+ All Categories
Home > Documents > CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton...

CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton...

Date post: 29-Mar-2018
Category:
Upload: duongcong
View: 216 times
Download: 0 times
Share this document with a friend
18
St Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax: 4942 3218 Email: [email protected] www.charlestown.catholic.edu.au
Transcript
Page 1: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

St Joseph's Primary School,CHARLESTOWNShelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-BoyesPhone: 4943 5414 Fax: 4942 3218Email: [email protected]

Page 2: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

About the Annual School ReportSt Joseph's Primary School is registered by the Board of Studies Teaching and Educa onal Standards NSW(BOSTES) as a member of the Catholic system in the Diocese of Maitland - Newcastle.

The Annual School Report provides parents and the wider community with fair, accurate and objec veinforma on about various aspects of school performance and development. The Report describesachievement of school development in 2015 and gives information about 2016 priorities.

This Report is a legislative requirement under the Schools Assistance Act, 2008.The informa on in this Report is complemented by the Catholic Schools Office website and schoolwebsites where other publications and newsletters can be viewed or obtained.

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 1

Page 3: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Messages from Key School Bodies

Principal's Message

2016 was a very industrious year for St Joseph’s. We con nued to promote the highest teaching andlearning standards with our special focus on the teaching of literacy extended to the primary grades.Funding via the State Ac on Plan (SAP) project enabled us to con nue to employ a Leading Teacher todrive the teaching of literacy throughout the school. Our specific focus was on the area of Wri ng. We alsocon nued implemen ng Professional Learning Teams, a collabora ve process which teachers here valueand enjoy.Professional Development undertaken during 2016 complemented these focuses.

In 2016 we again maintained twelve classes which demonstrated not only previous growth, but moreimportantly the confidence and support of our local community. It proves St. Joseph's is the school ofchoice for local families. During 2016 we hosted parent informa on sessions on a variety of areas,including Conflict and Bullying.We con nue to work toward offering parents opportuni es to be involvedwithin the school. Workshops on Reading, the Balanced Literacy Block and Numeracy were offered toparents by our Leading Teacher and Maths Champion. These will continue in 2017.

In 2016 with the support of our Parents and Friends Associa on we were able to purchase new hardwarefor our library and various class units. We also re-carpeted our mul purpose room which is our mainmeeting space and area used for incursions.

At St Joseph's we are very proud of our open plan teaching units. During 2016 many visitors commentedon the spacious facili es we have. They observed that the children were engaged in their learning andcould confidently ar culate what learning goals they were working toward. We always encourageprospective families to visit our school as it is unique in its design and approach to learning.

This report provides a snapshot of life at St Joseph’s Charlestown.

Parent Body

At St Joseph’s Charlestown, the Parents and Friends associa on is a produc ve group dedicated to addingvalue to our school and suppor ng our students through the alloca on of funds that improve educa onaloutcomes, enhance the student experience and ensure the school’s reputa on is upheld. This is achievedthrough a proac ve and construc ve parent body, strong execu ve leadership and collabora on betweenthe parent body and the teachers and support staff.

In 2016 the P. and F. allocated $43, 479 towards:entry fees to Tournament of the Minds, GRIP LeadershipConference a endance, ipads for Kindergarten, Library laptops, desks for Year 3, Stage 3 furniture topromote new age learning, outdoor furniture for primary oval, stencilling of our COLA, book vouchers aswell as some level of financial support for families whose children are represen ng our school andcommunity. The majority of these funds are raised from our school canteen, clothing pool and fund raisingactivities throughout the year.

Student Body

In 2016 the School Councillors have con nued to take an ac ve role in many areas of school life. Theirleading of the weekly assembly is an opportunity to demonstrate their wonderful leadership skills and thepride they have in their school. Apart from this responsibility the School Councillors have undertakenmany du es that have contributed to building a posi ve school community. These du es have includedrepresen ng the school at ANZAC services and the Catholic Schools Week Mass. The principal and teachersknew they could always rely on the School Councillors and all of Year 6 to help with important events suchas Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Na onal Ac on Day Against Bullying. Nurturing a very specialrelationship with their Kindergarten buddies is always a highlight of the year.

This year the School Councillors were also proud of their work to research and organise the establishmentof a chicken coop for St Joseph’s. This project will be a wonderful legacy from this group of students for theimmediate future and beyond.

