At St John the Baptist School we achieve success in those things our community likes to measure whilst valuing a full school life that sets the same expectations when pursuing academic goals, pulling on a football jumper, tuning a violin, performing at assembly, learning lines for a play or heading off to camp.
St John’s School has developed a strong academic tradition where each student is encouraged to take responsibility for their learning. We believe in establishing sound academic foundations while lighting the fires for future growth.
We are fortunate with our extensive grounds, quality facilities and staff of real commitment who, in building relationships of trust and conviction, create the space for students to question, initiate and lead.
Our commitment to our parents is to support, encourage, nurture, and challenge individual development for all our students and to provide a learning environment which meets their present and future needs.
We believe in establishing sound foundations while lighting the fires for future growth. Strong traditions breed values of integrity, tolerance and service, while educational research delivers an innovative curriculum promoting curiosity and self-worth.
As a Diocesan Catholic School, we are committed to the development of the whole person, and recognise the uniqueness of each student.
Here at St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School, using the foundations of the Australian Curriculum, we strive towards developing:
Students of hope, joy, courage and wisdom
- Communicators who are effective, astute, creative and insightful
- Learners who are inquiring and reflective, seeking the truth and developing initiative
- Participants and producers who are independent
- Citizen of the world who are responsible, ethical, resourceful and appreciate the value of an understanding of the past in creating a better future
- People enriched by a spiritual appreciation of self, God, neighbour and life
- Learners who develop 21st Century Fluencies and use an investigative, research based approach to learning to prepare them for life in a rapidly changing world
- Informed, life-long learners displaying a love of learning and are unique and bring strengths and, talents and needs to the learning process.
Our syllabus and approaches to teaching are designed to nurture children’s’ capacity to be life-long learners through developing deep understandings. Life-long learning is nurtured at St John’s by embedding persona, social, and spiritual skills within the curriculum. These are further enhanced through actively engaging children in applying these skills within their school and broader lives.
Here at St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School, we believe that in order for our students to be successful in the world in which we live, they must be equipped with a set of 21st Century skills or fluencies that enable them to function effectively in a rapidly changing society.
We believe that in the 21st-century classroom, the instructional model shifts. The teacher is no longer the focal point of the classroom. Instead, students work in groups to create real-world solutions to real-world problems. Embedded within these problems are the curricular objectives.
The teacher now takes on a new role as the facilitator of learning, presenting scenarios outlining real-world problems that are relevant to students and simultaneously aligned with curricular goals.
Therefore, our curriculum plans supports both discrete and integrated learning within environments that are designed to best suit learner needs. Integration is employed to create rich contexts where learning areas are naturally aligned and where these learning areas are able to maintain their original integrity. Curriculum is developed predominantly through inquiry models and connected routines. Teachers and students use Information Communication Technology (ICT) to effectively enhance the teaching and learning cycle.
Curriculum at St Johns has been developed using the Australian Curriculum (ACARA) and Early Years Curriculum Guidelines (QCAA) in:
- Religious Education
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Humanities and Social Sciences – History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship and Economics and Business
- The Arts – Dance, Drama, Music, Media and Visual Arts
- Health and Physical Education
- Technology
- LOTE - Japanese
Learning Support here at St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School is managed by a school appointed Learning Support Team which is overseen by the APC in consultation with the Principal. If a teacher has any learning support concerns about a student, they need to meet with the APC and/or Learning Support Teacher to discuss their initial concerns and strategies in place.
In essence, the Learning Support Teacher will oversee the identification, support and monitoring of students who have an Education Adjusted Program (EAP), while the APC will be more involved with co-ordinating support and monitoring of students with specific learning difficulties or those requiring extension.
Ongoing concerns regarding a students’ learning or behaviour requires a referral form to be completed which includes evidence about assessment results, classroom anecdotal records and routines or strategies. An appointment needs to be made for these meetings with a member of the Learning Support Team and at times, these may be in teacher release times. Teachers also need to maintain some flexibility when working with Learning Support as coordinating meetings between multiple parties can be difficult.
It is also imperative that the teacher keeps the Learning Support Team constantly updated about any information from parents throughout the year. These could include reports from a paediatrician, Speech Pathologist or Psychologist.
All EAP students will have an Individual Education Program (IEP) designed in consultation between the Learning Support Teacher, the classroom teacher, allied professionals and the parents. Students who have been identify with a Learning Difficulty or who are more-able may also require an Individual Learning Plan. A Learning Support Assistant directly involved with the student may also be involved in the consultation. These programmes will be reviewed at least once per year.
Learning Support Assistants will be assigned to classes where there is a student with special needs. They will also be provided to support Indigenous Students, students who have English as a Second Language, and students who have a specific learning difficulty or require extension. These Learning Support Assistants are to be utilised by the teacher to best support the needs of that student. (i.e. - could assist in supervising an organised class activity while the teacher works one-on-one with the student), and that this process needs to be clearly articulated and communicate via a Learning Log.
Appropriate professional development will be provided to teachers and support staff to ensure skills and knowledge regarding differentiation of the curriculum and changes to procedures.
Students are offered many opportunities to pursue special interests and to develop personal qualities through extra curricula activities. These include but are not limited to:
- School Band
- School Choir
- Eisteddfod
- School Representative Sport
- Environmental Group
- Gardening Club
- Chess Club
- Drama Club
