welcome any comments or questions about the information contained in this report. This report is for the 2015 school year. Professional Engagement 1 Provision of contextual information about the school St Augustine’s Parish School is an R-7 campus, which lies in the heart of Salisbury and caters for the educational needs of children and their families in the wider Salisbury area. St Augustine’s Parish School raison d’être is to support sustainable, inclusive and rich contemporary learning for the whole school community now and into the future by embracing the Australian Curriculum, Crossways, Made in the Image of God and Keeping Them Safe Child Protection Curriculum. Our practice, policies and planning, and our commitment to the holistic formation of young people are shaped by the rich understandings of the complex nature of children’s work and the multifaceted ways in which children learn. Through these foundational understandings, we seek to provide possibilities for a varied delivery of blended virtual, face-to-face and self-directed social learning in a safe and flexible environment whilst always placing the needs of the child at the centre of our endeavour.

http://www.saps.catholic.edu.au/



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Specialised Programs are in place to cater for rich and robust inclusive education and the accommodations are documented through the student’s Individual Education Plan and supported by two Inclusive Education Teachers and a Special Education Consultant from Catholic Education South Australia (CESA). We complete the national disability audit (NCCD) each year to provide rich data to the government and hopefully support for those at risk. English as Another Language (EAL) learners are supported both in the classroom and in small groups by an EAL teacher, Carol Trebilcock. Whilst children with social and emotional needs are supported by the school’s Making Space for Learning Project, Mentoring, Restorative Practice the School Counsellor, the Transition Teacher and the School Chaplain. Enrolments come from existing families, old scholars, our website, Facebook, electronic signage and word of mouth as well as the new school marketing advertising in local kindergartens and our community strategy. Presence in the community is a significant factor in supporting the wider community and enabling families and community partners to build a relationship with our school. Performing Arts, Indonesian and Physical Education & Health are specialist areas for children’s learning. We have a Science focus and use the Primary Connections program to support work in this area. Two Science Key Teachers share a Position of Responsibility Level 1 to support students and teachers in this critical work. To further expand our work of learning and teaching, we provide a Literacy Coach and a Numeracy Coach to support these core learning areas. The school provides services to the community through OSHC and Vacation Care, a daily healthy canteen, Breakfast Club and private instrumental tuition and extra-curricular Sports Program. Please visit the school website for further information. From information provided to Commonwealth Census on the Internet August 2015: Student Enrolments for 2015 Reception 111 Year 1 67 Year 2 89 Year 3 87 Year 4 71 Year 5 69 Year 6 76 Year 7 57 Total 627

Number of Indigenous Enrolments: Reception 2 Year 1 0 Year 2 0 Year 3 2 Year 4 2 Year 5 3 Year 6 1 Year 7 1 Total 11

Percentage of students with disabilities = 4.94% Social Economic Status (SES) – 86.00 2 Staff Attendance Teaching staff attendance for 2015 was 85.04%. This was 7.85% below 2014

(92.89%).



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3. Staff Retention In Term 1 2015, 82.5% of our teaching staff was retained from the previous year.

We celebrate the expertise, talent and commitment that our new staff members bring to the community.

4. Staff Qualifications The table below indicates the professional qualifications of our staff –

Masters Degree

Bachelor Degree

Advanced Diploma

Graduate Diploma

Diploma Graduate Certificate

Certificate

12 48 1 5 11 9 2

5. Workforce Composition, including Indigenous composition In 2015, the teaching staff composition was as follows: Males 8 Females 40 Number of teaching staff = 48 with a Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of 37.05 Number of Non-Teaching staff = 39 with a FTE of 16.2 (this figures does not

include any additional casual hours) In 2015, there has been 100% participation by the teaching and ancillary staff in professional learning. There has been a wide range of Professional Learning involving the whole school, Year Level Teams, Sub Schools, Key Learning Areas and individual staff. Pupil free days, staff meetings, sub school meetings and individual teacher time was used for professional learning. Some of the professional learning that has informed teaching practice in 2015 included: Religious Education Work Based Action Research Projects National Literacy and Numeracy Test

training Inclusive Education Re-Imagining Childhood – Reggio

Emilia -Landscapes for Learning Conference

Trauma Training- Making Space for Learning Project

Restorative Practice Keeping Them Safe Child Protection

Curriculum

National Disability Standards Training

Work Health Safety Training Science Reading to Learn Music Choir Asia Education Australian Early Development

Index (AEDI) training Re- Imagining Childhood Project NAPLAN Training Responding to Abuse & Neglect

Training As we re-imagined St Augustine’s, we brought to the forefront the delight of children’s creativity and potential in all things. We placed the child at the centre of all our endeavours. The staff engaged with CESA Project of Re-Imagining Childhood from 0-18 and Making Space for Learning (social emotional project), and Restorative Practice was introduced to the school through our work with Bill Hansberry. This was a whole of school focus, which was extrapolated from the work that we had explored with the Trauma Sensitive Schools Project and our rich Catholic teaching surrounding Reconciliation. A culture of critical reflection and professional sharing of best practice across the school continued to drive and shape exciting innovations which became integral to the learning culture of the school. St Augustine’s teachers have in-serviced each other and teachers from other schools across the Archdiocese, sharing cutting edge



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pedagogy and multi modal content delivery. Teachers looked at Visible Learning strategies (Learning Intentions, Success Criteria) and open-ended questioning techniques and instructional feedback. Lead Learners offered Classroom Walkthrough experiences to teachers in their sub schools.

