Whitefriars Catholic School

Performance Report 2017

Principal’s Report : “We are but travellers here”

In 1867 Mary MacKillop wrote or spoke these word, in the early years of her ministry as a Sister of St Joseph. She recognised in her young years that we all pass through experiences of life; nothing is permanent and we move on, encountering people and opportunities, struggles and joys, all of which shape us through our years. As I reflect on this, my ninth and last report for Whitefriars School community, I acknowledge that yes, indeed, we are all travellers on the journey of life. Journeys have beginnings and endings. One stops and spends some time in a place and then moves on. At each stop one learns about the people and features of that place and takes away much. The memories remain long after one moves on to the next destination. Whitefriars School has been a wonderful ‘stop’ for me on my journey. I arrived in April 2008, taking over from a great Josephite leader in Sr Mary Mercer who had truly left her mark on this community. I have travelled with many fellow travellers over the years at Whitefriars: students, staff, parents, grandparents, parishioners, and many in the wider community. I have shared in many wonderful experiences and hopefully shared in enabling Whitefriars to continue growing as a community that “educates and nurtures each child

in the Josephite tradition, sharing the mission of Christ within the world today.” Whitefriars Mission Statement

In the report below I provide a summary of the many happenings and growth of this past year here at Whitefriars School.

Key Directions from our Annual Transforming Plan included the following focus points. Further details of each area have also been provided:

Catholic Identity High Quality Teaching and Learning and High Expectations of All Strong Home, School Community Engagement Effective Administration and Resourcing Catholic Identity Strategic Direction 1: To support faithfulness to our Catholic identity and the mission of the Church as a school focussed on Gospel values and the Josephite charism In this we… - Continued work on deepening the prayer life of the community, through Community Prayer, liturgies,

Masses and staff and class prayer. - Developed greater awareness and understanding of ecological conversion across our school

community. This included a staff reflection day based on Pope Francis’ writings in Laudate Si and Fr Julian Tenison Woods, co-founder of the Josephites, whose work has provided significant insights into this area. Our Term 2 whole school curriculum focus on ‘Sustainability” deepened student understanding of our need to take care of our environment. Our Year 7 Leadership Group in Sustainability was proactive in this area.

- Further developed skills and knowledge of teachers to provide a contemporary Religious Education program.

- Developed student awareness of reaching out to others as a vital aspect of our mission as a Catholic School. This continued through our Social Justice focusses. These included Caritas (Project Compassion), “Walk a Mile in my Shoes” for Hutt Street and “Action Hour” which supported Mary MacKillop International (MMI) programs in East Timor and the Mary MacKillop Museum being established at Kensington.

- Focussed our Year 7 Journey to Emmaus Leadership program on Christian leadership and justice and included practical actions to support refugees and others.

- Involved many families from our community in our Parish Sacramental Program, and also several of our teachers who supported some of the family sessions.

Our commitment with our Croydon Park Parish also included involvement in the Archbishop’s Pastoral Visit to the Parish. Following Michael Larner leaving our community at the end of 2016, Angela Scodella was appointed as APRIM for our community and we look forward to her ongoing commitment and leadership in this role. High Quality Teaching and Learning and High Expectations of All Strategic Direction 2: To improve learning outcomes for each child and to promote professional and rewarding working life for teachers Developing quality teaching, student engagement, professional learning and effective use of data were key components through… - Consolidation of agreed practices in curriculum areas, including use of Backward Design planning

process and a Learning Framework is a continued focus. - Proformas being developed for curriculum planning to enable cohesive and consistent electronic and

visible recording across year levels and curriculum areas. - Further consolidation of electronic student profiles, enabling student information to be readily

recorded and accessed from year to year. This is enabling ready access for teachers in their use of data to inform their teaching and learning programs.

