Curriculum Opportunities

We pride ourselves on a wide range of curriculum opportunities for our students

It’s not the curriculum that we offer that sets us apart, it’s the manner in which it’s delivered

Any school can teach a curriculum. Amazing schools like ours is full of teachers actively and passionately exploring the possibilities of making their teaching practice more innovative, engaging and fun at every turn. This is the single ingredient that drives the most growth in our students. St. Mary’s follows the Victorian Curriculum which outlines what every student should learn.

The success we attain is not only evidenced by the assessment data – but it’s seen through the smiles and joy we see on our student’s faces as a concept is grasped. This is the indefinable element that drives us as teachers to produce and grow our own teaching skills year in, year out.

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Student Wellbeing

At St Mary’s, Mr Chris Prockter is our Wellbeing Leader who is responsible for coordinating and implementing wellbeing and support programs across the school.

Literacy

At St. Mary’s we pride ourselves on our school mantra that Every child matters Everyday, and this is strongly reflected in our Literacy approach, with 2 hrs daily dedicated to our reading and writing programs.

Numeracy

Religious Education

Physical Education

Physical Education is offered to all year levels at St Mary’s. Each class has a timetabled 45 minute session with a Specialist PE teacher once a week. Each year level also conducts their own sport time once a week in addition to the PE lesson.

Visual Arts

At St Mary’s we want to embrace the artist in every child. All children from Foundation to Year 6 have weekly art lessons and they absolutely love creatively expressing themselves.

Italian

Music & Performing Arts

Digital Technologies

Sustainability

As a Catholic community we are called to Care for Creation. St Mary’s is committed to embracing Sustainability in education and we believe that for students to feel empowered, they need to take active roles in their learning and in the wider community.

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Upschool

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Student Wellbeing

At St Mary’s, Mr Chris Prockter is our Wellbeing Leader who is responsible for coordinating and implementing wellbeing and support programs across the school.

We also have three part time Wellbeing Support people who work with individuals or groups of children who may need support at different times in their lives. This role is varied with a focus on a combination of whole school activities and individual and small group activities with students.

Our wellbeing support people are safe people for children to connect with at school, providing a listening ear, caring presence and strategies to help children build resilience. They care for students struggling with a wide range of issues, including: family problems, friendship issues, self-esteem issues, bullying and anxiety.

The Wellbeing support people are trained in the Brain Gym and Peace Kids Programs and have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to support children. We have two Sensory rooms set up for children who need sensory input or movements to help reduce Sensory overload. These have been set up in conjunction with an Occupational Therapist

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

St Mary's School promotes the mental health and wellbeing of all children. Good mental health is vital for learning and life and children who are mentally healthy are better able to meet life's challenges. They also learn better and have stronger relationships with others.

Part of our commitment is to explicitly teaching Social and Emotional Learning. This subject is timetabled for a 45 minutes session each week and has a whole school focus.

The following Programs are used to give children the skills and strategies to build resilience and to understand and acknowledge their own feelings and those of their peers.

Resilience Rights and Respectful Relationships

Bounce Back

Friendly Schools and Families

Kindness program

At St Mary’s we provide many and varied activities for children to engage in to support our wellbeing programs.

Breakfast Club

At St. Mary's we run a breakfast club every morning for bus travelers and students that may have missed breakfast. Situated in the Canteen, the students can choose from hot milk or Milo as well as a piece of toast. This program relies on support from parents and donations of Milo, honey, jam and vegemite can be left at the office. If you can help from 8:40 till 9:15 am please contact the office.

Playground and Library Activities

Each day a variety of great activities are set up in the Passive Play area for our younger and not so young kids to play with during recess and lunch. Members of the Wellbeing Team spend recess and lunch time in this area interacting with children. We also have a dedicated Play Room supervised by Wellbeing staff each Lunchtime. The benefits are enormous as many children are learning socialisation skills under the Wellbeing team's wonderful guidance. It is also a lovely way of giving children who struggle to build and maintain friendships a safe and enjoyable place to play.