In 2015, we engaged in a whole school Literacy Project with Tony Hole from CESA. The focus of the work centred around improvement in making meaning from texts in literal, inferential and evaluative comprehension, as well as improving the engagement of students in the writing process and improvement in the expanded use of grammar and vocabulary. This was achieved through working with teachers on the explicit teaching of functional grammar, reading for locating literal, inferential and evaluative information and interpreting questions. Teachers used popular culture and student interests to engage learners in Literacy practices. We used NAPLAN results and Pat-R testing to isolate areas for attention and to provide evidence of improvement.

Tony Hole worked with Colleen and Carol Trebilcock to in-service teachers in using and teaching grammar in engaging ways as a part of a holistic approach. We introduced a number of interactive tools for teaching Literacy and teachers also shared their personal programs in staff meetings and sub school gatherings. Tony engaged with teachers, who invited him into their classrooms to observe pedagogy, and he then provided feedback and coaching to those teachers.

The school also purchased two more levels of the Leveled Literacy Instruction (LLI) program to improve the capture of students at risk. We used Literacy scores on both NAPLAN and Pat-R to inform our intervention. Student engagement was improved, as were their Pat-R scores.

Three Teachers engaged in the Reading To Learn Program to support every student in the class to read and write challenging texts at their year level. The program directly links curriculum, teaching goals with the skills that all students need for successful independent learning, at each stage of schooling. All students learn to read age and stage appropriate texts with critical understanding, and creatively write the texts required of the curriculum. Reading To Learn applies research in language across the curriculum, providing students with explicit knowledge about language that will make them confident independent learners.

This work was mirrored by Jayne Brown, our Numeracy Coach, who mentored and coached teachers and students to develop quality delivery and improve student achievement standards. Jayne worked with early career teachers and with more experienced teachers in the sub schools to assist with programming and planning and to utilise resources to their full potential. The enthusiasm of the students for the inquiry based learning and the agreed structure of the Numeracy lesson has seen higher rates of engagement of students and improved pedagogy of teachers. The use of data to inform teaching and programming has been greatly enhanced by the PAT-Maths online testing for Years 2-7 and our Quick Smart program.

Teachers also engaged in their personally driven professional learning, taking time from family to improve understandings surrounding the Reggio Emilia approach to



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the child, Science and Literacy learning, Coaching skills, Asian Education and Classroom Walkthroughs. Teachers set professional goals to inform their continuous improvement as prescribed in the Australian Teacher Performance & Development Framework. Leadership utilises the Framework to support teacher growth. All teachers receive feedback, both formal (annual appraisal) and informal, to build professional capacity according to the Australian Teacher Performance & Development Framework and the National Professional Standards for Teachers. Feedback conversations occur during Staff Meetings, Year Level Meetings, Coaching Sessions and Classroom Walkthroughs. The data gained from these interactions informs the professional learning of teachers in the school. Teachers set the goals for feedback and use data to inform continuous improvement for themselves and their students.

In 2015 $712.91 per teacher was spent on professional learning. This figure does not include the support received from Catholic Education South Australia through their professional learning and consultancy services. This amount also does not include money outlaid by teachers in pursuit of their out of hours personal professional learning.

Key Student Outcomes

1. Student attendance and Management of Non-Attendance Student attendance was managed and recorded using the CeSIS (computer)

system.

The school uses the Student Messaging System (SMS) for parents to advise the school of absences and also for the school to advise parents of unexplained absences.

The school also has a dedicated Absence Notification phone number (8182 7915) where parents can leave messages regarding a student’s non-attendance at school

Student absence is monitored closely and followed up, as necessary. Unsatisfactory reasons for absences are referred to the Principal/ Deputy

Principal via the teacher. The Principal will contact the family. The Principal or Deputy Principal will ring Department of Education & Child

Development (DECD) officers if attendance is unsatisfactory. The average student attendance rate for our school for 2015 was 92.5%

(compared with 90.67% in 2014), a 1.83% increase in attendance from the previous year.

For long term absences, parents complete an “APPLICATION FOR EXEMPTION FROM SCHOOL ENROLMENT / ATTENDANCE AND EDUCATION ENROLMENT / PARTICIPATION” form informing the school of the absence and the length of the absence.