- Further support in the Early Years for children in the area of Oral Language skills. - Professional learning:

o Teachers worked in Professional Learning Communities within the Catholic North Western Community cluster groups to develop focus areas of interest and also within Unit Year level groups at school.

o Areas of IT were further developed, including use of Office 365/One Note , with staff leading this through sharing of skills and knowledge.

o Support for Educational Support Officers (ESOs) was provided through teacher input sessions and cluster groups across our Catholic North Western Community.

o Through an English as an Additional Language (EAL) focus, professional learning was provided through staff sessions and classroom modelling of skills, resulting in stronger outcomes for EAL students.

o Practical skill sessions in Visual Arts led to quality teaching in this area, resulting in our amazing inaugural Art Show.

o Restorative Practice, which supports our behaviour management processes, was further enhanced through the introduction of ‘Circle Time’ as a strategy.

o Staff participated in Kids Matter around the themes of Positive School Community and Social and Emotional learning for students.

- An online program MAPPEN, a two year sequenced guided learning program, was introduced this year. Using Australian Curriculum standards this enabled greater cohesion across year levels and supported integrated planning involving HASS, Science, Health and Literacy. Whole school themes, namely Community, Sustainability, Social Justice and Creativity, gave us a key focus each term, with much diversity around each theme across year levels.

- Involvement in the Numerical Acumen program which supports student development in mental

calculation strategies resulted in Whitefriars gaining 3rd place, together with many individual student awards.

- Opportunity for continued involvement in Children’s University enabled 27 students to graduate at

Adelaide University in September.

- Outdoor Education experiences were provided to extend student learning beyond the classrooms. These included Aquatic days for Years 5 – 7, sleepover for Year 2 students, as well as outdoor activities especially based around our Sustainability focus.

In our Specialist areas the following were highlights: - Arts:

o Our inaugural Art Show provided teachers/students with the opportunity to explore new skills and mediums, including photography.

o Year 7 students presented a very high quality production in their Wakakirri performance of ‘The Gift of Mindfulness’, earning the ‘Best Health and Well Being’ Award.

o Much work went into our Carols Night. Though cancelled due to weather, the delightful performance at our last assembly allowed for the students’ skills and energy to be well on display for our community.

- Italian: Italian Day was success and included having reciprocal visits between our students and those

from St Margaret Mary’s at assemblies. - Sport: A very successful Sports Day and involvement in five inter school carnivals were significant.

Several senior students also competed in SAPSASA sports teams representing Whitefriars. Grants from School Sports enabled focus areas to gain resources throughout the year.

Strong Home, School Community Engagement Strategic Direction 3: To continue to build a community that encourages participation and collaboration Community engagement included the following: - Parent forums throughout the year around areas such as reading, NAPLAN and class structures were

provided as a means of communicating with parents about aspects of teaching and learning. Transition sessions for new parents were two fold in providing valuable information regarding school life and beginning the nurturing of relationships between families.

- Our Parent Network consists of a small number of parents who are committed to developing our community. Their support spanned many occasions, including Open Day, Art Show, Harmony Day and Fathers’ Day breakfast.

- Parent involvement in the Art Show, both in preparation and presence at the event, made this a significant gathering for our community.

- Parents made significant contributions in supporting sports carnivals and events, after school sports, Wakakirri and Carols Night preparation.

- Our inaugural Fathers’ Day breakfast was a resounding success, with a great attendance by Dads and wonderful support from both the Parent Network and staff.

- With the introduction of Kids Matter, a mental health and well- being initiative for primary schools, parents were involved in the afternoon tea launch on Harmony Day and an information session with our School Counsellor. Two parents were also involved on the Action group.

- Through Kids Matter, surveys around ‘Building a Positive School Community’ were conducted among students, staff and parents. These had a very high response and reflected a very positive outlook on the Whitefriars’ sense of community.

- The Skoolbag app was further developed as a means of communication with parents, with teachers using it to share class newsletters and classroom learning.

- Our Open Day in Catholic Education Week in Term 2 brought a number of community and prospective families. The tours were conducted by some of our senior students who were great ambassadors for our school.

