I ANNUAL REPORT

I

ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

ST MARY OF THE CROSS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

2015

REGISTERED SCHOOL NUMBER: 2089

POINT COOK

ST MARY OF THE CROSS, POINT COOK

2015 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 1

Contents Contact Details ........................................................................................................................................... 2

Minimum Standards Attestation ............................................................................................................... 2

Our School Vision ...................................................................................................................................... 3

School Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 4

Principal’s Report ...................................................................................................................................... 5

School Education Board Report ............................................................................................................... 7

Education in Faith ...................................................................................................................................... 9

Learning & Teaching ............................................................................................................................... 10

Student Wellbeing .................................................................................................................................... 14

Leadership & Management ..................................................................................................................... 17

School Community .................................................................................................................................. 19

Financial Performance ............................................................................................................................ 21

Future Directions ..................................................................................................................................... 22

VRQA Compliance Data .......................................................................................................................... 23



Contact Details

ADDRESS 70 Carrick Street Point Cook VIC 3030

PRINCIPAL Leon Colla

PARISH PRIEST Fr John Healy

SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR Greg Carey

TELEPHONE (03) 8376 5400

EMAIL [email protected]

WEBSITE www.smocptcook.catholic.edu.au

Minimum Standards Attestation

I, Leon Paul Colla, attest that St Mary of the Cross Catholic Primary School is compliant with:

• All of the requirements for the minimum standards and other requirements for the registration of schools as specified in the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) and the Education and Training Reform Regulations 2007 (Vic), except where the school has been granted an exemption from any of these requirements by the VRQA

• Australian Government accountability requirements related to the 2015 school year under the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth) and the Australian Education Regulations 2013 (Cth)

20 May 2016



Our School Vision

We, at St Mary of the Cross, are an inclusive and welcoming Catholic Community

of actively engaged learners.

We model Mary MacKillop ’s servant leadership, to nurture compassionate and respectful individuals

who translate their beliefs into action.



School Overview

St Mary of the Cross is the newest of the five schools in the Parish of Laverton. The school is a Catholic primary school located in the Saltwater Coast Estate at the southern end of Point Cook, in Melbourne’s outer western suburbs.

The school opened in 2014 in response to growing demand for places at the Parish’s two existing Catholic primary schools in Point Cook. The children in the foundation year commenced their education at either Stella Maris Primary school or Lumen Christi Primary school in 2013. The cohort moved to the new site at the start of 2014. The Principal was appointed and commenced duties in June 2013.

St Mary of the Cross opened its doors on the current site at Saltwater Coast in January 2014 with an enrolment of 152 students across all year levels, and 16 staff members. In 2014, the population grew to 250 students and 22 staff. 2015 was the second full year of operation on this site.

Stage two of the building was completed in December 2015 with the middle and senior learning communities taking up residency in preparation for the 2016 school year. The new stage builds on the contemporary design of the building allowing maximum flexibility in the learning spaces. The new stage also added a permanent administration area, teaching kitchen, boardroom and small group room. The school has a community café, located at the front entrance which is open to all parents and carers to utilize as they wish. This area is also used by staff as a staff room at break times. The design of the building allows for natural light and ventilation to maximize energy efficiency.

The school is a warm and welcoming environment and reflects a contemporary approach to education in the twenty first century. We acknowledge that all members of our school community are learners and therefore we provide opportunities for all community members to become successful learners.

Our learning focus at St Mary of the Cross is Needs Based. Targeted teaching to the individual needs of children will ensure the best outcomes for our learners. Our flexible learning spaces maximize the possibilities for targeted needs based learning to occur. The tracking of each child with supporting data is of paramount importance to ensure that children’s needs are addressed.



Principal’s Report

2015 was our second year as a school community and many significant milestones were achieved throughout the course of the year. The most significant celebration on our calendar was our commemoration activities related to ANZAC Day. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli saw the school delve into our Australian history in a very significant way. Our homegroups were named after ANZAC people and places and investigations were undertaken by each homegroup to ensure that all children had an understanding of the significance of the role their homeroom ‘patron’ played in the Gallipoli campaign. This work, coupled with our ANZAC Day commemoration service and visits by services personnel led to very significant learnings about this very important event in our history.