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Student attendance by year level: Reception 93.83% Year 4 92.43% Year 1 91.01% Year 5 92.80% Year 2 93.10% Year 6 92.30% Year 3 92.34% Year 7 92.25% TOTAL 92.5%

Destination of Year 7 Students: Thomas More College, Xavier College, Our Lady of the Scared Heart, St Dominic’s

Priory College, Blackfriars Priory, Kildare College, Gleeson College, Temple Christian College, Tyndale Christian School, Kings Baptist, Trinity Gawler and Blakeview and Endeavour College. We also have students attending Salisbury High School and Mark Oliphant College, as well as Golden Grove High School.

2. Benchmark results

NAPLAN In 2015, we encouraged as many students as possible in Years 3, 5 and 7 to sit the NAPLAN tests, as the detailed data gained from the test results is invaluable in planning for teaching and learning priorities in the following year. The 2015 results provide a clear challenge for the school to improve benchmarks and personal improvement rates among some of the students.

We acknowledge that NAPLAN is only one test and is taken at the beginning of Term 2. It is the only National data that we have to compare and improve our results. We take all forms of assessment and data collection into account to provide a clear and true picture of each student’s learning. NAPLAN provides an additional lens in Years 3, 5 and 7. The 2015 results have enabled the school to secure a place in a Literacy Project which will interrogate data to enable us to work more deeply with Literacy and students ability to make meaning from print and to record their learning and ideas in text. CESA and Tony Hole will support the school.

The Numeracy results have enabled Jayne Brown to program intervention and support for 2016 including work on developing automaticity and explicit teaching of fundamental mathematical concepts across the school.

2015 NAPLAN COMPARISON DATA: The Australian Government requires schools to publish NAPLAN Data Comparison results to their community each year. Please find below tables for each of the Year Levels for 2015 NAPLAN results. We encourage you to read these tables and results while keeping in mind all other relevant information regarding NAPLAN.



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The following benchmarks were achieved:

NAPLAN 2015 RESULTS

Aspect

Prof

Band

1 %

Prof

Band

1 No.

Prof

Band

2 %

Prof

Band

2 No.

Prof

Band

3 %

Prof

Band

3 No.

Prof

Band

4 %

Prof

Band

4 No.

Prof

Band

5%

Prof

Band

5 No.

Prof

Band

>=6%

Prof

Band

>=6 No.

%

Achieved

National

Minimum

Standard

YEAR 3:

Reading 12.7% 10 6.3% 5 27.8% 22 26.6% 21 13.9% 11 12.7% 10 87%

Writing 2.6% 2 2.6% 2 44.9% 35 30.8% 24 15.4% 12 3.8% 3 97%

Spelling 6.3% 5 21.5% 17 24.1% 19 17.7% 14 11.4% 9 19.0% 15 94% Punctuation & Grammar

7.6% 6 26.6% 21 24.1% 19 26.6% 21 7.6% 6 7.6% 6 92%

Numeracy 13.8% 11 26.2% 21 28.8% 23 21.2% 17 5.0% 4 5.0% 4 86%

Aspect

Prof

Band

3 %

Prof

Band

3 No.

Prof

Band

4 %

Prof

Band

4 No.

Prof

Band

5 %

Prof

Band

5 No.

Prof

Band

6 %

Prof

Band

6 No.

Prof

Band

7%

Prof

Band

7 No.

Prof

Band

>=8%

Prof

Band

>=8 No.

%

Achieved

National

Minimum

Standard

YEAR 5:

Reading 8.6% 6 21.4% 15 31.4% 22 20.0% 14 7.1% 5 11.4% 8 91

Writing 11.6% 8 13.0% 9 56.5% 39 15.9% 11 1.4% 1 1.4% 1 88

Spelling 11.4% 8 21.4% 15 21.4% 15 27.1% 19 14.3% 10 4.3% 3 89 Punctuation & Grammar

12.9% 9 22.9% 16 27.1% 19 18.6% 13 11.4% 8 7.1% 5 87

Numeracy 5.9% 4 29.4% 20 38.2% 26 19.1% 13 4.4% 3 2.9% 2 94

Aspect

Prof

Band

4 %

Prof

Band

4 No.

Prof

Band

5 %

Prof

Band

5 No.

Prof

Band

6 %

Prof

Band

6 No.

Prof

Band

7 %

Prof

Band

7 No.

Prof

Band

8%

Prof

Band

8 No.

Prof

Band

>=9%

Prof

Band

>=9 No.

%

Achieved

National

Minimum

Standard

YEAR 7:

Reading 5.6% 3 22.2% 12 29.6% 16 13.0% 7 20.4% 11 9.3% 5 94

Writing 20.4% 11 20.4% 11 29.6% 16 22.2% 12 3.7% 2 3.7% 2 80

Spelling 3.7% 2 14.8% 8 22.2% 12 31.5% 17 20.4% 11 7.4% 4 96 Punctuation & Grammar

11.1% 6 14.8 8 35.2% 19 14.8% 8 13.0% 7 11.1% 6 89

Numeracy 1.9% 1 17.0% 9 35.8% 19 30.2% 16 11.3% 6 3.8% 2 98

In 2015 our teachers will use the data from the National Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing to design learning programs which we hope will further support all of our children, wherever they may be on their learning journey.