Lego club operates every lunchtime in the foyer of the Gym and is open to all age groups. . Students are able to use their imagination to build wonderful Lego creations, while also interacting and co-operating with their peers.

Yoga and meditation sessions are lead by the Wellbeing team throughout the year.

Dance Club

Each Monday & Friday Mrs Gerakis runs lunchtime sessions for any interested student who may wish to have a dance.

PALS

The Year 6 children meet with our Foundation children each fortnight and participate in a joint activity promoting fun and building relationships. This gives the year 6 children a level of responsibility and the Foundation children a sense of security and a chance to meet and become friends with older children in the school

Seasons for Growth Program

This program caters for children who may have suffered grief and loss due to a death in the family or a family separation. Our wellbeing team work with a group of children working through a specialised program over a period of eight weeks.

Brain Gym Program

At St Mary’s we recognise and value the importance of Brain Gym in supporting children’s academic and emotional wellbeing. Our wellbeing team arte all trained in delivering Brain Gym and organise structured weekly visits to classrooms teaching students and teachers Brain Gym movements. Brain Gym movements are an easy set of exercises to improve whole brain integration.

Peaceful Kids Program

Our wellbeing team also conduct the Peaceful Kids program which includes meditation and teaching strategies to deal with anxiety.

Vegetable & Plant Gardens

Each year level has their own gardens with the responsibility of planting, watering and maintaining them.

St. Mary's Chooks

An amazing Chook shed and run are located near the Year 6 classrooms. Each year group has a weekly responsibility of feeding the chooks, giving them a run and collecting the eggs

Community Groups

Once a term children are put into vertical groups (Foundation to Year 6) and spend an hour with a different teacher participating in activities related to our Social and Emotional Learning focus. This is a great opportunity for children to make new friends and to get to know other children in the school.

Literacy

Our literacy programs are all evidence based and we use the explicit teaching approach based on I Do, We Do and You Do throughout the school. Through this engaging model we are able to cater for a range of different learning needs and learning styles as well as developing a love of literature, in a safe and supportive learning environment. At the start of the session the teacher will clearly state and display their learning intentions and success criteria allowing the students to self-monitor their learning. As the lesson unfolds, the chn are exposed to the ‘think alouds’ and high level questioning from the teacher to support the new learning that is taking place.

Reading in the Junior rooms has a strong focus around learning to read, which is supported by our strong phonics programs and the development of early reading behaviours and reading strategies. One of the Junior programs to teach Spelling/Reading and Writing is an explicit, systematic, fun, and multi-sensory Synthetic Phonics program called Get Reading Right.

In the middle to upper rooms the focus moves into reading to learn with a strong emphasis on comprehension. Students are also explicitly taught comprehension skills while reading. They Make Connections, Infer, Visualise, Summarise and Predict, in order to deepen their comprehension and understanding of different texts while still reading with understanding and fluency. Our STARS & CARS program online for our students in Year 2- 6 supports the enhancement and enrichment for all students in the area of comprehension.

Reading

We have an extremely successful reading program that explicitly teaches our students to read using critical Literacy skills. Our program is so successful that we have many visitors from other schools who want to learn about the program. Our children not only read with expression and fluency, they read with deep understanding and are able, even in Foundation, to discuss ideas and concepts in a sophisticated way. Our Reading program is linked to a strong focus on oral language which develops children’s vocabulary and builds children’s confidence. In addition to this we have an explicit program in place across the whole school that teaches children spelling rules as well as grammar and punctuation. These foundational skills are critical if children are going to get the most of their education.

We are very proud of our innovative reading program. This program has maximised student engagement and produced amazing results by responding to the needs of each student. Students are explicitly taught reading strategies and how to use them in their reading. Their skills and understanding are reinforced in small group Guided Reading sessions and one– to- one teaching. Students are engaged in reading material that provides just enough challenge in them to support and develop students’ use of these strategies, while being offered scaffolding support from the teacher.

