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THE BEEHIVE MONTESSORI SCHOOL INC.

ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2019

Our Mission

Nurturing independence so our children find their place in, and contribute to, a better world.

Our Vision

To provide excellence in Montessori Education

Values

Respect Compassion Curiosity Responsibility Individuality

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Information for Parents:

We respect the Whadjuk Nyungar people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the school is situated.

Established in 1977, the Beehive Montessori School started with less than 20 children. Today, Beehive is situated in modern purpose-designed premises beside the sea in Mosman Park, Western Australia. The School follows the Montessori National Curriculum, which was mapped to the WA Curriculum and approved by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority. The Governing Board of The Beehive Montessori School for 2019: Rhonda Sheehan (Principal), Bettina Mangan (Chair), Deborah Hathway (Deputy Chair) Lindsay Boladeras (Treasurer), Kate van Koesveld (Secretary), Martin Black, Ronald Crichton, Samantha Owen, Aaron Whitelaw, Linda Gladwell and Anthea Brignoli as staff representative. Board meetings are held regularly during the term. An Annual General Meeting was held on the 30th April 2019 and notice was given to all members, and the 2018 Annual Report and 2018 Financial Statements were tabled. The Board attends an annual Strategic Planning meeting day, and in 2019 this instigated a revision and rewriting of the School’s Mission, Vision and Values.

At the end of 2019, the Beehive Montessori School was awarded a 5-year re-registration certificate by the Department of Education, the longest period they offer, in recognition of the great work being done at Beehive. We are registered until 31st December 2024. The School has a strong and valuable parent liaison group through our ‘Beeliners’ and led by the ‘Queen Bee’. To view My School profile of The Beehive Montessori School please see link below: https://myschool.edu.au/school/49047

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1. Student Information: The Beehive Montessori School consists of the following classrooms:

4 Junior Primary classes (3-6 year olds) (Fiori, Contenta, Giardino, Nord) 3 Middle Primary classes (6-9 year olds) (Cuore, Luce, Gioia) 2 Upper Primary classes (9-12 year olds) (Mare, Pace) 1 Adolescent Program (12-15 year olds) (Terra) 1 Education Support Centre Playgroup (18 months-3 years) (Piccoli)

There was a total of 204 students (3-15 years old) enrolled at Beehive at the end of 2019, and in addition there were 39 children enrolled in our Playgroup at the end of term 4 2019.

Post School Destination: Our graduating year 9 students are happy with the choices they made after Beehive however due to the small number of students, details are not possible.

2. Professional engagement: Staff Attendance: The attendance rate and staff retention in 2019 was strong. The retention rate was 95%. Staff: Principal (1FTE) Deputy Principal (1FTE) Teachers (14 FTE) Non-teaching staff (13.7 FTE)

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3. Teacher Qualifications:

All teachers are registered with the Teacher’s Registration Board of WA and all have current Working with Children registration. All teachers are academically well qualified with strong Montessori qualifications and/or experience. All teachers and other staff completed training on Child Protection and Mandatory Reporting.

Beehive Montessori School Teacher Qualifications

Rhonda Sheehan (Principal) Diploma of Teaching 1975 Bachelor of Education (ECU) 1991 Montessori Diploma, 6-12, Bergamo (AMI) 1988 Orientation to Adolescence, 12-18 (NAMTA) 2006

Debbie McCarthy (Deputy) Montessori Diploma, 3-6 (MWEI) 1992 Bachelor of Teaching, Early Childhood (UWS) 2000 Master of Arts in Education, Early Childhood 2006 Orientation to Adolescence, 12-18 (NAMTA) 2012 Certificate lV Occupational Safety and Health (Inspire Ed) 2016

Anthea Brignoli Diploma of Teaching – Primary (Hartley CAE) 1980 Montessori Diploma, 6-12, Bergamo (AMI) 1988

Brendan Giambazi Bachelor of Arts-Jazz (ECU) 2003 Graduate Diploma of Education, secondary (ECU) 2004 Orientation to Adolescence, 12-18 (NAMTA) 2012

Bronwyn Hope Bachelor of Science-Marine Biology (James Cook University) 1997 Graduate Diploma of Education (ECU) 1998 Montessori Diploma, 6-12, Bergamo (AMI) 2004 Orientation to Adolescence, 12-18 (NAMTA) (sponsored) 2008

Cathy Woodhouse Bachelor of Arts, University of Ballarat 2001 Montessori Diploma, 3-6, Chennai (AMI) 2006 TRBWA Limited Registration

Christine Pizzey Montessori Diploma, 3-6, London (AMI) 1982

Carolyn O’Toole Diploma of Teaching – Primary (Curtin University) 1988

Ellen McCarthy Bachelor of Arts-Dance, ECU 2003 Graduate Diploma in Education (Murdoch University) 2004 Montessori Diploma, 3-6, Auckland, (AMI) 2012