The year was also a ‘construction’ year. The second stage of the building program saw builders Melbcon move onto the school site and commence construction of new learning spaces and administration area. The mess, noise and endless interruptions were worthwhile in the end with the handover of our new building (the West Wing) in December. Staff, students and families were very keen to see our new learning space take shape.

The school Board of Management was underway from its fledgling beginnings in 2014, and contributed great advice and consultation processes for school leadership. The Board is made up of teachers, parents and a community representative who give their time to assist in the management and planning processes of the school. In 2014 they completed their Procedural Guidelines, commenced the mapping of our technology and developed a plan for future development. They also reviewed a number of policies including the Privacy Policy and the Anaphylaxis and Asthmas policies. I have great admiration and respect for these Board members who give their time and talent to make St Mary of the Cross the best place for our children.

The Parents and Friends also had a great year in 2014. The small group of dedicated parents provided a number of family friendly fundraising events including a Movie Night, Disco and Trivia Night. The team work and dedication of the small group of parents is what makes our school so special. I would like to personally thank our Parents and Friends members who constantly provide great support to the school.

The school also commenced two major sub committees in 2014, both of which draw on parent expertise and advice. The Active Travel Plan Committee commenced in August and its task is to develop a plan that will encourage children and families to travel to school in ways other than by motor car. The Active Travel Plan should be completed by the middle of 2016 at which time it will be submitted to the Council for approval and endorsement..

The other sub committee established was our Tuckshop Committee. The building program in 2015 saw the provision of a tuckshop space in the scope of works. In order to ensure the tuckshop complied with all Council regualtions and good nutritional practice for children, a committee was established to develop the procedures and processes that would see a Tuckshop be established at St Mary of the Cross. Whilst there is no timeframe on this committee’s role, it is hoped that the tuckshop committee will complete their work by the middle of 2016.



The students have also had a great year of learning, although at times in trying conditions due to the building program. Students were involved in many learning activities including Genius Hour, Maths Investigations, Inquiry Action projects and many more. Our Theme for the year ‘Never see a need without doing something about it’ also provided the impetus for students to become involved in raising funds for the Vanuatu & Fiji Cyclone Appeals, Joseph’s Corner and many more worthy causes. They raised funds through a Christmas Market, busking events, gold coin days and many other initiatives. I would commend the students on a great year of learning together.

The learning could not take place without a dedicated and hard working staff group. I would like to thank all of our teachers, Learning Support Officers and Administration staff for their great work throughout the year. The year itself provided many challenges, but the drive, determination and commitment to team work saw wonderful progress in all our learning areas.

A final congratulations and thank you to our community who have supported the school so well during our first ‘infant’ years. It is amazing the see the support, in so many different ways, for our school and your children. Congratulations to everyone, and I look forward to a productive and enjoyable 2016.



School Education Board Report

The Board of management for St Mary of the Cross was formed in the second half of 2014 , so our first full year was completed late in 2015.We are blessed with a wonderful school environment where our students are encouraged to learn every day.

In these times of Government discussions regarding budgets and elections we are constantly reminded of inequality in education and facilities. At St Mary of the Cross we are very fortunate to enjoy a modern state of the art facility - complimented by a group of people who have chosen a vocation to teach. The children are certainly the winners at Saltwater Coast in this part of the lucky country.Under the watchful eye of St Mary Mackillop the children live the school vision where they develop into compassionate and respectful individuals who translate their beliefs into action.

Since the formation of the Board, its members have been involved in a number of key areas. Some of these include:

. Assisting in the development and endorsement of Board governance and policy documentation

. Formulation of a technology and communications blueprint

. Endorsement of detailed Anaphylaxis and Asthma policies

. Advice and endorsement of school communication strategy

. Assist Principal in recruitment of specialist language teaching staff

The Board is well informed on the financial management of the school.

As Chairperson I make a special point of highlighting the sound financial management of the school and the transparency of available management information.

The completion of stage 2 of our school building program is also worthy of note. Completion ahead of schedule and under budget is highly commendable.

My sincere thanks go to all who have made a contribution to the work of our Board of management. Special thanks goes to Father John for his guidance, and to our wonderful teaching staff who show outstanding dedication. Let us not forget the students and their parents who make the school community such a special place to learn and respect and to laugh and have fun.

