St James’ Primary School, Muswellbrook · regional Spelling Bee competition and our captains went to a flag raising ceremony as part of reconciliation awareness. We also . ANNUAL

Skellatar Stock Route

Muswellbrook NSW 2333

www.muswellbrook.catholic.edu.au

2013 Annual School Report St James’ Primary School, Muswellbrook

http://www.muswellbrook.catholic.edu.au/

ANNUAL S CHOO L REP ORT 20 13 2

About the Annual School Report

St. James’ Primary School , Muswellbrook is registered by the Board of Studies 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 objective information about various aspects of school performance and development. The Report describes achievement of school development priorities in 2013 and gives information about 2014 priorities. This Report is a legislative requirement under the Schools Assistance Act, 2008. The information in this Report is complemented by the school website where other school publications and newsletters can be viewed or obtained from the school.

Messages from Key School Bodies

Principal

2013 was my first year as Principal of St James’ Primary school, Muswellbrook. I was warmly welcomed to the school by the staff, parents and students. The atmosphere at the school was collegial and it did not take me long to feel like I belonged. The enrolment of 297 students K-6 was much larger than the 85 students K-2 that I had been working with at my previous school, but just as manageable. Miss Kim Wilson had been Acting Principal for eighteen months and had done a tremendous job of making sure the school ran well. There were many programs and procedures in place that were exemplary. One of the first things I asked of the staff and parents was to give an indication of what they loved about St James’ and what they would like to change. Overwhelmingly, the feedback indicated that everyone was very happy with the level of support and dedication of the staff as well as the friendly nature of the school and the way in which the children were catered for academically and spiritually and physically. Parents and staff asked for less extra curricula activities, including sport and more emphasis on curriculum and pedagogy. There was also a unanimous call for a whole school behaviour plan. During 2013 St James’ reduced the number of extra curricula activities and claimed the morning block as sacred Literacy time. This is non-interrupted teaching time. The staff worked with Paul Sleishman from the CSO to plan and implement a whole school behaviour plan – PB4L – Positive Behaviours for Learning. This was rolled out in term 3 with great success. The three areas we chose to use as a framework became a mantra for the students – Be a Learner, Be Respectful and Be Safe. The students are rewarded for behaviour that shows learning, respect and safety choices. Consequences are in place for non-compliant behaviour. The incidents of poor behaviour decreased as every teacher had the same expectations, rewards and consequences. During 2013 the students of St James’ Primary participated in a wide range of teaching and learning experiences and some important extra curricula activities. As we are a Catholic school we provided opportunities for the children to celebrate feast days and significant liturgical events both at school and in the Parish. Our school began the year with an Opening School Mass in St James’ Hall and finished the year with a closing liturgy. We hosted special celebrations for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as well as the regional athletics carnival. Staff participated in Professional Development in Maths and English; with Anita Chinn hands on learning maths modules and days spent with Steven Graham, Catherine Murray and Sally Brock on English Comprehension strategies and the new English Curriculum. Unfortunately, many of the staff that participated in this Professional Development left St James’ at the end of the year to pursue their teaching careers in other parts of the diocese. The implication of this is that in 2014 St James’ will need to revisit this professional development for new staff. St James’ continued the work we had started with the State Action Plan program in 2012 in the area of literacy K-2, and added professional development with Focus on Reading for Years 3 to 6. This extensive professional development in the area of reading, comprehension and vocabulary was used K-6. The strategies and teaching ideas were used extensively in Years 2 -6, after the constrained skills of reading had been mastered. We continued the working that the previous executive had done in 2012 with Newcastle University and Professor Jenny Gore with the Quality Teaching Framework. The year focused on implementing the quality teaching framework questions into programming and assessment tasks. We are confident that our school results will reflect these sound teaching practices. In term 1 we had the CSIRO visit which was well received. The travelling science road show was learning fun for everyone. We also had Hunter Life Education visit and all students partake in the PDHPE curriculum involved for their year level. Stage 1 students went to The Reptile Park at Ourimbah to culminate their work in Science and HSIE for the term. In term 2 we held a regional Spelling Bee competition and our captains went to a flag raising ceremony as part of reconciliation awareness. We also