Writing:

Our writing sessions are very fun and engaging and focus on teaching a specific text type and the skills that a learner needs to possess in order to become great writers. Students are inspired to respond to their world and record their ideas in a range of ways. They use their experiences and visual prompts to create narratives, persuasive texts, informative reports and poems. Students utilise technology and a range of materials to publish their work. We also explicitly teach students how to develop their vocabulary and use new words in their written pieces.

As a whole school twice a week students are involved in WIN (What I Need). It is a fantastic opportunity that involves all staff being involved to offer additional support to classroom teachers. WIN time is based on fluid grouping and the pre assessment of data collected, allowing for differentiation and enrichment for all students.

Oral Language, Vocabulary Development & Communication

Oral language is inherent in every teaching and learning interaction with the ability to communicate effectively a key foundation for student learning. St Mary’s is an OLSEL (Oral Language Supporting Early Literacy) school and is strongly committed to using the 4 elements of OLSEL (Vocabulary, Story Grammar, Complex Sentences & Phonological Awareness) to improve student outcomes. Opportunities to intentionally develop oral language skills in students are explicitly built into daily literacy lessons. Fluent oral language allows students to think through their ideas, actions and reasoning, and therefore articulate effectively when reading and writing. We support students to develop comprehensive speaking and listening skills that foster the development of all forms of communication. We use a range of engaging visual prompts and explicit modelling to prompt students to listen to others and express their own understandings.

Numeracy

All classes teach Mathematics using a daily mental maths program and an explicit, systematic online Mathematic program- Stepping Stones. Counting games form part of daily warm ups in the junior classrooms while tables are introduced and practised daily in Years 3-6. Our strong consistent data results are a testament to our very dedicated teachers and this very explicit and systematic Numeracy program.

Problem Solving is taught systematically using a daily Problem Solving Program-Macmillan Problem Solving boxes and /or teacher devised open ended tasks. Our students are immersed in real life Maths that is relevant and fun! We assess our students before beginning new concepts and teach each students’ point of need to ensure they are being challenged to reach the next step in their learning.Students also use programs such as ‘Mathletics’, Mathseeds and other iPad apps and other engaging, interactive tools which assist them in their learning of critical mathematical skills.

Religious Education

St Mary’s offers students the opportunity to learn and develop in an atmosphere characterised by strong and caring relationships. We aim to develop students into responsible and independent people who are able to make an active, worthwhile contribution to the world in which they live. Inspired by the message and example of Jesus Christ, our school lives out a distinctive educational vision. Supported by our Catholic community of which we are a vital part, we invite students and their families into a faith‐filled educational experience to grow spiritually, academically, socially and emotionally.

We use the CEOB Religious Education Curriculum “Awakenings” as the foundation of our teaching and learning. Purposeful learning and connections are made so that children use current learning strategies to experience an engaging and relevant understanding of God in their lives. While Religious Education is taught each week as a specific curriculum area, it is the overarching purpose of our school and it underpins everything that we do at St Mary’s every day.

Students in Foundation to Year 6 are involved in the following school activities:

Daily Prayer & Meditation Experiences
Social Justice awareness and participation
Regular masses and prayer services both at school and at the Church
Contemporary Religious Education Lessons
A variety of liturgical celebrations that may include elements such as prayer, song, movement, meditation and reflection
For Catholic children ,the celebration of the sacraments:
- First Reconciliation & Confirmation - Year 3
- First Eucharist - Year 4

Physical Education

Students have the opportunity to participate in an extensive, engaging and fun PE curriculum. At St Mary’s we offer a variety of events that promote both student and family engagement. These include, The Great Race, Athletics, Cross Country and Swimming Carnivals. Year 5 and 6 students have the opportunity to participate in Summer and Winter Sports where they compete with other schools in our region and statewide.