2015 COMPARATIVE RESULTS

The following Comparative Results for 2015 across all classes in each year level are provided for your information:

A B C D E Total %

No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %

RECEPTION

Religion 0 0.00 28 25.23 78 70.27 5 4.50 0 0.00 100.00

English 3 2.70 13 11.71 66 59.46 29 26.13 0 0.00 100.00

The Arts 0 0.00 7 6.31 97 87.39 7 6.31 0 0.00 100.00

LOTE - Indonesian 0 0.00 9 8.11 85 76.58 17 15.32 0 0.00 100.00

Health & Physical Education 1 0.90 13 11.71 88 79.28 9 8.11 0 0.00 100.00

Mathematics 3 2.70 26 23.42 71 63.96 11 9.91 0 0.00 100.00

Technologies 0 0.00 23 20.72 86 77.48 2 1.80 0 0.00 100.00

Science 0 0.00 22 19.82 83 74.77 6 5.41 0 0.00 100.00

History 0 0.00 27 24.32 82 73.87 2 1.80 0 0.00 100.00

Geography 0 0.00 27 24.32 82 73.87 2 1.80 0 0.00 100.00



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A B C D E Total %

No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %

YEAR 1

Religion 0 0.00 16 24.24 42 63.64 8 12.12 0 0.00 100.00

English 0 0.00 21 31.82 30 45.45 12 18.18 3 4.55 100.00

The Arts 1 1.52 15 22.73 50 75.76 0 0.00 0 0.00 100.00

LOTE - Indonesian 5 7.58 10 15.15 50 75.76 1 1.52 0 0.00 100.00


Mathematics 0 0.00 19 28.79 38 57.58 8 12.12 1 1.52 100.00

Technologies 0 0.00 16 24.24 47 71.21 3 4.55 0 0.00 100.00

Science 0 0.00 12 18.18 51 77.27 2 3.03 1 1.52 100.00

History 0 0.00 8 12.31 50 76.92 6 9.23 1 1.54 100.00

Geography 0 0.00 16 24.62 45 69.23 3 4.62 1 1.54 100.00

YEAR 2

Religion 9 10.34 34 39.08 42 48.28 1 1.15 1 1.15 100.00

English 8 9.20 23 26.44 32 36.78 24 27.59 0 0.00 100.00

The Arts 1 1.15 21 24.14 62 71.26 3 3.45 0 0.00 100.00

LOTE - Indonesian 26 30.23 16 18.60 33 38.37 10 11.63 1 1.16 100.00


Mathematics 4 4.60 30 34.48 35 40.23 18 20.69 0 0.00 100.00

Technologies 1 1.15 38 43.68 47 54.02 1 1.15 0 0.00 100.00

Science 3 3.45 29 33.33 54 62.07 1 1.15 0 0.00 100.00

History 3 3.70 26 32.10 51 62.96 1 1.23 0 0.00 100.00

Geography 3 3.45 26 29.89 57 65.52 1 1.15 0 0.00 100.00

YEAR 3

Religion 11 12.64 39 44.83 35 40.23 2 2.30 0 0.00 100.00

English 9 10.59 15 17.65 35 41.18 25 29.41 1 1.18 100.00

The Arts 1 1.15 20 22.99 60 68.97 6 6.90 0 0.00 100.00

LOTE - Indonesian 29 34.12 15 17.65 29 34.12 12 14.12 0 0.00 100.00


Mathematics 9 10.59 29 34.12 31 36.47 15 17.65 1 1.18 100.00

Technologies 1 1.15 36 41.38 50 57.47 0 0.00 0 0.00 100.00

Science 10 11.49 30 34.48 44 50.57 3 3.45 0 0.00 100.00

History 6 6.90 28 32.18 48 55.17 5 5.75 0 0.00 100.00

Geography 12 13.79 36 41.38 36 41.38 3 3.45 0 0.00 100.00

YEAR 4

Religion 7 9.86 29 40.85 35 49.30 0 0.00 0 0.00 100.00

English 6 8.45 25 35.21 37 52.11 3 4.23 0 0.00 100.00

The Arts 2 2.82 18 25.35 49 69.01 2 2.82 0 0.00 100.00

LOTE - Indonesian 23 32.39 9 12.68 28 39.44 10 14.08 1 1.41 100.00


Mathematics 7 9.86 31 43.66 27 38.03 6 8.45 0 0.00 100.00

Technologies 11 15.49 30 42.25 30 42.25 0 0.00 0 0.00 100.00

Science 6 8.45 23 32.39 42 59.15 0 0.00 0 0.00 100.00

History 17 23.94 21 29.58 33 46.48 0 0.00 0 0.00 100.00

Geography 5 7.04 22 30.99 42 59.15 2 2.82 0 0.00 100.00



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A B C D E Total %

No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %

YEAR 5

Religion 11 16.18 16 23.53 37 54.41 4 5.88 0 0.00 100.00

English 8 11.76 12 17.65 39 57.35 9 13.24 0 0.00 100.00

The Arts 4 5.88 29 42.65 32 47.06 3 4.41 0 0.00 100.00

LOTE - Indonesian 19 29.23 12 18.46 28 43.08 6 9.23 0 0.00 100.00