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had an astronomy night, held for all families and culminating in a school sleep over for students in year 3 and 4 so that they could study the constellations. In term 3 the school held the annual public speaking competition. Students from each stage competed admirably and our winning students were able to compete in the Regional and Diocesan Public Speaking Competition in term 4. Stage 2 students also went to the historical Rocks area of Sydney for the day to do archaeological digs, walk around the historic buildings, and visit Hyde Park Barracks and St Mary’s Cathedral. The day allowed the students to see first -hand the locations they had been studying in HSIE that term. On the last day of term 3 we held our first Aboriginal Day where every child was immersed in Aboriginal literature, art, craft, drama and music. The students worked with local and well known aboriginal elders and students to participate in the activities on the day. In the afternoon the students showcased their learnings at a special assembly for the school community. The day was well received well on a school and diocesan level as the format will be used across the diocese. In term 4 Stage 3 students from St James’ and St Joseph’s Merriwa went to the Nation’s capital for 3 days. This excursion to Canberra was a first for many and the information and learning that they gained from the experience was worth the sleepless nights. We also had a whole school excursion to Newcastle where we went to the Special Olympics. We saw Australia play soccer and cricket. The students were in awe of the players and the players loved the audience. Towards the end of the term the whole school danced and sang to the golden guitar winning singer- songwriter, Luke O’ Shea’s melodies. Luke spent two days with St James’ students and assisted them to write stage songs and learn bush dances to perform on the Bush Dance night. It was a terrific event with the whole school out in ‘boot scootin’ force. Small class choirs competed in the Muswellbrook Eisteddfod competition as well as many students individually competing in the Bible and impromptu reading sections with some gaining a place. We also participated in many other sections not previously entered as the Eisteddfod was held on the school grounds. The Eisteddfod committee launched a campaign for us to retain the grand piano hired for the occasion. The entire community was involved in sponsoring the purchase of the piano. $35 000 was raised and we were able to take possession of the beautiful instrument which will allow us to host future eisteddfods and other prestigious music events as well as use it for our choir at school. The Active After School Activities Government initiative, which has seen us deliver a program of physical activity twice weekly for seven weeks of each term to over 30 participants, continued in 2013. Tennis, Zumba, Cricket, Fundamental Movement Skills, and Circus skills were offered. Staff members were generous in giving their time to run and or supervise this hour long activity each term. The number of participants varied form sport to sport and term to term but overall it was well patronised. The enthusiasm and creativity of the staff members made the year very successful. The parent participation was evident through many P&F fundraising and social events as well as the commitment of the canteen roster and the commitment of parents to assist with classroom programs. We were able to re-resource our home reading program with new levelled readers as well as purchase teacher resources in Comprehension. We spent our AGQTP grant on resourcing CMIT maths games for the infants’ classrooms, which allows students to access rich hands on learning activities at their level of understanding. This Annual Report provides an outline of the significant religious, academic, social and cultural activities at st James’ Primary School, Muswellbrook during the 2013 school year. It is anticipated that this document will create an awareness of our school’s achievements, as well as our directions for the future development of the school. 2013 was my first year at St James’ Primary Muswellbrook in 2013. I thoroughly enjoyed my year and commend staff, parents and students on the amazing school community we have. I highly recommend the school to all and wish the outgoing staff a smooth tranistion to their new schools.

Parent Body

The St James’ P & F is an integral part of St James’ Primary School Muswellbrook working closely with school executive to del iver the best educational experience possible for all students at the school.

It was a fantastic 2013 with lots of big and small changes within and around the school driven by a very dedicated group of parents and helpers within the P&F.

In 2013 the P&F provided funding for the following projects, the St James’ primary school digital sign installed at the front of school, repairs to the artificial grass near the canteen, construction of garden kerbing, reader resources for Kindergarten and other stages, software to provide online ordering of lunches at the canteen for parents as well as other donations to the school.


We had some great fundraising and social events for 2013 these included the Family Fun and Golf Day, the Mother’s and Father’s day stalls, the Chocolate drive, the BHPBilliton Matched Giving eligible Walkathon and the Melbourne Cup trifecta tickets.

We had four social Busy bees in 2013, these are great events where families came together and completed minor works around the school while children played and had a great time. Works completed included addressing any safety issues raised, repainting safety lines and games, general clean up duties, pressure cleaning chairs and tables, high level dusting and gardening. The busy bees were then finished off with a lovely morning tea and lunch.

At the beginning of this year we welcomed our new Principal and in the middle of the year a new P&F executive. It has been a time of change and as the new teams work together we are looking forward to some great outcomes going forward.

P&F President 2012-2013

Student Body

Student Leaders/SRC

The Student Representative Council was made up of the 2 school captains and 4 students from Year 6. The 2013 SRC met with the principal each term and discussed issues from the student’s perspective. One of the first tasks undertaken was to compose a school prayer for morning assembly. This was done with input from the whole school and then edited by the SRC and principal. The captains attended Young Leaders Day in Lochinvar where students throughout the Diocese learned about different aspects of leadership. Throughout the year the SRC represented St James’ at many school and community functions, they helped to raise money for community support groups and assisted in the day to day running of the school. During Friday assemblies the SRC recognised excellence in certain areas of the school by awarding a plaque to classes who excelled in the areas of lining up, wearing correct uniform, classroom tidiness and classroom displays. The classes kept the award on display in the classroom for the week. SRC also spent time each term talking to students about what they loved and what they wished to change about St James’. This feedback was mainly very positive with the students being happy at school and loving their teachers and sporting opportunities. More discos and more sport equipment on Skellatar were cited as two of the most common requests for change. Both of these were addressed by the school.