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 2

Page 4: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

SCHOOL FEATURES

History of the school

St Joseph’s Primary school was founded by the Sisters of St Joseph in 1927. The school was ini ally locatedin Milson St. Charlestown, adjacent to the parish church and the Josephite convent, however, as theCharlestown area grew and developed it was necessary to relocate to accommodate growing enrolments.In 1975 the new school, situated in a natural bushland setting was officially opened. St Joseph’s is proud ofits Josephite heritage and continues to espouse the charism of the Josephite order.

Location/Drawing Area

St Joseph’s Primary school is located in Charlestown in Shelton St, on the eastern side of the PacificHighway. We are part of the LAKES Region of catholic schools. We are a feeder school for St Mary’s HighSchool, Gateshead. During 2015 it was announced that our local high school St Mary's Gateshead, wouldbe extending to become a Year 7 to 12 school. This was an exci ng announcement for children enrolled atSt Joseph's as they can now complete their high school education in the one location.

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 3

Page 5: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Catholic Identity and Mission

Catholic Imagination and Spirituality

At St Joseph’s we take pride in promo ng and celebra ng our Catholic iden ty. Our school MissionStatement is: “We celebrate, we hope, we pray in a nurturing environment of love, learning and service’.We model the evangelising mission of the Church by welcoming all and living out the Gospel values. Thesevalues are reflected in our school policies and prac ces and in our rela onships with each other and ourcommunity. Our school values SJC – Strive High, Live like Jesus and Care for our Environment help us toiden fy and prac se respect for each other and our environment while connec ng all we do to the storyof Jesus Christ.

The charism of our founders, the Sisters of St Joseph and their history with the school since 1927 isreflected in our school crest and our welcome mural at the school’s entrance. The school’s office foyer, thestaffroom and classrooms have dedicated prayer spaces highligh ng events in the liturgical calendar. Weregularly celebrate together through prayer, liturgy and assemblies demonstra ng our deep commitmentto our Catholic faith and its traditions.

Family, Parish and Diocesan evangelising and catechesis

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, as part of the Mackillop Parish collaborates with the Parish Priest, aregular visitor to our school, and the various Parish groups such as the Parish Pastoral Council, St Vincentde Paul Conference and Sacramental Team through a endance at mee ngs, school liturgies and parishmasses. Representa ves from the SVDP team regularly visit the school to encourage our involvement inoutreach through our Mini Vinnies group. The REC is part of the Sacramental Team and this year two otherstaff members joined the team to assist with faith formation and preparation classes for the sacraments.

Throughout 2016 we celebrated as a parish community with the Opening of the School Year Mass, StJoseph’s Feast Day, Catholic Schools Week, Sta ons of the Cross & Easter, Confirma on and FirstEucharist, Advent & Christmas, and the End of Year Liturgy acknowledging our Year 6 graduates. Parentsare always welcome and encouraged to a end parish celebra ons and these are promoted in our schoolnewsletter. Furthermore, our staff and school representatives attended a range of Diocesan celebrations.

Christian Discipleship

Formal and informal prac ces form part of the faith dimension of our school. Regular prayer is animportant facet of our school life, in the classroom, at assembly and in the staffroom. Every Mondaymorning our staff gathers to pray as we begin the school week. The daily prayer of the Church, the Liturgyof the Hours, are used as well as staff and whole school liturgies, prepared by the REC to reflect theliturgical calendar of the church and secular celebra ons such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and ANZACDay.

The staff are offered various professional development opportuni es through the Catholic Schools Officeto improve their professional prac ce and maintain their faith accredita on. Further study is promoted inthe area of Religious Educa on and Theology as part of faith forma on and accredita on policies, with 1staff member con nuing further study this year. The Principal, AP, REC and PC each a ended theirrespective Diocesan retreats throughout the year.

Religious Education and Curriculum

St Joseph’s implements the Diocesan K-12 Religion syllabus for the teaching of Religion. Each class has astructured 30 minutes lesson each day, which develops knowledge and understanding of the tradi ons ofthe Catholic community; its story, its experiences and its teachings. The school is very suppor ve of theParish-based Sacramental Program and its implementa on, ensuring that our RE scope and sequence is inline with the order of sacraments received in our parish.