Mathematics 9 13.24 14 20.59 28 41.18 17 25.00 0 0.00 100.00

Technologies 8 11.76 23 33.82 36 52.94 1 1.47 0 0.00 100.00

Science 6 8.82 24 35.29 38 55.88 0 0.00 0 0.00 100.00

History 9 13.24 15 22.06 39 57.35 5 7.35 0 0.00 100.00

Geography 11 16.18 19 27.94 34 50.00 4 5.88 0 0.00 100.00

YEAR 6

Religion 7 9.21 24 31.58 35 46.05 10 13.16 0 0.00 100.00

English 3 3.95 18 23.68 45 59.21 10 13.16 0 0.00 100.00

The Arts 1 1.32 7 9.21 53 69.74 15 19.74 0 0.00 100.00

LOTE - Indonesian 17 22.97 25 33.78 29 39.19 2 2.70 1 1.35 100.00


Mathematics 1 1.32 21 27.63 36 47.37 17 22.37 1 1.32 100.00

Technologies 5 6.58 21 27.63 46 60.53 4 5.26 0 0.00 100.00

Science 4 5.26 21 27.63 35 46.05 13 17.11 3 3.95 100.00

History 1 1.32 26 34.21 46 60.53 3 3.95 0 0.00 100.00

Geography 1 1.32 26 34.21 46 60.53 3 3.95 0 0.00 100.00

YEAR 7

Religion 10 18.18 21 38.18 20 36.36 4 7.27 0 0.00 100.00

English 11 20.00 19 34.55 19 34.55 5 9.09 1 1.82 100.00

The Arts 11 20.00 16 29.09 27 49.09 1 1.82 0 0.00 100.00

LOTE - Indonesian 27 49.09 12 21.82 14 25.45 2 3.64 0 0.00 100.00


Mathematics 10 18.18 21 38.18 14 25.45 7 12.73 3 5.45 100.00

Technologies 22 40.00 20 36.36 10 18.18 3 5.45 0 0.00 100.00

Science 9 16.36 16 29.09 22 40.00 8 14.55 0 0.00 100.00

History 18 32.73 11 20.00 19 34.55 7 12.73 0 0.00 100.00

Geography 8 14.55 15 27.27 28 50.91 4 7.27 0 0.00 100.00

3. Value Added St Augustine’s adds value to the school curriculum by providing a rich educational experience for all students through the provision of extra programs across the school.

Programs:

Indonesian language and Cultural Program

ICT Specialist program

Mentoring

Premier’s Reading Challenge

OSHC and Vacation care

Chaplain

Counsellor



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Book Week Celebrations

Mission Day are programs offered to all students.

Adaptive and Special Education

Enrichment and special interest activities

Reading Recovery

Reading Rocketeers

Rainbow reading

Leveled Literacy Intervention

Reading Doctor

Quick Smart Maths

Learning Assistance Program (LAP) are programs offered as intervention for students in need. Satisfaction In 2015 we engaged the community in surveys surrounding:

School Uniform Trial

Parent Survey

Yes No Not Sure

Q1 Have your children appreciated being able to wear an Active Education Uniform (ie Physical Education Uniform)?

63 8 10

77.78% 9.88% 12.35%

Q2 Have YOU appreciated your children being able to wear an Active Education Uniform?

52 26 3

64.20% 32.10% 3.70%

Q3 Would you like to see the Active Education Uniform adopted on a permanent basis?

48 30 3

59.26% 37.04% 3.70%

Student Survey

Yes No Don't Know

Q1 Do you like our current School Uniform? 35% 56% 9%

Q2 Would you like to change our School Uniform?

70% 24% 6%

Q3 What kind of uniform do you prefer? A formal uniform with

a different Sports uniform?

One uniform that can be worn everyday (suitable for

Sport and Drama)? Don’t Know

26% 69% 5%

Parent Satisfaction Survey

Q1 Are you male or female?

Male Female

6 45

11.76% 88.24%

Q2 What is the Year Level of the child you are considering when you answer this survey?

Rec Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Other

7 9 13 6 4 1 7 3 1

13.73% 17.65% 25.49% 11.76% 7.84% 1.96% 13.73% 5.88% 1.96%



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Q3 Please rate the items below: Strongly Disagree Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree

