Annual Report 2017
Table of Contents Contents Foreword 1 Annual Strategic Plan - 2017 2 Strong Catholic Identity 3 Excellent Learning and Teaching 4 Building a Sustainable Future 5 i P age
Foreword On behalf of our school community I welcome you to the inaugural St Clare s Primary School Annual Report. On Tuesday 24 th January 2017 the school, named in the honour of St Clare of Assisi, opened to our very first students. We started the year with 114 Prep to Year 4 students, and 8 kindergarten students. By the end of the year, our enrolments have grown to 128 students and 20 kindergarten students. In January 2018 we expect our opening enrolment to be more than 180 students. Our foundation year has been marked by a year of firsts. Our first assembly, our first excursion, our first Welcome BBQ, our first Sports Day the list goes on My vision at the beginning of the year, as it is now, is that St Clare s will be a collaborative, nurturing and professional learning community which will be inclusive of all. I believe that every student should be given the opportunity to achieve excellent progress every year. I believe we have achieved this. During 2017 the school staff worked tirelessly to develop a contemporary learning environment which focused on the students. I am particularly proud of how the teaching and support staff provided opportunities for all students to become successful, creative and confident learners. The St Clare's Primary School community is vibrant and positive, with an active and supportive parent body. Positive partnerships are integral to our success. We could not have achieved the great success without the support of the parent community. It really does take a village to raise a child. St Clare s Primary School has been well supported by the Archdiocese of Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE). The BCE School Development Services and BCE School Service Centre, Springwood, worked diligently for four years before the school opened in January this year. Brisbane Catholic Education s expertise in building and opening new schools is fundamentally one of the reasons why St Clare s has been so successful. I am eternally grateful for the support of so many throughout 2017. Peace and Blessings, Mr Chris Thomas Foundation School Principal 1 P age
Annual Strategic Plan - 2017 Broad Strategic Goal 1 Strong Catholic Identity By the end of 2017, the school has a documented high quality Religious Education program, structured around the model for Religious Education, and responsive to the needs and religious backgrounds of students, staff and community. Broad Strategic Goal 2 Excellent Learning and Teaching By the end of 2017, the St Clare's Vision for Learning and Teaching has been published so that the teachers are implementing the expected and effective learning practices that lead to optimal growth for each student; and parents have a good understanding of their fundamental role in contributing to their child's growth. Broad Strategic Goal 3 Excellent Learning and Teaching By the end of 2017, teachers are consistently using the BCE and the school specific effective and expected practices in the teaching of reading that will result in 70% of the students in Prep achieving PM Level 5 or greater, 80% of Year 1 students are achieving PM Level 14 or greater; 80% of Year 2 students are achieving PM Level 22 or greater. I believe our strong vision of Welcome, Connectedness and Growth, has ensured our first year has been so successful. Broad Strategic Goal 4 Building a Sustainable Future By the end of 2017, the school has documented the highly effective processes for coaching, goal setting and professional feedback to enable the continual improvement of learning and teaching. Chris Thomas, Principal, November 2017 2 P age
Strong Catholic Identity St Clare's Primary School is a Catholic school founded on the teachings and traditions of St Clare and St Francis. Catholic Identity is developed and nurtured through the encounter of faith, life and culture. Four dimensions (Mission, Formation, Learning & Teaching and Culture) provide a basis for ensuring that the work of the school remains Christ-centred while encouraging a diversity of authentic expression. Achievements Mission, Formation and Culture o Developed positive relationships with the Regents Park Catholic Parish, Logan Village and Yarrabilba State Schools, the broader Yarrabilba community, and St Clare s families. o Provided spiritual formation opportunities for students and staff. o Blessed and Opened St Clare s Primary School on 27 th July 2017. o Developed the St Clare s Primary School Prayer in collaboration with the school community. o Purchased and displayed religious artwork to enhance the religious life of the school. o Designed, created and displayed a mosaic of St Clare at the school s entry. o Celebrated key religious events e.g. Ash Wednesday, Lent, Easter, Christmas. o Provided opportunities for students to lead prayer on assembly. o