Who We Are History of the School

St James’ School is a Catholic parish school within the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese. The school is situated on the western fringes of the town, on land first settled by the Wanaruah people. The school began its existence as a Catholic denominational school in the middle of a developing township in 1862. When government funding was withdrawn in 1883, the Sisters of Mercy took over responsibility for the school. This school continued to provide a valuable Catholic education to the people of the area, until demand for places, brought on by an expansion in mining and power industries, resulted in the need for the construction of a larger school. In 1983, 100 years after the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy, the present Primary School of 14 classrooms, chapel and other amenities was opened. The Sisters of Mercy continued their mission in St. James’ School until 1972. The Sisters of St. Joseph continued the important task of providing a Catholic education from 1973 until 1991 when the first lay principal was appointed. St James’ School is proud of its dual heritage and encourages students and their families to incorporate these values and ideals into daily life.


Location/Drawing Area

Muswellbrook is located in the Upper Hunter. St James’ situated on an large acreage on Skellatar Stock Route as shown on the map.

Characteristics of the Student Body

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

LBOTE* SWD* Indigenous

2 16 8

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


Religious Dimension and Culture of School Life

Catholic Identi ty

Religious symbols, both traditional and contemporary, are visible throughout the school environment and each classroom has a prayer focus space. Prayer is a valued part of each day and the children experience formal as well as informal prayer opportunities. The school Mission Statement reflects our role as a community of Catholic faith. We believe that St James’ School reflects the light of Christ as we are committed to quality learning, helping others, respect for all, working in partnership with the community, being successfully focussed towards achievement and striving for excellence as we nurture the whole person. The school chapel is used for class Mass and prayer. It is a sacred space that is open for parents and students to use. The hall also boasts an altar and is used for school Mass and liturgies. We celebrate all major feast days and special occasions with either a Mass or liturgy or if more appropriate a prayer.

The School as part of Parish and Diocesan Life

The Staff of St. James’ School has endeavoured to work closely with the Parish and the wider community during 2013. Prayer and liturgical celebrations are integral to the daily life of the school and also provide a link with the local parish church. In the first weeks of the school year many staff members travelled to the Cathedral in Newcastle to celebrate the Called to Serve Mass with diocesan staff and clergy. Staff and students have attended weekday Mass on Thursdays during the first semester and children are invited to participate in Children’s Liturgy at Sunday Mass and other parish functions. We supported collections for the St Vincent de Paul’s Christmas and Winter appeals as well as Caritas and Children’s Mission. Parents are involved in the preparation of their children for the Sacraments of Initiation. The parish based program includes parent meetings, parent child activities, a commitment ceremony and home workbook activities. The celebration of the Sacraments is an opportunity for the whole school to support the group through planning the use of units based on the theme of the Sacraments and attending the celebrations where possible. During 2013 staff and school families participated in a variety of religious celebrations both at the Church and at school. These included Opening School Mass and Induction of Leaders, End of Year Liturgy, St. James’ Feast Day Mass, Ash Wednesday Liturgy, Stations of the Cross in Holy Week, ANZAC and Remembrance Day services and National Sorry Day as well as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day celebrations. Clergy and religious are always invited to liturgies, assemblies, morning tea/lunch celebrations and important occasions. Staff and students acknowledge the important roles of these members in our community. Our Pastoral Care Worker facilitated the Seasons for Growth Program for children who have experienced grief through loss, separation or divorce. St James’ staff and children celebrated Catholic Schools Week with a liturgy and open classrooms. Student leaders travelled to Newcastle to participate in Diocesan Catholic Schools Week celebrations.

Teaching of Religion

All teachers are responsible for teaching Religion in their respective classes and are formally accredited to teach Religion or are in the process of satisfying the academic requirements needed to apply for accreditation. St. James’ implements the Maitland-Newcastle Diocesan K-12 Religion Syllabus. During 2013 Stage 3 classes implemented the new trial units of work which have been introduced in all diocesan schools. Every day each class has a structured lesson that develops the knowledge and understandings of our Catholic faith. In Term 2 all Year 6 students participated in the Year 6 Religious Education Test and once again results above the diocesan average were achieved. Class and school liturgical, sacramental and prayer celebrations form an important aspect of the Religious Education curriculum. Opportunities are made for the whole school to come together for worship in liturgies and prayer and singing of hymns. The Catholic perspective is integrated into all Key Learning Areas.