My appreciation also to my fellow Board members who give their time and expertise in many areas. We are blessed to have been given many talents and these talents are readily shared.

In closing to Leon and to Brendan please take a large share of our success. We appreciate your dedication, wisdom and enthusiasm . And thank you for your inspiring leadership.



It comes as no surprise that St Mary of the Cross is always close by to guide us. I am sure as we pass through the entry to the school there is always someone there watching with a smile just as she did in that famous school house in Penola in South Australia.

Thank you all once again,

Good luck to the children as they journey further into the 2016 school year.

GREG CAREY BOARD CHAIRPERSON ST MARY OF THE CROSS

MAY 2016



Education in Faith

Goals & Intended Outcomes Goal: To develop a Catholic culture of prayer and liturgy Intended Outcomes: Develop prayer routines, symbolism and community gatherings across

the school, including whole school, community and Home group prayer Develop capacity of teachers and students to host prayer and Eucharistic celebrations

Goal: To develop a community awareness of the principles of Catholic Social teaching Intended Outcomes: To develop an understanding of the principle of Preferential Option for the

Poor To develop a culture of support in implementing our understanding of the principle of Preferential Options for the Poor

Goal: To develop a systematic approach to Learning & Teaching in Religious

Education Intended Outcomes: Develop rich and inclusive Religious Education programs Deepen understanding of content knowledge Achievements Develop prayer routines, symbolism and community gatherings across the school, including whole school, community and Home group prayer

The school gathered together regularly during 2015, with whole school prayer being conducted at least twice a week. Students, teachers and families have participated on average, 15-20 parents join us for prayer. The communities all conducted prayer time at least twice per week. This allowed for smaller gatherings to take place. There was also an opportunity for Homegroup prayer on regular occasions. Our feature crucifix wall also saw some major development in 2015, with many families contributing crucifixes from around the world. This wall offers a beautiful expression of our multi cultural faith. This year we adopted the theme ‘Never see a need without doing something about it’. This Mary MacKillop saying saw many initiatives under this banner. They blended very well with the goal for understanding the principles of Catholic Social teaching, particularly the principle of Preferential Option for the Poor.

Our Insight SRC data saw the following changes from 2014 – 2015: Catholic Culture (Raw Scores) –

Staff - Opportunities 82 – 87, a small rise Students 88 – 81, small fall Parents 75 – 80 a small rise

Develop whole school celebrations that are Eucharist centric During 2015 the school allocated planning time for teachers to meet with an RE Consultant. A term mass roster was established and students actively participated in Eucharistic celebrations. Parents and family members were invited to attend. This regular mass forms part of the Parish Mass schedule.



To develop an understanding of the principle of Preferential Option for the Poor To develop a culture of support in implementing our understanding of the principle of Preferential Options for the Poor This year the school had a strong focus on the Catholic Social Teaching principle of the Preferential Option for the Poor. This commenced in January during an LCEC staff meeting where this principle was raised. Work commenced early in the year with staff establishing a Preferential Option for the Poor sub committee. This work flowed on to the children and we saw support of Joseph’s corner including staff volunteering, collection of food and clothing, our Christmas Wishing Tree appeal, Christmas Market, Staff donations for targeted appeals, support of St Vincent de Paul and the fund for the Malawi Well Project (Caritas) commence.

Insight SRC data: Catholic Culture (Raw Scores)

Compassion Staff 78 – 83, Students 80 – 74, Parents 85 – 88 Social Justice (raw score) Staff (59-79) Students (69 – 78) Parents (74 – 81) Develop rich and inclusive Religious Education programs During 2015 the school engaged the services of an RE consultant who worked regularly with the staff to develop their skills in planning and programming Religious Education programs

VALUE ADDED

There were a range of activities undertaken last year to enhance the Education in Faith program at St Mary of the Cross, these included, but were not limited to: the Mary MacKillop Feast Day celebrations, Beginning and End of Year celebrations (Liturgy), Community Prayer gatherings, Sacramental programs (Eucharist, Reconciliation & Confirmation), Christmas Wishing Tree appeal, Christmas Market, support of Joseph’s Corner.