In 2016 Stage 2 Teachers a ended training in the new units of work. These provided a variety of valuablelearning experiences with the teachers reporting positively on the new units and the supporting resources.

Religious literacy is a whole school focus with the REC purchasing new resources, dissemina ng relevant

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 4

Page 6: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

informa on at staff mee ngs and assis ng teachers to develop meaningful lessons, units of work andcelebrations.

This year saw significant improvement in the results of our 31 Year 6 students who par cipated in theDiocesan Religious Educa on Test with 3 High Dis nc on, 9 Dis nc ons, 13 Credits and 6 Par cipa onCertificates being awarded.

Initiatives Promoting Respect and Responsibility

Respect and responsibility underpin all policies at St. Joseph’s. The school’s KidsMatter framework and theBounce Back resilience and wellbeing program enhances and supports the teaching of a range of corevalues. During the year our school rewrote our school values statement using the acronym SJC: StriveHigh, Live like Jesus and Care for the Environment. Signage around the school is suppor ve of these valuesand programs, as is the explicit teaching of these in classrooms on a daily basis and its focus at our weeklyawards.

In 2016 the Mini Vinnies group con nued to operate with a large number of students from Stage 3 beingcommissioned at the St. Joseph’s Day Liturgy. Our Mini Vinnies students received their badges and madethe pledge to make a difference in the lives of others. This group met on a regular basis to pray for theneeds of others and to focus on social jus ce issues. A variety of fundraisers with contribu ons made toCaritas’ Project Compassion, Catholic Mission and St. Vincent de Paul Society were made during 2016. Theschool community is extremely suppor ve of all events and con nues to show a true spirit of generosityand concern for others.

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 5

Page 7: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Student Profile

The table below shows the number of students in each of the categories listed.

LBOTE* SWD* Indigenous

13 20 9

*Language Backgrounds Other Than English (LBOTE); Students With Disabilities (SWD)

Enrolment policySt Joseph's Primary School follows the guidelines provided by the Catholic Schools Office Enrolment Policy2013. This Enrolment Policy has been devised in order to accommodate the needs of families seeking aCatholic educa on. It aims to set direc on for school procedures and prac ces for enrolling students intoCatholic Primary and Secondary Schools within the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and to establish acommon, consistent approach in enrolment prac ces and assist the system of Catholic schools to provideschooling, where possible, for all Catholic children who seek enrolment, cater for the individual needs ofeach child equitably within the constraints of the available teaching and material resources and toencourage parents enrolling their children in Catholic schools to give support to parish and school life,especially in education in faith.

Copies of the Policy are available from the school, or from the Catholic Schools Office website. Parentsconcerned about school fees should ensure they make contact with the school. Diocesan provisions(including standard discounts for those with a Health Card) exist to help in this area, and the Principal canalso exercise discretion where genuine need exists.

Actual Enrolments 2016

ScholasticYear

Number ofStudents

K 42

Year 1 45

Year 2 35

Year 3 30

Year 4 44

Year 5 43

Year 6 32

Total 271

Student Attendance - K to 6 - PDFPercentage of student attendance by Year level and school average for 2016

K Year1

Year2

Year3

Year4

Year5

Year6

SchoolAverage

96 96 96 95 96 93 96.5 95.5

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 6

Page 8: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Managing Student Non-attendanceRegular a endance at school is essen al if students are to maximise their poten al. Schools, inpartnership with parents and guardians, are responsible for promo ng the regular a endance of students.The compulsory years of schooling is age 6 to 17. Principals and school staff, in consulta on with studentsand their parents, will usually be able to resolve issues rela ng to non-a endance. While parents shouldbe reminded of their legal obliga ons under the Educa on Act, (1990), the welfare of the student must bethe focus of this consulta on. The most effec ve means of restoring and maintaining regular schoola endance includes sound a endance monitoring prac ces and regular follow-up of unexplainedabsences by contac ng parents promptly. Resolu on of a endance difficul es may require a range ofaddi onal school based strategies including student and parent interviews, reviewing the appropriatenessof the student’s educa onal program, development of a school-based a endance improvement plan,referral to the school counsellor or outside agencies and support from school - based personnel. If a rangeof school-based interven ons has been unsuccessful, support may be requested by referring individualcases of unsatisfactory attendance to the Catholic Schools Office.