Retreats and Faith Development Programs

Prayer and Reflection opportunities begin all meetings and gatherings for staff and students. Staff Twilight Retreats were held at the end of Terms 2 and 3. During 2013, the whole school gathered in prayer and assembly each Monday morning. Daily prayer is experienced in classrooms, all of which have a sacred prayer space or prayer mat focus. Many opportunities are made available for spontaneous prayer and guided consideration for others. Teachers and their classes can visit the Chapel for quiet reflection or celebration. Reflection/prayer is included in the fortnightly newsletter. Mission Day is a major event on the yearly calendar as the children raise money for Children’s Mission and they are aware of the great need to assist others in our world. The study of Aboriginal spirituality includes visits to sacred sites and in Term 3 all members of our school community participated in an Indigenous Day. One staff member attended the World Youth Day celebrations in Rio de Janeiro and all staff benefited from a spiritual reflection of the great event. Year 5 students participated in a Leadership Development program during December as they prepare for elections of leaders for the coming year. The “Young Mary” presentation took place in Term 1 and children and staff enjoyed revisiting the life of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

Values and initiatives to promote respect and responsibil i ty

Our school motto “Living In Christ” captures the spirit of our school and is a constant reminder of the importance to continue to witness the values of Jesus Christ in all interactions with each other and to provide an environment where learning is permeated by Gospel values. During 2013 our Positive Behaviours for Learning Program (PB4L) was implemented across the entire school with both classroom and playground elements. The PB4L program specifically targets the concepts of Respect and Responsibility in all aspects of school life. Our annual Mission Day together with targeted charities each term, are the main focus of our social justice program. Families at St James’ School are extremely generous and encourage their children to continually consider the needs of others less fortunate. A specific appeal took place in Term 4 to provide necessities and toys for two orphanages in Cambodia. The “Bully No More” performance presented to the children in Term 3 gave the students further skills to help them deal with bullying situations they may experience in the playground or community.

Policies

Enrolment Policy

St James’ Primary School, Muswellbrook follows the guidelines provided by the Catholic Schools Office Enrolment Policy 2013 This Enrolment Policy has been devised in order to accommodate the needs of families seeking a Catholic education. It aims to set direction for school procedures and practices for enrolling students into Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools within the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and to establish a common, consistent approach in enrolment practices and assist the system of Catholic schools to provide schooling, where possible, for all Catholic children who seek enrolment, cater for the individual needs of each child equitably within the constraints of the available teaching and material resources and to encourage 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. Parents concerned 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 can also exercise discretion where genuine need exists.


Student Welfare

At St. James’ we believe that each person is created in the “image and likeness of God.” Our educational policies, programs and practices reflect the reverence of life acknowledging the diversity of individuals and the need to respect those differences. Honouring, valuing and exploring elements of Aboriginal spirituality as well as various other cultural groups has been important to the life of St. James’. Restorative Justice principles have been the underlying process to address student interpersonal relationships throughout the year. These principles are supported through Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L) which fosters school community and a sense of belonging and allows children to develop an understanding of school values in an atmosphere of pastoral welfare. PB4L encourages quality learning, respect and safety at St James’. The opportunity to affirm and encourage students, staff and the wider school community is frequently given voice at school assemblies, liturgies, staff meetings and via newsletters as well as within the classroom context. Such acknowledgements are not limited to academic achievements but also incorporate sporting, social, personal and cultural achievements. Publicly recognising such accomplishments models and reinforces positive behaviours and affirms the values we aspire to at St. James’. Leadership is encouraged and nurtured at St. James’ School. The SRC frequently represented the school at various public activities and were excellent hosts at numerous school functions. They conscientiously encouraged school standards and effectively listened, reported and communicated the needs of the community. The SRC was actively involved in assessing and awarding the various class awards at school assemblies. The “You Can Do It” program has been taught in all classes and remains an effective tool for developing the values and skills of resilience, organisation, persistence, confidence and getting along. Throughout the year we conducted learning activities related to anti-bullying and cyber-safety. We believe it is important to equip the students with the skills they will need to cope in this every changing world. We are fortunate at St James’ to have a Pastoral Care Worker to assist with children needing assistance in the classroom or playground. The Pastoral Care room is open at lunch times three days per week and this allows students a place in which they feel safe and welcomed. St James has an E-smart policy which outlines many of the procedures we have in place to address student wellbeing and welfare in the school. It works very closely alongside the Pastoral Care and Anti Bullying policy. All of these policies are available from the school.