Strongly Agree

Did not answer

Teachers at this school expect my child to do his or her best

1 2 3 24 21 0

1.96% 3.92% 5.88% 47.06% 41.18% 0.00%

Teachers at this schools provide my child with useful feedback

2 8 6 22 13 0.00%

3.92% 15.69% 11.76% 43.14% 25.49% 0.00%

Teachers at this school treat students fairly

4 3 8 23 12 1

7.84% 5.88% 15.69% 45.10% 23.53% 1.96%

This school is well maintained

4 3 2 18 23 1

7.84% 5.88% 3.92% 35.29% 45.10% 1.96%

My child feels safe at this school

2 4 9 16 19 1

3.92% 7.84% 17.65% 31.37% 37.25% 1.96%

I can talk to my child's teachers about my concerns

2 1 2 19 26 1

3.92% 1.96% 3.92% 37.25% 50.98% 1.96%

Student behaviour is well managed at this school

7 9 9 19 7

13.73% 17.65% 17.65% 37.25% 13.73% 0.00%

My child likes being at this school

4 5 7 15 20

7.84% 9.80% 13.73% 29.41% 39.22% 0.00%

This school looks for ways to improve

3 5 13 17 12 1

5.88% 9.80% 25.49% 33.33% 23.53% 1.96%

This school takes parents' opinions seriously

6 8 14 14 8 1

11.76% 15.69% 27.45% 27.45% 15.69% 1.96%

Teachers at this school motivate my child to learn

4 5 8 18 16

7.84% 9.80% 15.69% 35.29% 31.37% 0.00%

My child is making good progress at this school

4 4 9 17 17

7.84% 7.84% 17.65% 33.33% 33.33% 0.00%

My child's learning needs are being met at this school

5 9 6 17 14

9.80% 17.65% 11.76% 33.33% 27.45% 0.00%

This school works with me to support my child's learning

3 7 9 20 12

5.88% 13.73% 17.65% 39.22% 23.53% 0.00%

OVERVIEW Catholic Identity

“Christ is the foundation of the whole educational enterprise

in a Catholic school.” Congregation for Christian Doctrine

Our school is an amazing blend of human beings: different not only in looks, size, ability and personality, but also in experience, background and outlook. Yet all are made in the image of God and for that reason especially worthy of respect and dignity. It is the hidden curriculum, perhaps more so than the overt curriculum, which will bear this out: in the way in which we relate to others, in the way in which we give children non-verbal messages about themselves and others, in the way we expect children to behave towards others. Our school will only be Catholic in the deepest sense of the word when we include everyone and make everyone feel important. A Catholic school will always make a conscious decision to be on the side of the marginalised. Our visibility both in our school community and in the wider community is often enhanced by what school events take place.



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Religious Education Curriculum The Religious Education Framework for our school is “Crossways” developed by Catholic Education SA in 2007 with updates and support materials developed since then. The framework is divided into strands, each aligned with year levels, and provides the structure around which our school develops the curriculum for Religious Education. Each strand is divided into key ideas (of which there are 12), eg

Key Idea 1 God and Revelation: Students explore God’s presence in creation and God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. (Crossways)

These key ideas help form the Learning Intentions for each unit of work. Teachers come with varying degrees of experience in teaching Religion and there are many opportunities for them to update their own learning. Society today and the complex needs of our students demand that we make our curriculum relevant, inviting and useful as we educate our students to take their place in society. The “Made In The Image Of God” (MITIOG) curriculum framework complements Crossways and is often taught as part of a bigger unit of work. This is the human sexuality curriculum approved for use in Catholic schools in this diocese. This framework is grounded in a Catholic understanding of the human person. Once again, teachers use the framework to inform their learning intentions around the teaching of human sexuality from Reception to Year 7. It is a framework that starts from basic understandings and experience and builds on this knowledge each year. School Masses and Celebrations Students and teachers at St Augustine’s attend Mass during the school year, sometimes as part of a Year Level and also as a whole school. Our Masses occur during a normal parish Mass so that we are seen to be members of the greater Parish community. Family Masses are also celebrated once each term with the Liturgical Choir led by Charmaine Gillard providing the music support for a Saturday night Parish Mass. Classes celebrate liturgies for special occasions (especially in the Early Years) and we celebrate Holy Week as a whole school with celebrations of various parts of the Easter story. During the year there were some excellent celebrations which helped to show our Catholic Identity to the Parish and wider community. Our school joined with Holy Family Catholic School, Thomas More College and the

Parish to be “commissioned” in our work, as teachers, leaders and volunteers in our work in the Parish – Archbishop Philip Wilson co-celebrated Mass with Fr Roderick, Parish Priest.

Shrove Tuesday saw our Carnivale Parade, with masks made during school time. Parents came to watch and then many stayed on to help with the cooking and distribution of over 1000 pancakes.



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Ash Wednesday Mass for Years 3-7 and Liturgies for Rec-2 in Week 4 began Lent and was a good beginning to our learning about the marginalised people in our community and the work of Project Compassion.

Staff Retreat this year was led by Father James McEvoy with the subject “Children: Close to the Mystery of God”. The retreat was held at Semaphore and allowed the staff to get together and socialise as well as giving us a chance to reflect on the children in the light of our Christian Faith and Catholic Tradition.

Mission Day (when all thoughts of not eating sugar take a back seat) is a day when we raise money for Catholic Charities. Traditionally our school has always been able to answer the call for donations and this year was no exception, raising over $1200.