Learning & Teaching

Goals & Intended Outcomes Goal: Develop a culture and practice of needs based learning Intended Outcomes: To develop an understanding and culture of authentic student voice in

developing learning pathways For all teaching staff to have a working knowledge of AUSVELs A – 10 To develop a deep understanding of data to inform learning pathways and points of curriculum entry Establish an Assessment Cycle

GOAL: Developing expert teachers

Develop an understanding of how to use the space in the context of contemporary pedagogy Identify strategic professional learning for all staff Develop structures to identify and access expert teachers and other professionals to develop professional knowledge Develop support structures for Graduate Teachers

Achievements Developing expert teachers

Visible Learning Research identifies expert teachers being one of the top ten most influential factors in student progress. Given the diversity of experience of staff and the short period of operation we have been relatively successful in providing opportunities for teachers to develop their expertise. This has led to learning and teaching practices evolving over the last two years.

During 2015 we have extended our understanding of how to use the learning space. We have done this through discussion, reading, targeted professional learning and access to experts. We have deliberately developed a culture of improvement.

In 2015 after a consultation process with teachers the school identified common areas of need amongst staff as well as individual needs. This information has been gathered via Check In Chats, ARMs, staff meeting discussion and reflection. The school has invested heavily in professional learning for teachers in the areas of Inquiry and THRASS. The staff have embedded the principles of inquiry learning into their programming evident in the variety of learning experiences students have access to. In 2015 THRASS was introduced as the preferred reading, handwriting and spelling strategies from P – 6. All staff were trained through a two day workshop and an implementation plan was commenced. Parents were also invited to participate in the training program.

As the school entered its second year, recruitment of experienced teachers meant that a good mix of experience and enthusiasm drove our decision making processes. The establishment of testing cycles and data collection and analysis became an embedded practice and the dialogue around the data became richer and had more depth. Decision making around the introduction of the THRASS program and the training of all staff in the program has seen a stronger and more united approach to the teaching of literacy.

Leadership roles have now been established which has allowed for a better monitoring and follow up of students who are not performing as they should. The use of technology to track students is also becoming a necessary tool that all teachers now use. The school uses a very transparent approach to learning. Our school families are welcome in our learning spaces at



any time, and they are even encouraged to come and have a look at what is going on in the learning spaces. Three way learning conversations with parents, students and teachers have also been a great addition to our reporting process. Children are well able to describe and demonstrate their progress to their parents. It also provides a great opportunity for students to hear teacher feedback.

Develop a culture and practice of needs based learning Providing learning experiences for children at their point of need has always been a strong learning and teaching vision for our school. Developing a model that enables this to take place has taken the first two years of our history. We are now coming to a point where children are grouped into point of need based groups. Our space allows this to happen seamlessly. It also allows us to deliver multiple levels of our curriculum at the same time and in the same space. Accessing and planning around student voice has only recently been evident in planning and program implementation. Developing curriculum programs that incorporate what is expected to be taught, in line with student voice about what they want to learn has been most challenging. In developing expertise in Needs Based Learning it is critical that teachers have a working knowledge of standard curriculum (AUSVELS moving towards Victorian Curriculum F – 10). In 2015, AUSVELS has been the focus of PLTS and Staff Meetings. Teachers have audited learning according to this framework. We are currently in the beginning phase of this work.

Data analysis and the assessment cycle have been a strong focus during 2015. Data analysis has been a focus of many Professional Learning Team meetings as well as scheduled data analysis days. The school has developed an assessment cycle incorporating standardised testing, NAPLAN, observation survey and other school designed testing. This cycle has been dynamic and allowed staff to explore the collection, analysis and use of data to inform their planning and programing. This is providing a more robust program that targets specific needs of individual children. This work is only in the beginning stages and is still being adapted by staff. As a new school, the data that has been collected is still minimal and does not give us a true indication of student outcomes. 2016 will see the first cohort of students from St Mary of the Cross participate in the NAPLAN testing program, which will involve 67 children. In the previous two years, only a handful of children undertook the tests, and the majority of students had spent less than one year at our school. The data collection is now becoming more robust, with many more standardised tests being administered over the course of the year. PAT R an PAT M tests, NAPLAN, Torch and the Literacy Observation survey are now all scheduled into the course of the year. Data is collected and recorded in a systematic manner.