Discipline

The Discipline Policy is evaluated regularly and any amendments reflect the varying changes to school numbers, parental needs and expectations as well as environmental changes. A feature of the Policy includes the procedural fairness outlined for student behaviour. The Discipline Policy can be obtained from the school.

Anti -Bullying Policy

Catholic schools have the responsibility to promote cultures of trust, cooperation and respect in the lived experience of the Catholic

Christian setting. Bullying in a school mitigates such a culture and inhibits the development of positive relational outcomes for the

common good of students, teachers and caregivers. St James’ Anti-Bullying Policy is reviewed regularly and is available on the

school website.

Complaints and Grievances

The school has formal written protocols in place to address complaints and grievances. These protocols are in line with the

Complaints and Grievances Resolution Policy 2013, developed to provide a consistent approach for all Diocesan schools. This

policy aims to address the concerns of Parents / Carers and the wider community. These concerns may include children’s learning,

behaviour and welfare, School organisation and management, student health and safety issues.

A copy of this policy and the informative parent brochure is available from the school office, school website or is available on the

Catholic Schools Office website. The policy and associated support material was updated in 2013


Student Achievements

Academic Achievements

St James’ is committed to offering children a wide variety of opportunities to achieve academic success in all areas. This year teachers have delivered programs ensuring a sequential development of skills and knowledge throughout the grades from Kindergarten to Year 6. Our detailed Scope and Sequence charts of all KLAs ensure that all aspects of the curriculum are covered in each Stage period. Throughout the year students have had the opportunity to participate in many competitions run by external bodies. The NAPLAN assessments are completed by students in Years 3 and 5 early in Term 2 each year. The UNSW International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) are offered to students in Years 3 to 6. These assessments provide some practice for students to complete assessments in the style of NAPLAN. They also give students another opportunity for comparison against students from outside of our school. They are offered in English, Mathematics, Science, Computer Skills, Writing and Spelling. Year 6 students participate in the Year 6 Religious Education Test against other students from all NSW Dioceses as well as the Newcastle Permanent Building Society Maths competition. . Throughout the year St James’ host the school and also Upper Hunter debating, spelling bee and public speaking competitions. Students compete first against children from within their class and grade before moving on to compete in the regional finals. This year a student from St James’ won the regional Public Speaking finals and progressed through to the Diocesan finals held in Newcastle. We were very proud of this achievement. Each year students in Years 5 and 6 are offered a place in the Muswellbrook Council’s Science Discovery Day. This is a very hands-on day with students working in teams to solve scientific problems. This year’s students placed very well against other students from throughout the Upper Hunter. Other regional competitions include the Newcastle Permanent Maths Competition, and The Newcastle Herald writing competition. Once again this allows students a chance to compete with students from outside of our school. Throughout the year, students are also exposed to a number of professionals in different fields who come to the school and share their expertise. This year we have had visits from the CSIRO, Camp Quality and Life Education Australia.

Annual School Priorities

Priority Steps taken to achieve the priority

Decrease the number of students in Tier 2 in all classes Intervention with mini lit and multi lit as well as ongoing Lexia time and home Lexia for students.

Increase the number of children in each of the higher bands in Naplan

Provide teachers with Naplan data and analyse the areas of need and include teaching strategies to target areas of weakness.

To increase the level of comprehension and in particular, Inferential reading skills for students in year 2-6

Leading teacher to concentrate on building capacity in staff and students to comprehend text and to infer meaning.

Performance in National Testing

National Assessment Program - Li teracy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2013

Students in Year 3 and Year 5 across Australia participated in National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

in May 2013. The purpose of this test is to provide information to parents and teachers about the achievements of students in

aspects of Literacy and aspects of Numeracy. The test provides a measure of the students’ performance against established

standards and against other students in Australia. Each year the results are analysed by the school to inform teaching with a view

to improving student performance.


The Commonwealth Government sets minimum acceptable standards for literacy, numeracy, reading, writing, grammar,

punctuation and spelling at particular ages. These are referred to as national minimum standards. Band 2 is the minimum standard

for Year 3 and band 4 is the minimum standard for Year 5. Student performance in NAPLAN in our school is compared to these

standards. The percentages of students achieving at or above these national minimum standards, and the percentages of students

in the top three bands are reported in the table below.

St James’ through the implementation of the State Action Plan set targets to improve results in literacy and numeracy. Students were tiered and specific programs put in place to increase the levels of literacy and numeracy. Individual progress was monitored by the use of the continuum. There was much movement of students along the continuum throughout the year as a result of sound teaching practices and intervention such as mini lit and multi lit as well as the Lexia reading program that was offered.