- The School Board engaged in facilitated discussions around planning for the future. - Our Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) program engaged parents in a Reference Group which meets

regularly.

Catholic North Western Community - An information night for parents regarding the move for Year 7s into secondary school from 2019 was

held, with support from Our Lady of Mount Carmel College. - Children’s University co-ordinators across our region worked together with a central co-ordinator to

support this initiative, with all of our schools being represented at the Graduation ceremony. - Leaders from our nine schools continued to work closely together to further explore ways of

developing Catholic education in our region. - Staff engaged in cluster groups for professional learning, with visits to different schools and networking

across the region being key benefits. - Our football teams included students from other CNWC schools

Effective Administration and Resourcing Strategic Direction 4: To further develop infrastructure to incorporate learning spaces for The Arts and Early Years and create more play space Developments in this area included: - Our “Little Friars” playgroup was begun in Term 3, with Kerry Todd very enthusiastically co-ordinating

this. The numbers were small but consistent and look to grow in 2018. - A Master Plan to develop our school site and plan into the future in a cohesive way was produced and

architects have been appointed to work on this with the school community. This is especially relevant as Year 7s will no longer be a part of Catholic primary schools from the end of 2018 and we look to the possibility of an Early Learning Centre.

Value Added Programs and Services Instrumental program This program continues to allow a large number of students to learn musical knowledge and skills through our enthusiastic tutors teaching keyboard, singing, drums, guitar, violin and flute/recorder. The Term 3 Instrumental Night allowed students to present their learning to an audience, a further valuable skill. After School Sports Our after school sports continued to be offered in Basketball, Netball and Football. Through the support of many parents a large number of students are able to participate in these competitions. The temporary closure of St Clair has caused some interruptions to these sports. Canteen Our canteen continues to provide a valuable service to our community through the availability of recess and lunch on four days a week.

Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) YMCA provides a further valuable service in offering quality Before and After School and Vacation Care programs. Conclusion There are many travellers on this “2017 journey” to acknowledge. The children of Whitefriars School are the reason for our school’s existence. It is for them that we have all given of ourselves to enable them to grow and learn as they each travel this part of their journey of life in the Whitefriars community. It is their energy and enthusiasm that keeps us energised to do our best for them. I am very grateful for having the opportunity to work with a professional, respectful and caring staff who provide quality teaching and learning experiences for our children and who support one another. Their commitment to continuing God’s mission through our Josephite lens is a great gift to Whitefriars School. I thank the many parents, grandparents and wider community who have contributed time, talents and insights to support the many activities of this year. I especially thank the School Board and Parent Network for their efforts in working to continue building our community. I thank Fr Maurice Shinnick and Fr Long Hai Nguyen, both of whom have given much support to our school and parish community. As Fr Maurice moves towards retirement in April 2018, after 16 years of service in the Croydon Park Parish and over 50 years as a priest in the Archdiocese of Adelaide, I acknowledge the enormous contribution that he has made to the life of our Adelaide Church and all the school communities in which he has served: a truly wonderful travel companion to many! I am very grateful to Barbara Ahern who has travelled these past 10 years with me as a co-leader. Her commitment to Whitefriars School community has been hugely significant and I have valued her friendship and support. I know that she takes much from Whitefriars into her new community at St Patrick’s School. In her dual roles of APRIM and Key Literacy teacher Angela Scodella has given great leadership and energy which has enabled much to happen in these two areas and beyond. May God richly bless Frank Congedi in his leadership and all in Whitefriars School community in the years ahead as you all continue the legacy of Mary MacKillop and the Sisters of St Joseph and all who have served this community. May Mary MacKillop continue to inspire all to be people of compassion and justice.