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 7

Page 9: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

Student Welfare Policy

St. Joseph's prioritises the well-being of the students within its care. We are a KidsMatter school embracingthe BounceBack program. Each week in our Newsletter, we present helpful information to families from theKidsMa er website addressing a variety of topics such as mental health basics, sugges ons on mindfulnessfor children and names of services and supports. BounceBack is a preventa ve whole-school social andemo onal program. It assists schools and teachers in their efforts to promote posi ve mental health andwell being in their students and, in par cular, to enable them to act resiliently when faced with changesand adversity.

During 2016 St Joseph's offered the Seasons for Growth program to assist students with coping strategieswhen dealing with grief and loss experienced through the death of a loved one or divorce or separa on.This year 2 groups were facilitated by trained teachers. In 2016 the Learning Assistance Program(LAP) con nued, a 1:1 mentoring program, with 6 students being matched with volunteers from our parentand staff family community.

Discipline Policy

Discipline procedures and processes are set out in the Pastoral Care Policy. A consistent approach todiscipline is essen al in providing a caring and produc ve learning environment. We believe that makingmistakes and wrong choices are all part of a child’s development. It is important that when such mistakesare made children receive the opportunity to learn from their mistakes in a posi ve way. We reinforce themajor principles of our Pastoral Care policy that iden fy the promo on of courtesy, safety, kindnesshonesty, considera on and responsibility. When children fail to own and address unacceptable behaviour,parents are formally no fied. As we encourage children to understand the range of consequences thatcertain ac ons create, those children whose behaviour may need modifying are required to consider howthey can make things right and learn from the situa on.Parents are able to access the policy via ourintranet or by asking for a copy at the school office.

The full text of the School's Student Discipline Policy may be accessed on the School's website or at theadministration office.

Anti-Bullying PolicyCatholic schools have the responsibility to promote cultures of trust, coopera on and respect in the livedexperience of the Catholic Chris an se ng. Bullying in a school mi gates such a culture and inhibits thedevelopment of positive relational outcomes for the common good of students, teachers and caregivers. StJoseph's Primary School Anti-Bullying Policy is reviewed regularly and is available on the school website.

St Joseph's has a robust an bullying policy. We take our responsibility to keep all children safe veryseriously. We speak with the children regularly about what bullying actually is and the difference between conflict ( a normal part of everyday life) and bullying. We encourage children to speak out if they witnessbullying on our playground.To monitor any incidences of bullying all children are surveyed anonymously each term in week 6 via asurvey about bullying. This provides us with valuable data upon which to act. Our An Bullying policy isactively implemented by all staff.

Complaints and Grievances

The school has formal wri en protocols in place to address complaints and grievances. These protocolsare in line with the Complaints and Grievances Resolu on Policy (2013), developed to provide a consistentapproach for all Diocesan schools. This policy aims to address the concerns of Parents / Carers and thewider community. These concerns may include children’s learning, behaviour and welfare, schoolorganisation and management, student health and safety issues.A copy of this policy and the informa ve parent brochure is available from the school office, schoolwebsite or is available on the Catholic Schools Office website.

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 8

Page 10: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

School Improvement

School Improvement Plan

The State Ac on Plan (SAP) con nued in 2016 at St Joseph's. Our leading teacher implemented MiniLit,the implementa on of early interven on in literacy K-2, and extra training was given to one LSA to reachmore children in this area. Teachers are using the ELK2 site and are u lising the literacy and numeracycontinuum to recognise children's individual learning needs and catering for individual differences.

We con nued to develop our Professional Learning Teams (PLT's) within stages. The PLT's focus was oncollabora on, student learning and increasing student outcomes. Our focus area was improving theteaching of writing.

We encouraged all children to con nue with their home learning including reading and u lising onlinelearning tools available to them e.g. Mathletics, Studyladder, Reading Eggs and Lexia.

The focus on student achievements and growth in maths was also a focus. Our Maths Champion providedProfessional Learning sessions for the staff and conducted parent information sessions during the year.