Reading Spelling

Grammar &

Punctuation Writing Numeracy

St James Primary School Muswellbrook 17.6% 20.0% 25.7% 5.9% 5.9%

National Performance 23.3% 19.5% 27.0% 16.6% 10.8%











Band 4

Band 3

Band 2

Band 1

NAPLAN Program 2013 - Year 3

Percentage in Skill Band

Band 6 and

Above

Band 5

Reading Spelling

Grammar &

Punctuation Writing Numeracy













Band 6

Band 5

Band 4

Band 3

NAPLAN Program 2013 - Year 5

Percentage in Skill Band

Band 8 and

Above

Band 7

Cultural Achievements

St James’ held its first Aboriginal Literacy and Cultural immersion day on the last day of term 3. The day was planned by the

Principal, the Leading teacher and the Aboriginal Education teacher. Aboriginal elders and professionals from the local community

were invited to be part of the day and to share Aboriginal literature and stories with the students. The Aboriginal teacher from St

Joseph’s High school also assisted with the coordination of events such as the dance, sport, art and music sessions. Artist Richard

Campbell worked with the whole school to create pieces of art for display. CSO consultant, Louise Campbell also attended the day

and read dreamtime stories to a group of students. The day was a huge success and each group shared their new knowledge and

understandings with the school community during an assembly at the completion of the day.

As a school we recognise the importance of reconciliation in the Australian community with representatives of St James, attending local community celebrations and flag raisings. School Captains and students represented the school during Anzac day celebrations and other community events. During the 2013 Upper Hunter Eisteddfod Stages 1, 2 and 3 competed in the Speech and Drama sections, choral choir and individual Bible reading and impromptu sections. All students gave their best and performed with great confidence during their performance. St James’ was successful in being awarded places and commendations in many of the pieces.


Sporting Achievements

Sport at St James’ in 2013 included: Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country St James’ had yet another busy year in the field of sport. The year began with our school carnival followed by the Regional Swimming Carnival held at Singleton. With 34 children competing for the school, the boys and girls performed strongly with 14 children progressing to the Diocesan Carnival at Newcastle. The children competed strongly at our school carnival with many students representing the school at the Regional Athletics Carnival held at St James’ Muswellbrook. A group of 19 athletes competed at the Diocesan Athletics Carnival at Glendale with 6 qualifying for Inter Diocesan level. The junior relay team made it to State Level in the competition. The school also ran a very competitive cross country, sending a team of 25 students to Tarro for the Diocesan Cross Country where 5 students went on represent St James’ at State level. Active After School The school continued supporting the Australian Government’s Active after School program running two afternoon sessions which had an average of 30 children attending. The children played many multi skilled games and learnt many new skills. This program encourages the children to be active and have fun with their friends. With assistance from the Active Program, all children participated in a dance program, cricket and athletic skills as well as other fitness initiatives. Gala Days St James’ participated in a Soccer Gala Day. Teams competed in the senior and junior divisions against other Upper Hunter schools competing on the day. The children enjoyed the day and the chance to play with their friends against other schools. St James’ attended the Singleton and Newcastle netball carnivals. All teams grew in strength and ability in every game and enjoyed the experience. The Junior Girls team were undefeated. The school had another strong year in the field of Rugby League fielding many teams who attended the Group 21 carnival at Scone and the Knights Knock Out competition in Newcastle. Representative Sport St James had students trialling in all of the Winter, Summer and Extra sports this year. Children then went to the Diocesan level in Cricket, Netball, Soccer, Touch Football and Rugby League. Several students were selected in Polding Teams. Clinics In 2013 we had Rugby League, Walla Rugby and Cricket Clinics. All children took the opportunity to participate in a 5 week Dance program. The children all enjoy the chance of experiencing new sports.

Other Highlights for 2013

Each year the Year 5 and 6 students from the Upper Hunter primary schools attend Middle Schools Days at St Joseph’s High School Aberdeen. This year Middle School’s Day also came to us as St Joseph’s was undergoing major building works. Sessions were held at St James’ in music and there were 80 participants from the local feeder schools. The Year 6 group also went to St Joseph’s campus for orientation in term 4. The students participated in a diverse range of activities that gave them a wonderful insight into life at High School. Activities range from time in the computer room, learning how to use the kitchen, having fun on the Ag farm with the new baby animals and developing their artistic talents with block-printing in the Art room. This is a great experience for all children involved.