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Jessica Henke Bachelor of Arts-Media Studies 2005 Graduate Diploma in Education-Secondary 2005 Orientation to Adolescence, 12-18 (NAMTA) 2008 Montessori Diploma, 6-12, Bergamo (AMI) 2019

Kath Meisinger Montessori Diploma, 6-12, Bergamo (AMI) 2009 TRBWA Limited Registration

Lorraine Martis Special Education (incl Applied Montessori) Dilkash 1979 Diploma in Education of the Physically Handicapped, Bombay 1980

Lucy Clarkson Fletcher Bachelor of Arts (Rhodes University, South Africa) 2001 Montessori Diploma –Early Childhood, South Africa 2006 Graduate Diploma in Education (Montessori) 3-6 (MWEI) 2015

Maria Partridge Montessori Diploma, 3-6, (MWEI) 1997 Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education (Curtin University) 1999

Robyn Matthews TRBWA Limited Registration

Sam Abrahams Bachelor of Education, Primary 2007 Montessori Diploma, 6-12, Sydney (AMI) 2012

Serena Zen Bachelor of Arts (UWA) 2009 Graduate Diploma in Primary Teaching (Murdoch University) 2011

Susan Russell Bachelor of Arts (Murdoch) 1992 Graduate Diploma in Education (Murdoch) 1992

4. Professional Development: Continuous professional learning is integral to professional growth and improved student outcomes. Professional learning is an ongoing process which refers to all training and development opportunities, both formal and informal. Professional learning may be individual, small team or whole school focused and is undertaken in a variety of modes including face to face presentations and online.

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In 2019 staff attended a wide variety of professional development, including:

Mandatory Reporting and Child Protection What is Normalisation? The Brain: It’s Not What You Think! Work, Health & Safety Fire Extinguisher Training Anaphylaxis Training Asthma Training Schools of the Future First Aid Demonstration The Flow Staff Code of Conduct review Child Protection Policy review Meeting in the Middle NAPLAN writing marker ASBA National Conference Explicit Direct Instruction Understanding Mental Health Diverse Learners Conference

Montessori is Brain-Based Education IT Equipment Art Resin Workshop Printmaking Workshop First Aid and Resuscitation Teacher Librarian Meeting Need to get a Better Understanding of Mental Health in Children 2019 Diverse Learners Conference Snake Handling Course PTD Communication Skills Introduction to Responsible Beekeeping Head to Head Forum Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum Not for Profit Accounting Update ADHD in School- Innovations & Applications Gelli Plate Workshop

Total Cost of Professional Development $10,725.00.

Board PD: Curtin University Research – Digital Literacies by Dr Samantha Owen and Dr Sharon Davies AISWA meeting re: Registration by Gary Robinson and Theresa Bamford Laura Flores Shaw: Montessori is Brain-Based Education

School Membership: Teachers Registration Board WA (TRBWA) Montessori Teachers Association of WA (MTA) Association of Independent Schools of WA (AISWA) Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development -Agriculture (Bees) Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Independent Private School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) Waste Wise Water Wise Cancer Council Dyslexia-Speld Foundation

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5. Student Attendance 2019: All students: 91% At Beehive there is a strong emphasis on the development and maintenance of a nurturing, safe and positive learning environment which promotes student wellbeing, engagement and participation, and this impacts positively on the management of regular school attendance. Management of Non-Attendance and Punctuality As part of compliance for school registration parents must inform the school when their child will be absent or late from school by 9.00am that day by emailing the school. If they have not done so, the teachers inform the secretary, who then rings the parent, records the contact in the absentee register and requests a written notification of the absence.

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6. Key Student Outcomes: Benchmark Results - National Testing:

Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 achieving the National Literacy and Numeracy Benchmarks.

Beehive Montessori School Results for NAPLAN conducted in May 2019. Please note that we are unable to give results in year 9 due to the small cohort.

2019 NAPLAN RESULTS FOR THE BEEHIVE MONTESSORI SCHOOL

Year Reading Writing Spelling Grammar/ Punctuation

Numeracy

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National Mean

432 423 419 440 408

State Mean

427 420 412 435 405

Beehive School Mean

496 442 440 494 439

% of children in top 20%

54% 32% 38% 42% 42%

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National Mean

506 474 501 499 496

State Mean

504 471 500 498 492

Beehive School Mean

558 532 527 550 532

% of children in top 20%

46% 46% 31% 38% 31%

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National Mean

546 513 546 542 554

State Mean

546 513 547 542 558

Beehive School Mean

634 579 601 614 590

% of children in top 20%

75% 63% 38% 63% 25%

This result varies from year to year as the children undertake the testing vary from year to year.