Student Achievement It is difficult to make judgements on the NAPLAN results, as only eight year three students and eleven year five students sat the test in 2015. These numbers do not allow us to make judgements about the effectiveness of our teaching program.

T



he following table represents the NAPLAN data from 2014 and 2015.

PROPORTION OF STUDENTS MEETING THE MININUM STANDARDS

NAPLAN TESTS 2014

%

2015

%

2014–2015 Changes

%

YR 03 Reading 100.0 100.0 0.0

YR 03 Writing 66.7 100.0 33.3

YR 03 Spelling 100.0 100.0 0.0

YR 03 Grammar & Punctuation 100.0 91.7 -8.3

YR 03 Numeracy 100.0 100.0 0.0

YR 05 Reading 100.0 100.0 0.0

YR 05 Writing 88.9 90.9 2.0

YR 05 Spelling 100.0 100.0 0.0

YR 05 Grammar & Punctuation 100.0 100.0 0.0

YR 05 Numeracy 100.0 90.9 -9.1



Student Wellbeing

Goals & Intended Outcomes GOAL: Develop connectedness between teachers, students, the school and

parish community Intended Outcomes: Provide opportunities for students to connect with their Homegroup,

Learning Community and Whole School Provide opportunities for students to use the various spaces in a variety of ways Embed a culture of shared responsibility

GOAL: Develop the wellbeing of the whole child Intended Outcomes: Identify the social and emotional needs of individual students within the school

community Identify the learning needs of individual students within the school community Identify the spiritual needs of individual students within the school community Identify the physical needs of individual students within the school community

Achievements At St Mary of the Cross there is a visible connectedness between students, families and teachers. This has been facilitated by the design of the building and a willingness to connect to all stakeholders. The design of the spaces allows for flexibility and maximises social interaction across the multi aged learning communities. Teams work collaboratively to facilitate connection within homegroups, learning communities, the whole school and the wider community. There is an expectation and flexibility for students to learn with different teachers based on their learning needs. Students have a clear understanding of the expectations of the different spaces. Individual needs of students are identified, planned for and tracked. Student needs are carefully identified through observation, testing, feedback, goal setting, collaboration between students and teachers as well as families. Once needs are identified, adjustments are made, programs are designed and where required Individual Learning Plans are developed and implemented. Programs are then tracked and evaluated throughout by teachers and Learning Support Officers. Parent Support Group Meetings are also conducted where required to assist with the tracking of progress against agreed goals. The wellbeing of all children who attend the school is of primary importance. In 2015, our focus was on improving the wellbeing of every students. We did this in a number of ways including introducing Genius Hour, an opportunity for students to ‘shine’ at something they enjoyed doing. There was also a major focus on our rules, particularly around respecting others. This has led to a calm and enjoyable environment for students to learn in. The work of the Wellbeing Leader (Brendan Shanahan) cannot be underestimated in the success that we have achieved over the past year. Brendan works closely with students to develop effective strategies that will ensure them success and development of their self esteem.



Student Attendance

Student Attendance is critical to high achievement. Students absent form school miss large portions of learning. The following table represents the average attendance of students at St Mary of the Cross. Student non attendance requires notification from parents (note or SMS) explaining the reason for absence. Long term absence is followed by the Wellbeing Leader and if necessary, referred to Child First services for further action.

AVERAGE STUDENT ATTENDANCE RATE BY YEAR LEVEL %

Y01 97.85

Y02 97.68

Y03 98.47

Y04 99.80

Y05 98.89

Y06 97.35

Overall average attendance 98.34

VALUE ADDED

Students engage in learning with different teachers across their community and the whole school

• Community Café is used as a meeting place by families throughout the day • Kinda Kinder (playgroup) conducted in partnership with VU • Home groups are named after a theme • Focus groups/ across the community- opportunities to learn with different teachers

and students • Staff actively make social connections with students outside their learning community

(eg whole school celebrations, yard duty and day to day interactions)



STUDENT SATISFACTION

The Insight SRC surveys form 2015 show some slight variations from 2014. Notably, rises in Teacher Relationships: Purposeful teaching (81-82) and Stimulating Learning (69-72), but there are notable drops in: Emotional Wellbeing: Student Morale (77-61), Student Distress (80-68) and Connectedness to School (87-70).