School Academic Priorities

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 9

Page 11: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Key improvements achieved this year Key improvements for next year

One of our NAPLAN targets was to have morethan 55% of students in top bands in Year 3 andYear 5 for both literacy and numeracy. Thistarget was met in Year 3 at 58%. 100%of MiniLit children showed growth in their preand post assessment tasks includingbenchmarking, SPAT, BURT and fluency. Thetraining of an extra person, our LearningSupport Aide, allowed for more children to beinvolved in early intervention.

Our major priority in school improvement for2016 was to con nue with our focus on wri ngK-6. Our Leading Teacher facilitated theinterven on programs for students needingextra support in the literacy area. The LeadingTeacher and Learning SupportAssistant con nued to support small groupinterven on strategies for students in K-2needing further support in literacy.

Teachers will con nue to Implement theEffec ve Wri ng Strategies fromour Professional learning days the whole staffattended in 2016 in to 2017.

Our staff embraced their Professional LearningTeams and developed collabora ve learningopportunities to focus on their SMART goals. Allteachers demonstrated their commitment toimproved school performance. Infant teacherscon nued to develop their use of the ELK2 toolas an extra tool to iden fy the needs ofindividual children and their learning needs. Best Start data was also u lised to assess ourKindergarten children and their individual needsin literacy and numeracy leading to the ongoingmonitoring on ELK2. Teachers are able to erchildren for interven on and record theseresults on our data wall crea ng conversa onsduring professional learning teams.

Staff used their Professional Prac ce andDevelopment (PP&D) me to enhanceopportuni es for collabora on across stageswith a team and school focus on improvingwri ng. Personal goals were reviewed and setinline with the school and team goals.The goalswere linked to the Australian ProfessionalStandards for Teachers enhancing a con nuouscycle of improvement K-6 and to the 3 iden fiedwriting targets.

Iden fying children needing assistance innumeracy has been a goal of St Joseph's. Children and staff have been involved innumeracy interven on. Our Maths Championon staff provided professional developmentto up skill staff on many prac cal aspects ofmathema cs including using technology andgames in the mathema cs classroom to teachand practice skills.

Whole staff focus on the implementa on of thenew History and Geography syllabi in2016.Classroom teacher and Assistant Principal a ended implemen ng History and GeographySkills and Concept professional developmentoffered by the Catholic Schools Office in Term 1.

Academic Achievements

The State Ac on Plan con nued in 2016 contribu ng resources to our school to enhance studentoutcomes and teacher’s professional development. We have con nued to employ a leading teacher andLSA to facilitate small group learning in literacy and numeracy throughout the grades. Teachers havebecome more familiar with identifying their students on the literacy and numeracy continuum and utilisingthe ELK2 site allowing them to recognise individual needs of each student’s learning. The MiniLit program,targe ng young readers who require extra assistance, also con nued and the progress of all students havebeen very successful.

Our senior students were given the opportunity to par cipate in the NBN Junior Journos Program with 6students working to produce a news item based on a school event. The team worked with the NBN Newscrew to report, film and present the item for the NBN week night news.

All teachers attended the Effective Writing Professional Development Course with Alison Davis.

Students in Years 2-6 par cipated in the Scope IT Coding program across Term 3 2016. This gave thestudetns a weekly lesson in coding, developing knowledge, understanding of and skills in applying theprocesses of Working Technologically.

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 10

Page 12: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Children from years 2-6 par cipated in the University of NSW Interna onal Compe ons and Assessmentsfor Schools (ICAS) Australia. Children had the opportunity to sit assessments in digitaltechnologies, science, wri ng, spelling, english and mathema cs. Many children have been awarded HighDis nc ons, Dis nc ons and Credits and are acknowledged for their achievements at whole schoolassemblies and in our weekly newsletter.

Primary students were given the opportunity to par cipate in the Tournament of Minds compe on inthe Hunter region. The team of seven children from years 3 to 6 developed many problem solving skills,team work strategies and me management. The team entered the Language and Literature challengewhich incorporated many imagina ve ideas and presented in front of the judges displaying crea vity,maturity and imagina on. They successfully won their category and were the Newcastle Hunter Winnersand were advanced to the State Finals in Sydney where they performed very well.

Cultural achievements

A number of students from St Joseph's successfully audi oned for ASPIRE and were part of the entouragefor 2016. It was also wonderful again to see many former students following their passion for theperforming arts well into high school.