Each year we conduct two appeals for St Vincent de Paul, one in winter and one for Christmas and these gifts are distributed to the wider community. Once again we collected in excess of 4,000 cans and gifts.

One of the outstanding events of the year was our Carols’ Night (held on our main oval), with each year level performing a carol, whilst students dressed in character brought together the Christmas story. We were lucky with the weather and parents came early with their students to have a picnic.

End of Year Mass and Graduation was our last highlight for the year. The Graduating Year 7 students were impressive in their celebration as they handed parts of their St Augustine’s uniform in symbolic cutting of the ties with our school. Many tears were shed by parents and students alike as they said goodbye to the school community. The rest of the school sang beautifully to bring our year to a close and to farewell the Year 7s and some of our teachers.

Sacraments Our students access the Parish Sacramental Program which runs for one year commencing in July. Louise Svensdotter (Sacramental Co-ordinator) from the Parish, co-ordinates the program, with support from the APRIMs at the three Parish schools. At each session there is a focus on a part of their sacramental life and an activity to further support their learning. Last May Father Phillip Marshall celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with the students and then they celebrated their First Communion over the following few weeks at Parish Masses. It was a good feeling to see our students take the steps to becoming fully initiated members of the Catholic community. CONCLUSION

Our sacred work is undertaken in loving partnership with parents and the Catholic Church and is nourished by the passion we all share for the meaningful and authentic education of children. The children are the centre of our mission and vision and daily commitment. God entrusts each one of us with a vocation where we commit fully to the holistic formation of children and young people through dedicated, professional rigour underpinned by the spirit of VERITAS and nourished by the Holy Spirit. We are deeply committed to catering for the unique needs of each of our children and young people. Each one of us prays that our children and young people grow in the richness of God’s plan to be authentic and ethical global citizens, for whom Christ is the corner stone. I pray that each one of our students finds the



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unconditional love of God present in their lives now and into the future wherever they may find themselves.

We celebrate the children who make this school a living witness to the risen Christ in their daily interactions, their thirst for learning and their embracing of hope for themselves and their world. Children and young people are the focus of all that we do and the source of our determination to build capacity for ongoing improvement across the school, now and into the future. We praise God for the uniqueness of each child and their sense of justice, wonder and self-gift and pray that the spirit of VERITAS will be recognised and active in their lives as they grow and change and embrace a new and exciting world as Christ inspired people of Truth. As a staff, we farewelled Marnie Moss, Natasha Impagnatiello, Lisa Prevett, Lauren Corvino, Raymond Camilleri, Megan Maloney, Anne Malone, Amelia Yong, Dale Walsh and Fran Grogan. As a community, at the School Board/Out of School Hours Care/Parents & Friends Annual General Meeting in February, we thanked Jodie Burk, Tina Bennett and Phil Jobson for their contributions as retiring members of the School Board. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kerri Dent for the inspired way in which she embraced the role of Deputy in Josette Charles’ absence throughout 2015. Kerri won the hearts and minds of the whole community with her formidable work ethic, clear thinking and creative ability to see many solutions to the challenges that we faced in 2015. A woman of deep faith and great theological wisdom, Kerri depthed our Catholic Identity as she engaged in the day-to-day running of the school and the many projects that contributed to 2015. Kerri’s quick wit and sense of humour, matched with a deep commitment to the needs of all the children and staff, made a lasting and positive difference to the culture of our school. I personally thank Kerri for her wisdom, support and genuine good will in working as a critical member of the Leadership Team in 2015. It has been a privilege to work with such a committed and faith-filled educator and leader and I am pleased to say that we will retain Kerri on our staff in 2016 as the Co-ordinator of Catholic Identity. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole St Augustine’s staff for their selfless dedication to the teaching and caring for the students of our school. The staff commitment gives life to the Dominican Spirit of our school and I thank them for their patience, courage, friendship, support, their leadership and their unwavering faith and hope for this very special community. I pray that these exceptional people continue to grow and embrace their sacred work as keepers of the light and the Vision for the whole St Augustine’s community to Re-imagine St Augustine’s as the “Welcoming Community in the North” - a place of excellence where the God-given dignity of each person is recognised and celebrated in learning and life. In 2014 we appointed three POR2 Lead Learners who were responsible for three sub schools; Early Years, Primary Years and Middle Years. Catherine Gardner, David Molloy and Anita Pahl pioneered this new way of leading learning in the school and I would like to thank them for the work that they undertook, particularly with the Trauma Sensitive Schools Project and, in Catherine’s case, Re-Imagining Childhood.



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Their two year appointment has come to an end and we thank them for setting a very high standard for this role. We also thank Catherine Morrison and Simone Dajeman who shared a POR1 in Science. I think the Science Expo will now be an annual event in our school. I would like to acknowledge the special contribution of our support staff: Resource/Library, Administration, Curriculum, OSHC and Canteen, and especially Maintenance and Work Health & Safety.