Visual Arts

At St Mary's we want to embrace the artist in every child. All children from Foundation to Year 6 have weekly art lessons and they absolutely love creatively expressing themselves in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, wood work, printmaking and sewing. Our art classes combine art history and the works of famous artists to teach art techniques to inspire students' work. Student’s artworks are regularly showcased around our school and in the wider community.

Italian

St Mary’s offers Italian from Foundation through to Level 6 and has a strong commitment to promoting a love for language learning. All children from Foundation to Year 6 receive a weekly lesson, taught by our specialist Italian teachers. The students are immersed in the Italian language and culture through a range of activities, including speaking, singing, listening, reading and writing. Each year we celebrate ‘Italian Day’ which involves children dressing in Italian costume or colours. A variety of fun ‘Italian’ activities are planned for the day, including a parade, workshops and eating Italian food for lunch.

Music & Performing Arts

St Mary’s has a dedicated Music Room which is supplied with a wide variety of instruments and learning materials. Students from Foundation to Year 2 are introduced to the Performing Arts in a warm, experiential program, focusing on Music Appreciation and fundamental skills. The sound of ukuleles ring in the air at St Mary’s as our Year 3 & 4 students learn to play the ukulele, while the Yr 5 and 6 children love learning to play the guitar and trying their hand at keyboard. Drama and Performance is a major focus built into our music program across all year levels.

Our school choir is going from strength to strength with just under 40 students from Year 4-6 getting together every Wednesday. The Choir will also be making an appearance at the local Swan Hill Musical Showcase and will promote our school at local community events this year.

A major highlight of the Music program includes all year levels performing at the end of year Christmas Carols night.

Digital Technologies

St. Mary's offers a comprehensive curriculum in the area of Digital Technology.

What digital devices do you use at St. Mary’s?

Our junior classes (Foundation - Year 2) use iPads in addition to more traditional learning tools to enhance their learning
The year 3-6 classrooms have their own (1:1) Chromebook computer which is used daily in their classrooms.

How do you teach your kids to stay safe online?

Cyber-safety is taught right from the beginning of school so that the students know how to use technology safely
We teach things such as not sharing personal details, communicating positively with others online, who to tell when they see something that is not right and just generally using technology in a positive way.

Why is it important that students learn about digital technology?

Technology is now part of our everyday life, so just like we teach students how to read, write and work on Mathematics – we also need to teach our children how to use digital technology.
One of our main philosophies is that we want our students to not just be consumers, we really want them to be creators – the students have so many creative ideas that they want to share with others so we want to give them the skills and the tools that will allow them to do this.

Technology Coaching

A commitment to ensuring our students have access to new learning in this area has led to the introduction of technology coaches who work weekly with all our classes and their teachers. This has facilitated a huge shift in confidence and skill level in using digital technology. The weekly sessions with the technology coach integrates technology across core subjects in the school curriculum utilising a range of technology including ipads, Chromebook computers and interactive whiteboards.

This comprehensive and sequential approach to teaching technology means our students will leave the school with the foundations in place to be creators of content rather than simply users of technology.

It is fantastic to witness the excitement and enthusiasm of both students and teachers as they make meaningful use of technology to enhance their learning across all curriculum areas.

Sustainability

As a Catholic community we are called to Care for Creation. St May’s is committed to embracing Sustainability in education and we believe that for students to feel empowered, they need to take active roles in their learning and in the wider community.

Students are actively involved in planting and caring for the environment. Caring for our vegetable patches, looking after the schools ‘happy hens’ and creating compost for use in our gardens supports our Sustainable Schools program. As an accredited Resource Smart school we actively support an awareness of environmental issues and management strategies for waste, water, energy and biodiversity. We promote, reducing energy consumption, recycling, composting, rubbish free lunches and utilising tank water for all student toilet flushing. This program is supported by an environmental policy, curriculum implementation and Sustainability teams of both staff and student leaders.

Education for Sustainability provides an avenue to develop the “knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary to contribute to more sustainable patterns of living”. When teaching in this area and embedding sustainability into the curriculum, students are able to take action for the greater good, developing a sense of responsibility to the wider community.