We have a very strong band here at St Joseph's taught by staff of Allan Ward Produc ons. Every year theband grows in numbers and their talents are shared throughout the year during weekly assembliesand band concerts when parents and students are invited to enjoy the results of the students' hard yetenjoyable work.

During 2016 the primary students par cipated in the SCOPE IT coding program. Posi ve feedback fromstudents and teachers alike reflected the value of incorporating STEM based learning into our curriculum.

Our 2016 annual school concert was a great success. With the theme "Australian Made", eachgrade depicted a par cular era in Australia's history through dance and song. The studentsenjoyed performing and sharing their talents with the wider school community.

Sporting achievements

The children here at St Joseph's are blessed with wide open play spaces to interact with their peers whilstplaying a variety of sport onsite including soccer, basketball, netball, cricket and touch football. Thechildren have many opportuni es to represent their school at a Diocesan level and be selectedfor Polding teams.

Children have the opportunity to par cipate in many carnivals including school cross country, swimmingcarnival and athle cs carnival annually. These carnivals bring a sense of achievement and par cipa oninvolving many parents and friends as volunteers.

A number of children have been awarded recogni on from the Academy of Sport for their selec ons inrepresentative sport over one year in a number of disciplines.

A highlight in 2016 was the par cipa on of a St Joseph's student in the Na onal Primary SchoolsSwimming Championships held in Darwin. This was a huge achievement for this child. The whole schoolcommunity were her greatest supporters.

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 11

Page 13: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Student Achievements

Performance in National TestingThe Na onal Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for studentsin Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. NAPLAN assessment results provide valuable informa on about studentachievements in literacy and numeracy. An analysis of these results assists School planning and is used tosupport teaching and learning programs.

The tables below show the percentages of students who achieved par cular skill bands in numeracy andthe aspects of literacy. The School results shown are compared to students na onally. Literacy is reportedin four content strands (aspects): Reading, Wri ng, Spelling, Grammar and Punctua on. Numeracy isreported as a single content strand.

NAPLAN RESULTS 2016

% of students in the top 3 bands

% of students in the bottom 2 bands

School Australia School Australia

Year3

Reading 48.28% 49.40% 6.90% 13.30%

Writing 58.62% 48.80% 3.45% 8.10%

Spelling 51.72% 46.40% 3.45% 14.20%

Grammar 37.93% 52.50% 3.45% 11.40%

Numeracy 51.72% 35.60% 17.24% 15.20%

NAPLAN RESULTS 2016

% of students in the top 3 bands

% of students in the bottom 2 bands

School Australia School Australia

Year5

Reading 57.14% 35.30% 14.29% 17.30%

Writing 14.29% 17.20% 11.90% 19.90%

Spelling 35.71% 29.80% 7.14% 19.00%

Grammar 40.48% 36.30% 4.76% 16.80%

Numeracy 23.81% 28.30% 16.67% 18.30%

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 12

Page 14: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Staffing Profile

Staff Qualifications

Qualifications and Experience Number of Staff

I. Teachers with teaching qualifications from ahigher education institution within Australia or asrecognised by National Office of Overseas SkillsRecognition (NOOSR).

20

II. Teachers with qualifications from a highereducation institution within Australia or asrecognised by NOOSR but lacking formal teachingqualifications

20

Workforce Composition

Number of Staff

Total teaching staff 20

Total non-teaching staff 7

Grand total 27

Percentage of teachers who are indigenous 0

Teacher Attendance

96%

Teacher Retention

100%

Professional Learning UndertakenThe staff at St Joseph's are always open to new learning. In 2016 Professional Development undertaken byall staff included: Diocesan Teaching and Learning Conference at Newcastle University, Effec ve Wri ngStrategies- Dr. Alison Robinson, The Early Learning Summit, NAPLAN Data Analysis and the Diocesan VisionStatement Launch, Individual teachers also a ended specific inservices that answered their ownprofessional learning goals. Two members of staff attained their Proficiency Status with BOSTES in 2016.

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 13

Page 15: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Parent, Student and Teacher Satisfaction

The opinions and ideas of parents, students and staff are valued and sought. Their sugges ons areincorporated into planning for and achieving improved outcomes for students. This year, the School hasused a variety of processes to gain informa on about the level of sa sfac on with the School fromparents, students and staff.