The Admin team is the face of the school and responsible for the first contact that parents and members of the community have with our school. They are welcoming, caring and very professional in their approach. Their organisation and practices keep the school running well and enable children and their families to feel safe and cared for in their interactions with these dedicated women. During the year we employed Briony Gitsham to take on the role of WHS Co-ordinator. Briony worked alongside Raymond Camilleri to organise our WH&S and to ensure the safety of the students, staff and wider community. Raymond also continued to assist Tony Caridi (maintenance) one day per week. The Front of House Team continued with Deb Applebee returning in a part-time role. Jodie Mannix worked with Annette Golebiowski, Deb Applebee, Leanne Wood, Liz Polljonker and Chris Ferrell. We also welcomed Jane Siviour from Thomas More College who replaced Chris Ferrell when she was on leave. We thank this very hard working team without whom our school would fail to thrive and move forward. I would like to acknowledge the work of Tony Caridi who always has our school looking beautiful. Tony has been highly instrumental in setting up the Community Garden and installing the beautiful lawn areas around the Resource Centre. Tony ensures that our school always looks inviting and is maintained to the highest standard.

I would like to extend my deep appreciation to Liz Polljonker who manages our finances in the complex world of school funding, budgets and audits. Liz has a helpful manner and assists families in financial need with fees, uniforms and other services. In 2015, Liz also attended educational professional learning to gain an understanding of the financial needs of new programs and practices. Liz has expanded her understanding of system finances through her membership of Finance Infrastructure Standing Committee (FISC) and the Review Funding Mechanism Working Party, reporting to the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools (SACCS). The Leadership Team – Josette Charles/Kerri Dent, Joyce Mee, Liz Polljonker. To Josette, Joyce and Liz, a very special thank you for the guidance and wisdom you have continued to share to enable me to lead this very special school. Your commitment to the school and your sense of vocation provides the platform for ongoing success and vigilant accountability for the whole community. Thank you sincerely for your work, wisdom and humour, while I treasure your friendship and your pastoral care of the whole community. Sharon Henderson, as Chair of the School Board, is a remarkable leader and advocate for the school. I thank Sharon for her commitment and support through my second year at St Augustine’s and for the support that she has given the School Board and OSHC throughout 2015. Sharon has supported the application for an Early



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Learning Centre and the Same First Day Start for students in Reception, which encompassed out Little Augustine’s Transition Program. She was instrumental in advocating for a change in the school uniform. A huge thank you to Sharon and the School Board for their guidance and care of the school, serving the community and promoting the school in the most positive light. I thank you for the work you have undertaken on behalf of the school community - Interview Panels, Finance, OSHC, Parents & Friends and Canteen, as well as the Work Health & Safety Committee and my two year appraisal. I would like to thank those members of the School Board who are retiring and, in particular, Sharon Henderson who has served the school for six years as School Board Chair, an OSHC representative and Finance Committee member. Sharon, you have been a pillar of strength for me and the staff as well as a wise advocate for the whole community. You have supported work on our Early Learning Long Day Care Proposal and the changing of the school uniform. I will miss our weekly chats where we seem to be able to solve the problems of the world with great wisdom and humour. Thank you for supporting me through my all-important and very successful two-year appraisal. I am sure that I join with the whole community to wish you every rich blessing for the future and a well-earned rest. Bernadette Moore (Parish representative) retired at the end of the year to focus on family, including an increasing number of grandchildren. Thank you Bernadette for your positive responses to school initiatives and most importantly for bringing the Parish news to the School Board. We will miss your smile and delightful stories. God bless. Other members included Ron Barnes, Michael Elias, Lucy Romeo, Andrea Smith, Irene Tsalamangos, Monica Fitzgerald, Elisha Kenyon and Amelia Flowers (staff) and we wish them God’s blessing and Grace for their contribution to the school. We acknowledge and thank members of the Sub-Committees of the School Board, including the Finance Committee, P&F, Work Health & Safety/Buildings & Grounds Committee, the Canteen Committee and the OSHC Committee. These groups help to enrich our school and offer families and community support and accountability. The success of any school rests with the support of its community. We thank you for all that you have given to the school. Fr Roderick and the Parish Team have provided great support to the school and to me personally. I would like to thank Fr Roderick, Fr Tong, Fr Shibu, Deacon Arturo, Louise Svensdotter, Canossian Sisters and all who work in the parish for their ongoing support and love of the school and its community. We ask for your prayers as we continue to spread the Good News in our teaching, learning and community engagement. I renew my commitment to St Augustine’s Parish School to walk authentically with the school community, living the faith as we strive to shape and form the lives of the children in our care and nurture a future of hope for all who share in this school’s story. My thoughts and my work are inspired by the words of Saint Augustine,



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Trust the past to God’s Mercy, the present to God’s love and the future to God’s providence

Blessings and Peace

Georgia Dennis Principal

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT - saps.catholic.edu.au AGM Booklet-Principal... · PRINCIPAL’S REPORT ......

Documents

Transcript of PRINCIPAL’S REPORT - saps.catholic.edu.au AGM Booklet-Principal... · PRINCIPAL’S REPORT ......