Mary Hemmings Principal February 2018

STUDENT PROFILE

Total Enrolments 464

Girls 243

Boys 221

Full Time Equivalent 464

Indigenous Students 1

Students with disability 13

The 2017 (February Census) enrolments were made up of the following year level cohorts:

Reception 64

Year 1 48

Year 2 56

Year 3 45

Year 4 66

Year 5 63

Year 6 64

Year 7 58

WORKFORCE COMPOSITION OF STAFF AT WHITEFRIARS SCHOOL

Teacher composition in 2017 included 18 full-time and 17 part-time teaching staff. This equates to 28 full-time teaching staff.

There were 12 part-time non-teaching staff members which equates to 6.06 FTE.

There were no Indigenous members of staff in 2017. STAFF RETENTION

Staff retention continues to be strong with most all permanent staff returning in 2017.

Mary Hemmings completed her Principal role at the end of 2017 after 10 years and Frank Congedi was appointed as the new Substantive Principal in 2018.

Barbara Ahern completed her Deputy Principal role after 12 years. Susan Hennessy has been appointed as the Acting Principal for Semester 1, 2018.

Luisa Farinola retired after 42 years of service to this school community.

Angela Camozzato has taken Long Service Leave and Leave without Pay for the 2018 school year. TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS In 2017

4 Teachers hold a Master Degree

26 Teachers hold a Bachelor of Education Degree

11 Teachers hold a Diploma in Teaching

Student Attendance

YEAR LEVEL TERM 1 TERM 2 TERM 3 TERM 4

RECEPTION 96.45% 92.12% 92.51% 94.35%

YEAR 1 95.97% 95.05% 90.69% 95.53%

YEAR 2 94.22% 93.46% 91.27% 92.90%

YEAR 3 96.24% 96.82% 93.97% 95.01%

YEAR 4 96.16% 94.43% 93.46% 94.33%

YEAR 5 95.59% 93.57% 90.68% 93.14%

YEAR 6 95.65% 92.68% 92.36% 95.04%

YEAR 7 96.48% 93.26% 90.62% 91.98%

Average 95.86% 93.92% 91.95% 94.04%

Benchmark Results

Year 3 % of students who achieved the National Minimum Standard(NMS)

2015 2016 2017

Reading 98 98 95

Writing 100 100 98

Spelling 95 100 100

Grammar and Punctuation 97 96 100

Numeracy 98 100 100

Year 5 % of students who achieved the National Minimum Standard(NMS)

2015 2016 2017

Reading 97 99 98

Writing 97 99 97

Spelling 95 99 98

Grammar and Punctuation 95 96 97

Numeracy 97 96 100

Year 7 % of students who achieved the National Minimum Standard(NMS)

2015 2016 2017

Reading 98 98 98

Writing 96 100 96

Spelling 96 100 100

Grammar and Punctuation 96 100 96

Numeracy 100 100 100

SCHOOL COMMUNITY SURVEY SATISFACTION In Term 2, 2017 parents were invited to provide feedback about our school community as part of our Kids Matter strategy. Over 180 parents responded to the survey which was a great result. Overall the data provided a picture of a very healthy and positive community. “Building a Positive Community” is the basis for our Kids Matter strategy. These results indicate that there is much good happening towards our Kids Matter strategy.

SCHOOL INCOME

Government Federal $3,092,682

Government State $859,102

Composite fee $389,926

Tuition fees $592,086

Student Fees $28,835

Other Recurrent $218,350

TOTAL $5,180,981

I acknowledge the contribution of the following School Board who served the school well during 2017:

1. Father Maurice Shinnick President 2. Rick Mc Cleave Chairperson 3. Mary Hemmings Principal 4. Barbara Ahern Deputy Principal 5. Libby Suter Deputy Chairperson 6. Karina Overall Secretary 7. Anthony Marafioti Finance Committee 8. Celeste Dwarka Finance Committee 9. Frances Wren Staff Rep 10. Samara Bell OSHC Rep 11. Claudine Green Sports Rep 12. Julie Lawson Parent Rep 13. Jane Sage Parent Rep

I thank our families for the support of our school, our students for their commitment to their education and our staff for their amazing dedication to their work. Mary Hemmings Frank Congedi 2017 Principal 2018 Principal