The Parent surveys give a different opinion to the student responses. In Connectedness to School, Parents noted a change (83-87), Peer Relations: Social Skills (80-84) and Connectedness to Peers (79-85). Also noted is an improvement in Classroom Behaviour (59-63)

It is important to note that the small numbers of students in the senior school (27 in total for 2015) makes the numbers difficult to interpret. Certainly they are lower in some areas than our first year of operation, but this is to be expected.

The school will monitor these results over the coming years to see if there is a change or trend forming.



Leadership & Management

Goals & Intended Outcomes GOAL: To embed the school vision in our practice Intended Outcomes: To establish a shared understanding of the school vision GOAL: To establish instructional leadership as a framework for school

improvement Intended Outcomes: To develop a common understanding and shared language of

instructional leadership Goal: Develop leadership and organisational structures across the school

community that develop a culture of continuous improvement and progress

Intended Outcomes: To develop processes and practices that facilitate authentic dialogue to inform decision making To establish effective leadership structures All stakeholders are informed within reasonable time

Achievements Establishing a shared understanding of our school vision is an ongoing and dynamic process. As our school and community changes so to will the challenges of bringing our school vision to life. This has been the case in 2015 and will continue to be a challenge in the years to come. The additional staff, students and families that will come into the school in the coming years will all require some effort in articulating what we stand for and where our motivation comes from. We have been successful in developing a shared understanding of elements our vision but realise we still have a journey ahead of us.

Our formal focus on Instructional Leadership began in 2015 with a deliberate decision to involve all staff in the learning space, including Principal and Deputy Principal. A culture of shared responsibility for all our students has been developed. This has then impacted on the Student Wellbeing sphere as students are known by and have access to a variety of staff.

The leadership and organisational structures have been a work in progress since our opening. Initially the whole staff worked together to develop structures and processes. This has also been the case in 2015, but it is obvious that with more staff being appointed, and a growing student population, more formalised management and leadership structures will need to be put into place. In 2015 we had a core leadership team made up of the Principal, Deputy Principal and Literacy Leader. As the school has grown the structure is being adapted in response to the changing needs and expertise.

Parents and community members are also encouraged to participate in leadership roles, in the Parents and Friends as well as the Board of Management. Parents are also invited to participate in committees that will address the ongoing development of the school for example, the Tuckshop Committee and the Active Travel Committee.



EXPENDITURE AND TEACHER PARTICIPATION IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

DESCRIPTION OF PL UNDERTAKEN IN 2015

ICON preparation training, THRASS (all staff), Cued Articulation, Colourful Semantics, CPR & Anaphylaxis training, Inquiry Learning with Dr Jeni Wilson (Melbourne University). Staff also spent time with an RE consultant to enhance their skills in planning and programming in Religious Education. The school has also introduced the Australian Teacher Performance and development Framework as a basis for decision making in Professional learning.

NUMBER OF TEACHERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN PL 18

AVERAGE EXPENDITURE PER TEACHER FOR PL $ 1,945

TEACHER SATISFACTION

The Insight SRC surveys are conducted with staff , students and parents every September. These results track a range of different indicators across the school and allow the school to compare across a number of years. Given that 2015 is our second year of operation, staff have indicated a number of variable results in this year’s survey.

We have increases in the following indicators:

Staff Wellbeing: Individual Morale (66-74), Empathy: Supportive Leadership (65-69), Clarity: Role Clarity (58-63), Engagement: Empowerment (57-69), Learning: Appraisal & Recognition (54-58), Outcomes: Work Demands (37-63, Student Behaviour: Classroom (57-68), School (63-85), Team Based Practice: Student Management (50-55 Teaching & Learning: Student Motivation (59-68) Parent Partnerships (53-61) Teacher confidence (70-73) Engaging Practice (61-62) Falls were noted in: Ownership (61-580, Professional Growth (62-58), Quality Teaching (63-62). The erratic rise and fall in so many areas could be attributed to the ‘growth’ mode that the school is currently in. The school is attempting to meet changing needs which requires changes in processes and procedures, often mid way through a term or year. This can produce some uncertainty. It will be valuable to track changes over the coming years as the school and staff group grow.