Parent SatisfactionIndica ons from both formal and informal data collected show that parents and carers are generally verysa sfied with the way things are done at St Joseph’s. We regularly ask ques ons of parents regarding theirunderstanding and acceptance of various policies and procedures. Via our Parents and Friends Associa onwe also gather feedback regarding issues within the school. We take parent feedback very seriously andensure we follow up on concerns raised through the appropriate channels. At mes parents may haveconcerns about a specific issue. The culture of the school is open and honest communica on and thisenables these issues to be discussed and resolved.

Teachers at St Joseph’s are very approachable and generous with their me ensuring they are available tomeet with parents to discuss any concerns regarding their child’s school experience. We believe in openand frank communication between home and school.

Involvement from our parent community is outstanding. The a endance at events is impressive. From thiswe gauge the community are more than satisfied with our efforts to educate their children.

Student SatisfactionOur students are happy, secure and content at school. The children know the staff are here to help themon their learning journey. The school grounds are pleasant and spacious. Children are proud of theirschool. Visits from past students indicate the children are happy to return a er they have le Year 6 andcatch up with present students and staff. It is a welcoming environment and visitors always comment onhow welcome they were made to feel by children and staff alike.

Staff SatisfactionThe staff at St Joseph's are very commi ed to their voca on. They genuinely love children and want tohelp them have a posi ve school experience. Staff appear happy to come to work. When difficul es arisethe staff pull together as a team and everyone helps out. This is especially evident when we are hos ngspecial events.

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 14

Page 16: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Financial Statement

Income Expenditure

Commonwealth RecurrentGrants (62.7%)Government Capital Grants(0%)State Recurrent Grants (20.2%)Fees and Private Income (17%)Other Capital Income (0%)

Capital Expenditure (0.1%)Salaries and Related Expenses(79.1%)Non-Salary Expenses (20.8%)

This School Financial Informa on is based on the detailed informa on provided to the CommonwealthGovernment in the Commonwealth Financial Questionnaire.School Financial Information for the 2016 year is detailed below:

RECURRENT and CAPITAL INCOME

Commonwealth Recurrent Grants 1 $2,055,101

Government Capital Grants 2 $0

State Recurrent Grants 3 $662,524

Fees and Private Income 4 $557,853

Other Capital Income 5 $0

Total Income $3,275,478

RECURRENT and CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

Capital Expenditure 6 $2,302

Salaries and Related Expenses 7 $2,475,331

Non-Salary Expenses 8 $652,042

Total Expenditure $3,129,675

Notes1. Commonwealth Recurrent Grants includes recurrent per capita grants and special purpose grants.2. Government Capital Grants includes all capital grants received from the Commonwealth and State

Governments.3. State Recurrent Grants includes recurrent grants per capita, special purpose grants and interest

subsidy grants.4. Fees and Private Income include Archdiocesan and school based fees, excursions and other private

17%

20.2%62.7%

■■■

20.8%

79.1%

■■

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 15

Page 17: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

income.5. Other Capital Income includes building levy fees and capital donations used to fund Capital

Expenditure.6. Capital Expenditure includes expenditure on School Buildings, and Furniture and Equipment.7. Salaries and Related Expenditure includes all salaries, allowances and related expenses such as

superannuation and workers compensation insurance.8. Non-Salary Expenses include all other Non-Salary Recurrent Expenditure covering resources,

administration, operational expenses, utilities, repairs and maintenance.

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 16

Page 18: CHARLESTOWN St Joseph's Primary School, - CSO … Joseph's Primary School, CHARLESTOWN Shelton Street, CHARLESTOWN 2290 Principal: Mrs Jennifer Edstein-Boyes Phone: 4943 5414 Fax:

Report Access and Publication

This report is available to members of the school and wider communities. Copies will be supplied tothe Catholic Schools Office, The Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards NSW, TheParents and Friends Association, the Parish Priest and to all parents.

Copies of this school’s Annual School Report are available to the general public. Persons wishing toaccess a copy of the report should contact:

Mrs Edstein-Boyes Jennifer

St Joseph's Primary School

CHARLESTOWN

Phone: 4943 5414

For further information relating to the Diocesan Policy please refer to: http://mn.catholic.edu.au

Annual School Report to the Community 2016 Page 17


Recommended