Staff

Staff Quali fications

Qualifications and Experience Number of Staff

I. Teachers with teaching qualifications from a higher education institution within Australia or as recognised by National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR). 23

II. Teachers with qualifications from a higher education institution within Australia or as recognised by NOOSR but lacking formal teaching qualifications 0

III. (a) Teachers not having qualifications as described in I or II above but having relevant successful teaching experience or appropriate knowledge relevant to the teaching context

III. (b) Of these which are New Scheme Teachers.

(a)

(b)

Workforce composition

Number of Staff

Total teaching staff 23

Total non-teaching staff 14

Grand total 37

Percentage of teachers who are Indigenous 2.5%

Professional Learning Undertaken

Teachers attended weekly staff meetings where pedagogy was discussed. Leading teachers Jan Bailey and Tanya Oliver led

teachers through a number of professional development sessions pertaining to literacy and numeracy. These sessions aligned with

the FOR and SAP professional development that was being done at CSO level throughout the year.

Teacher Attendance

The average teacher attendance rate for this school is 96%

Teacher attendance overall was good, however, due to ill health of family members some staff needed to take carer’s leave. Some

staff also used their LSL to attend special family events.

Teacher Retention

The teacher retention rate from 2012 to 2013 was 100%.

Due to the nature of employment in the local area enrolment numbers at St James’ fluctuate and as a result the number of classes

are at times affected. Some teachers who are permanently employed at St James’ have small children and have either returned to

work in a part-time capacity or not at all. Therefore the number of temporary positions held at St James’ affects teacher retention.

Teachers need permanency and stability and will seek permanency in the Diocese. Only one position was made permanent from

2012 to 2013, the others continued as temporary. Two permanent full-time teachers returned to St James’ in a part-time teaching

capacity.


Enrolments

Actual Enrolments 2013

Scholastic Year Number of Students

Kinder 53

Year 1 59

Year 2 38

Year 3 36

Year 4 38

Year 5 28

Year 6 38

TOTAL 290

Student Attendance

Percentage of student attendance by Year level and school average for 2013:

Kindergarten Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 School Average

92.4% 93.6% 93.3% 91.6% 95.1% 93.1% 92.3% 93.1%

Managing non-attendance

Regular attendance at school is essential if students are to maximise their potential. Schools, in partnership with parents and guardians, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance of students. The compulsory schooling age is 6 to 17 Principals and school staff, in consultation with students and their parents, will usually be able to resolve problems of non-attendance. While parents should be reminded of their legal obligations under the Education Act (1990) the welfare of the student must be the focus of this consultation. The most effective means of restoring and maintaining regular school attendance includes sound attendance monitoring practices and regular follow-up of unexplained absences by contacting parents promptly. Resolution of attendance difficulties may require a range of additional school based strategies including student and parent interviews, reviewing the appropriateness of the student’s educational program, development of a school-based attendance improvement plan, referral to the school counsellor or outside agencies and support from school - based personnel. If a range of school - based interventions has been unsuccessful, support may be requested by referring individual cases of unsatisfactory attendance to the Catholic Schools Office.

Annual School Priorities

This year we prioritised to:

Lift the standards of the teaching pedagogy and learning activities to improve results in Literacy and Numeracy.

Provide a supportive environment conducive to quality teaching and learning.

Provide quality Professional Development for all teachers in Literacy and Numeracy.

Design and implement whole school behaviour policy and procedures – PB4L which includes anti-bullying strategies to provide the students with ongoing access to appropriate examples of acceptable behaviour both within and outside the classroom.

Repair and maintain the school’s physical appearance through systematic completion of beautification and maintenance projects. OH & S walkabouts, completion of checklists and maintaining a vigilant approach to unsafe practices and situations within the school environment is ongoing.


Achievement of School Priori ties

Lift the standards of the teaching pedagogy and learning activities to improve results in Literacy and Numeracy. The school underwent a major change to the way in which Literacy and Numeracy were being taught each day. Balanced Literacy blocks and Numeracy blocks were introduced and monitored throughout the year. The Leading Teacher was able to provide 1:1 assistance to teachers as needed to guide them through the better use of resources and in organising multi- level entry and exit points in teaching and learning activities. Teachers were given professional development in both Literacy and Numeracy and a whole school focus was maintained for the year.

Provide a supportive environment conducive to quality teaching and learning. A supportive environment was provided through the funding of a Leading Teacher as part of the State Action Plan. The Leading teacher made her time available to all staff but her main focus was K-2. The executive of the school supported the professional development opportunities for all staff and provided the necessary funds to ensure that all staff could attend. The principal did classroom observations and gave quality feedback to each teacher. The principal also released each teacher once per term to observe a colleague teach a specific strategy or concept. Teachers had very positive feedback about this experience and this practice will continue in 2014.