Provided opportunities for staff prayer. o Introduced an annual staff retreat day. o Provided professional learning for staff e.g. Franciscan spirituality, San Damiano Cross, St Clare of Assisi. o Created sacred spaces in the school office and all classrooms. o Facilitated whole school daily meditation. Learning and Teaching of Religion o Embedded a contemporary Catholic perspective in learning areas. o Developed a Religious Education Program in collaboration with Brisbane Catholic Education. o Implemented the Religious Education Curriculum in all year levels. o Reported learning outcomes in Religious Education. o Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE) co-planned Religion units of work with teachers. o Teachers shared samples of students work with teachers in other Catholic schools to ensure consistency of teacher judgement. 3 P age
Excellent Learning and Teaching At St Clare s our aspirational goal is to grow the engagement, progress, achievement, and the wellbeing of each student. The Australian Curriculum, designed to help all young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens, is being fully implemented at St Clare s. At St Clare s, teachers use high yield strategies to improve the impact on student learning. Our aim is for the effective use of data, review and response cycles, and learning walks and talks to become an integral part of the learning culture of our school. Achievements Implemented the Australian Curriculum in all year levels. Collected and analysed student learning data to inform teaching. Provided targeted literacy intervention across all year levels to meet the learning targets set in the 2017 Annual Strategic Plan. Leadership team participated in learning walks and talks to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning and teaching in the classrooms, and to affirm the work of the teachers. Constructed and use a data wall to inform the teaching & to monitor student progress. Introduce Review and Response cycle to build teachers capacity and identify strategies to move learning forward. Excellent progress in reading development for all students across the school. Provided professional learning for teachers e.g. English, Mathematics, Teacher Mindframes, student feedback, and student wellbeing. Developed and published the Vision for Learning and Teaching. Developed and utilised planning templates for all curriculum areas. Resourced the school with contemporary learning materials, furniture and technology. Developed and introduced the St Clare s Primary School Positive Behaviour for Learning Procedures (Behaviour Management). Introduced Learning Intentions and Success Criteria in all classrooms. Provided a one-to-one ipad program in Year 3 and 4. Provided parent education sessions on supporting young readers. Introduced the St Clare s Primary School Ready to Learn Program. 4 Page
Building a Sustainable Future St Clare s Primary School builds a sustainable future through people and capability. We ensure stewardship of resources with transparency, accountability and compliance. At St Clare s, we have a continuous improvement agenda focused on the growth at an individual, team and school level. Our Professional Learning Community focuses on coherence, collective responsibility and capacity building. St Clare s promotes a consistent approach to improving the health and safety of all. St Clare s aims to strengthen processes and systems to support evidence-based decision making, accountability and governance to achieve our priorities. Achievements Opened St Clare s Primary School on the 24 th January 2017. Maintained expenditure within the 2017 School Budget. Developed 2018 School Budget. Capital and building projects: Stage 1 Master Plan facilities completed - administration, classrooms, tuckshop, uniform shop, undercover area, oval and carparks; Early Years Playground; and shade sails in Assisi Place, sensory garden, planting and worm farm. Planned for Stage 2 Master plan 6 classrooms, middle years playground, shade sails. St Clare s Family & Community Engagement (FACE) Network monthly meetings. Endorsed the St Clare s Primary School FACE Constitution and Charter. Developed the St Clare s Primary School Professional Practice and Guidelines. Teachers met the requirements of their individual professional learning plan. Teachers and leadership team engaged in coaching and mentoring initiatives. Launched the Parent Portal and School App. Implemented and monitored the school s strategic plan. Prepared for a successful Non-State Schools Accreditation Board (NSSAB) audit. Opened the St Clare s tuckshop and introduced the St Clare s Breakfast Club. Developed and implemented Workplace Health and Safety Plan. 5 Page
St Clare s Primary School Street Address: 2 Combs Street, Yarrabilba, Queensland, 4207 Telephone: (07) 5549 8000 Email: pyarrabilba@bne.catholic.edu.au Web: www.stclare.qld.edu.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/stclare.qld.edu.au 6 P age