School Community

Goals & Intended Outcomes Goal: Develop connectedness between students, families and teachers Intended Outcomes: Provide opportunities for students/families/teachers to connect with their Home

Group, Learning Community and Whole School Goal: To develop strategic partnerships with the Laverton Parish,

Laverton Catholic Education Community and wider community Intended Outcomes: Make links with community groups Goal: To develop structures and processes to promote effective dialogue Intended Outcomes: Identify and action effective communication strategies

Achievements A major element of all our gatherings during 2015 has been to provide opportunities to connect with different groups at different levels. For example our Mother’s, Father’s and Grandparents days allow for shared prayer, activities with students and then adult morning tea. This has allowed stakeholders to make connections beyond their child’s Homegroup. All of these activities were great success in 2015.

In terms of community engagement and connectedness, the school has endeavoured to create an environment that is warm and welcoming. The architecture of the school promotes an openness and transparency. During 2015, the school further developed its open access policy where families are encouraged to engage with staff and each other both before and after school. Staff have been deliberately tuned into key times for meet and greet with students and families.

We have a strong connection with the Laverton Parish which is evident in the introduction of regular weekly masses during 2015. In 2015 our Prep inquiry unit on ‘Helping’ contributed to the commencement of a parish initiative, the Healing Masses. This has since been rolled out as a parish initiative across the other schools. A variety of connections have been made with the Laverton Catholic Education Community and the school is committed to developing these relationships further. The school has also developed its network to include Victoria University (Kinda Kinder), Werribee RSL, Werribee South vegetable farmers, Point Cook RAAF, Point Cook Library, local child care centres and the local community centre.

A key aspect of decision making processes has been the pursuit of authentic dialogue with stakeholders. This has meant that a variety of structures have been developed as well as a variety of modes used to access ideas. There are various formal structures that have been developed, such as the Board of Management, Parents and Friends and a number of project focused committees. The development of Three Way Learning Conversation are also an example of authentic dialogue and collaboration between students, families and teachers.



PARENT SATISFACTION

Insight SRC surveys indicate that Parent Opinion is high at St Mary of the Cross. All indicators (19) are located in the top 25% of schools in Australia, bar one. The indicator Extra Curricular sits at 54, down from 60 in 2014. The other indicator: Reporting, is also lower than the average, scoring 54, down form 60. This is despite the introduction of three way learning conversations in the second half of 2015. These reporting activities may affect the result of this indicator in the future.

This low score could be explained due to the lack of extra curricular activities provided by the school. This is an area that does not affect the learning outcomes of students, but does add to their overall growth. The introduction of the Darley Music School instrumental lessons in late 2015 should affect these results moving forward.

In general Parent Opinion is very high and we will continue to address the issues that are raised through this survey.



Financial Performance

REPORTING FRAMEWORK ACCRUAL $

Recurrent income Tuition

School fees 240,391

Other fee income 81,057

Private income 35,913

State government recurrent grants 572,055

Australian government recurrent grants 2,399,637

Total recurrent income 3,329,052

Recurrent Expenditure Tuition

Salaries; allowances and related expenses 1,603,097

Non salary expenses 1,024,562

Total recurrent expenditure 2,627,658

Capital income and expenditure Tuition

Government capital grants 1,300,000

Capital fees and levies 35,814

Other capital income

Total capital income 1,335,814

Total capital expenditure 2,358,901

Loans (includes refundable enrolment deposits and recurrent, capital and bridging loans)

Total opening balance 8,115,651

Total closing balance 9,081,173

The information provided above does not include system levies charged to individual schools, intra-systemic transfers and, for primary schools, the diocesan supplementary capital fund supporting primary schools’ capital borrowings. The information provided in this VRQA template is not comparable with other educational sectors or to ACARA school-level income reports displayed on the MySchool website. ACARA school level reporting requires system level income from Government grants and some private income to be allocated to each school resulting in a small adjustment to the total level of school resources. Currently, recurrent income from Government sources, school generated income and capital expenditure are reported by schools. When assessing the private income of the school, both recurrent and capital school fees are included.