Provide quality Professional Development for all teachers in Literacy and Numeracy. Through SAP funding the whole staff took part in an online PD course given by Anita Chinn. There were 8 modules and in between tasks to complete. K-2 staff was given specific PD by Sally Brock, CSO consultant. Teachers in Yrs 3-6 were given intensive PD with a program called Focus on Reading. This comprehension intensive program was well received and filtered into the K-2 classrooms also.

Design and implement whole school behaviour policy and procedures – PB4L which includes anti-bullying strategies to provide the students with ongoing access to appropriate examples of acceptable behaviour both within and outside the classroom. The school adopted a whole school behaviour plan in Term 3 of 2013. The Positive Behaviours for Learning Programme was developed in consultation with staff and parents. Paul Sleishman from the CSO assisted in the early stages of the development of the procedures. Staff then followed a sequence of teaching points each week to introduce the various aspects of the framework. The incidents of negative behaviour have lessened and there is no ambiguity around consequences and procedures. The positive “Gotcha” aspect of the programme has seen students thrive in their learning environment under the umbrellas of Be a Learner, Be Respectful and Be Safe.

Repair and maintain the school’s physical appearance through systematic completion of beautification and maintenance projects. OH & S walkabouts, completion of checklists and maintaining a vigilant approach to unsafe practices and situations within the school environment is ongoing. Walkabouts are a termly feature of the WHS policy. The beautification of the grounds and Admin block commenced in 2013 with edging being installed on garden beds, removal of unnecessary and broken equipment from rooms and withdrawal spaces, the re- opening of the chapel as a prayer space, the refurbishing of office spaces and foyer, the panting of the exposed brick in the admin area and the painting of the exposed beams in the foyer. The administration toilets were replaced and new tiles and sinks were installed. On-going maintenance to the new hall was undertaken with the airport doors being serviced and the front entry doors being worked on so that they opened after the ground movement had rendered them inoperable. This repair lasted for a few months. A more permanent repair will be sought in 2014.

Facili ties

This year we continued to use the beautiful new facilities provided by the BER which enabled the school to have a new school hall built on MacKillop Oval. This facility is a fantastic asset to our school and parish community allowing the school community to come together and fit comfortably. This year we hosted many regional, diocesan and local events. The Muswellbrook Eisteddfod took up residence for 3 weeks and held all manner of creative events. They also hired a grand piano for the event and successfully canvassed the community to sponsor the purchase of it. All classrooms are equipped with a data projector and smart board to assist with interactive learning. A pod of lap tops and ipads is available in each stage for classroom use. The administration area of the school underwent a make- over with fresh paint and new furniture and toilet facilities making the administration block more functional and welcoming.


Continual maintenance of buildings and grounds is required to keep all areas to an acceptable standard. The ground movement caused havoc with the new hall doors and is in the process of being attended to as previous methods employed did not permanently fix the problem. The staff is involved in walk arounds each term to provide feedback on WHS issues which arise.

Community Satisfaction

St James’ parents filled out an informal survey in 2013 answering the questions, ‘What do you love about St James’ and What would you like to change?’ The overall level of satisfaction was high with the quality of teachers, learning and facilities touted as things parents loved. However, there was a unanimous call for a whole school behaviour plan. This was designed and planned in Term 2 and rolled out in Term 3. St James’ most recent SEVDEV indicated that parent, student and teacher members of our St James’ School community all identify that pastoral care is a strong feature of our school life. Students’ welfare, safety and well-being are high priority to staff. The quality of teaching and learning is of a high standard and teachers are committed to ongoing professional development. Parents are encouraged to meet with teachers and to participate in all aspects of school life. New members of the school community recognise the welcoming culture which is a part of the St James’ School community. The school is extremely well resourced and visitors often comment on the physical environment which is well maintained and welcoming. St James’ takes pride in being active participants in many community events.

Financial Information

The following graphs represent the income and expenditure for St James’ Primary School, Muswellbrook for the school year ending

31 January 2014 as aggregated from the annual returns to the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Science and

Training.


Concluding Statement

St James’ has a good mixture of young and more experienced teachers. The level of dedication and commitment is high and all staff is committed to providing a quality education for their students. The pastoral care of our students and families is well known and appreciated. The school encourages support from the parent body fostering a partnership with the teachers for the development of the whole child. The school also encourages the development of leadership within the staff.

Report Access and Publication

This report is available to members of the school and wider communities. Copies will be supplied to the Catholic Schools Office, The Board of Studies, The Parents 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 to access a copy of the report should contact:

Niamh Marzol Principal St James’ Primary School Skelletar Stock Route MUSWELLBROOK NSW 2333 (02) 6543 094

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

http://mn.catholic.edu.au/

Documents

St James’ Primary School, Muswellbrook · regional Spelling Bee competition and our captains went to a flag raising ceremony as part of reconciliation awareness. We also . ANNUAL