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Reporting to Parents: The School records and communicates all students’ progressive achievement within the School for the purpose of reviewing curriculum delivery and teaching strategies, and reporting to parents in a manner that is both meaningful and consistent with the ideals of the Montessori Method. Parents and guardians are able to book a meeting with teachers before or after the school day, or view their child’s portfolio of work samples at the end of each school day. The School communicates with parents and carers throughout the year to ensure that they are well-informed about their child’s achievement and progress. The School’s reporting process includes twice yearly formal report meetings with parents or guardians of students from PrePrimary age –

The first meeting is a Portfolio Reporting session at the end of Term 2 where the classroom teacher is available to answer questions. The portfolios of children’s work are evaluated using the achievement standards described in the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline.

The second meeting is at the end of the school year when parents or guardians and their child meet with the classroom teacher and are provided with a written report on progress in all learning areas, student attributes such as attitude, behaviour and effort, and an overall teacher and student comment. These reports show student progress in relation to the Western Australian Achievement Standards as required by SCSA. The School encourages parents and guardians to book an ‘observation’ once a term, to allow the parent or guardian to observe their child working in the classroom and then meet with the classroom teacher, and look at all written records pertaining to their child. These records include test results, Student Checklist, and portfolio work samples linked to the Western Australian Curriculum achievement standards. In addition to the above, student records are kept on Transparent Classroom, which is accessible for parents any time to view their child’s progress.

7. Value Added:

We provide families attending our School with:

Specialized Montessori Curriculum and environment supporting the holistic development of the child

Specialized high-quality learning materials Reconciliation Action Plan NAIDOC celebrations Underlying sustainable practices (including Bushcare, Earthcare, Water Wise and Waste

Wise) An individualized learning program Education Support Unit (early intervention program for children with special needs) Adolescent Program with an urban farm Professional, dedicated and caring staff Specialized high quality Montessori learning materials Specialist programs and teachers for Languages (Italian) & Music School incursions and excursions Educational support programs

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Communication through fortnightly newsletters, parent/teacher conferences, class room meetings, emails and notice boards, Beeliners and website.

A safe and supportive learning environment Promotion of independence, personal responsibility for learning and co-operation Educational projects linked to and supportive of the wider community Virtues Program Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum Certificate of Appreciation from Curtin University School of Education & UWA Research with Curtin University: Developing Digital Literacies and Using Digital

Technologies in the Montessori Classroom Annual Safety Audit and termly reviews After/before school activities for children, karate, soccer, yoga, band, choir Camps for middle primary, upper primary and adolescent program Sleepover for pre-primary students Family fun day Involvement in community activities Coastal Care (Town of Mosman Park) Playgroup (La Casa dei Piccoli) for children aged 18 month’s to 3 years to attend with a

parent After School Care – YMCA Mindfulness and Meditation Yoga Open Days School Corroboree Volunteers Morning Tea Sports Day Community events and performances including our End of Year Graduation Concert Market Day Home Room Meetings Orientations Parent Education Book Swap Harmony Day Student fundraising initiatives Beeliners Ride to School Day BUZ (Build UP Zone) Rangers program

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8. Satisfaction: Beehive Biannual Parent Survey August 2019 The Board sincerely appreciated and thanks parents for their response (80%) to the 2019 school Survey. The responses as well as the comments and constructive criticism provided in the open sections are invaluable for the leadership and governance, as well as the day to day management of the School. In summary, the results of the Survey are -

9. Financial:

The Beehive Montessori School is a not-for-profit educational institution which receives the majority of its recurrent income from tuition fees and per capita grants from the Australian Government and the WA State Government. It was reported that the balance sheet for The Beehive Montessori School is strong. An overview of the role of finance includes:

o Formulation and monitoring of the budget and reporting every 3 months to the Board the management accounts of the school.

o Management of the school’s finances and assets. o General advice to the School Board on matters of a financial nature.

Financial Position as at December 31 2019 The details of The Beehive Montessori School Inc as at the 31st December 2019 are set out in the financial reports and will be tabled at the AGM. The balance sheet of the Beehive continues to remain strong as reflected by our accumulated funds/net assets.

Agree/

Strongly

Agree

Children at Beehive learn to be caring about others and their surroundings. 100%

Beehive Montessori School encourages students to develop a strong sense of self. 99%

Everyone matters at Beehive and has a chance to improve and find their talents. 98%

Teaching quality. 96%

Beehive Montessori School facilitates the quest for deeper knowledge and understanding. 96%

Children at Beehive are well cared for in all aspects, not just academically. 96%

Educational program and outcomes. 95%

Purpose built environment and classrooms. 95%

Regularly meeting with teachers to monitor my child/children's progress and discussing teaching observations

is important to me.95%

Opportunities for parents to understand the environment, process and outcomes. 94%

The application of the Montessori Method is very strong at Beehive Montessori School. 93%

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