Future Directions

St Mary of the Cross enter sits third year in 2016, full of hope for the future. Our new building will house our year three to six community and provide a valuable resource for all students at the school. The addition of a teaching kitchen in the new building will provide the facilities for the introduction of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program. This will engage the children in the middle and senior school with real experiences in growing, harvesting and preparing healthy foods. A Kitchen Garden teacher will be appointed and their role will be to develop and implement the program. The school vegetable garden will also require upgrading to ensure that the produce will keep up with the demands of the kitchen program.

The School will undertake a Review in 2016. The result of the Review will be the development of a School Improvement Plan. This plan will guide the development of the school over the coming four years. This Review will take place in the first half of 2016, and will involve teachers, students and parents.

Work on the Active Travel Plan and the Tuckshop will continue. It is hoped that our Active Travel Plan will be launched by the middle of the year. The Tuckshop Committee will meet regularly during the first half of the year, and it is anticipated that the Tuckshop will open by the beginning of third term. What that will look like, will be a result of the work of the Committee.

The school will reach a population of 300 for the start of the 2016 school year and it is anticipated that we will grow by up to 20 by the end of 2016. The school will have the following homeroom configuration: Prep (x3), Years 1 & 2 (x5), years 3 -6 (x5). The increased population will also mean an increase in permanent staff members.

The Board of Management will also conduct its first Annual general Meeting in may next year and it will require an additional two parent representatives. This will enhance the work of the Board and further develop the transparency around the management of the school.

The school will also start to plan for the next stage in its development with the addition of the third stag of our building program. It is hoped that this building stage will commence some time in 2017.

The enrolment process for the Parish of Laverton is a centralize process and will provide an avenue for fair and equitable distribution of enrolments in the Point Cook area. St Mary of the Cross look forward to another 70 preps and their families joining us in 2016.



VRQA Compliance Data

Staff List 2015 LEONCOLLA DipTeach(Primary),GradDipRE,GradDipEdAdmin,MasterEdLeadership,GradCertEdLawPrincipalBRENDANSHANAHAN DipTeach(Primary),GradDipIT,B.A.(Psychology)DeputyPrincipal,LearningandTeachingLeader,StudentWellBeingLeaderMARIAZARAFAB.Teach(ACU),B.Ed(ACU),PGCerEdInt(Melb)SpecialNeedsCoordinator,ReadingRecoveryTeacher

PAULINEKNOWLESDipCommServices,B.Ed.CertTraintheTrainerYear4,5,6TeacherFLEURGRIFFITHS B.Sport&OutdoorRec/B.Ed(Primary)Year2/3teacherVIVIANLAU B.Ed.,GRADDIPSpYear2/3teacher

LUCYDEBONO B.Ed(Primary)YearP/1,CommunityEngagementLeader

KIRSTENANDERTON B.Ed(Primary)Prep/1Teacher

NATALIECOLLIS B.CA,DipEdYearPrep/1TeacherDENISEGAVIN B.Ed(Ire),Dip.CREYearPrep/1teacher

KRISTINAMORE B.EdYearPrep/1teacherREBECALOPEZ BEd(Primary)YearPrep/1teacher



NICOLEBARBERB.EdYearPrep/1Teacher

HANNAHPEARCEB.EdYearPrep/1Teacher

MICHAELDINEEN B.App.Science(PhysicalEducation)DipEdPhysicalEducationteacher

TessRighetti BEd(Music)Music/VisualArtsteacher

LEARNINGSUPPORTOFFICERSMARIALITHERLANDB.Bus(TourismMment),CertIIIChildcare,CertEdSupport

CORRINAWILSONADMINISTRATIONKIRSTYPALIMAKACertificateIVBusinessOfficeAdministration,DiplomainPhotography

TEACHING STAFF ATTENDANCE RATE

Teaching Staff Attendance Rate 85.79%

STAFF RETENTION RATE

Staff Retention Rate 78.57%

TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS

Doctorate 0.00%

Masters 9.09%

Graduate 9.09%

Certificate Graduate 0.00%

Degree Bachelor 54.55%

Diploma Advanced 27.27%

No Qualifications Listed 27.27%



STAFF COMPOSITION

Principal Class 2

Teaching Staff (Head Count)

20

FTE Teaching Staff

17.400

Non-Teaching Staff (Head Count)

6

FTE Non-Teaching Staff

4.725

Indigenous Teaching Staff

0

I ANNUAL REPORT

Documents

Transcript of I ANNUAL REPORT