Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood 2012

2012 Annual Report

Principal: Mrs Julie Terry

Address: Phone: Fax: Web:

Licensed for NEALS Š Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Broken Bay 2012

5 Forest Road WARRIEWOOD NSW 2102 (02) 9997 7044 (02) 9997 6042 www.mmwdbb.catholic.edu.au

Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

1.

Message from Key Groups in Our School Community

1.1 Message from the Principal During 2012 Mater Maria Catholic College celebrated its Golden Jubilee year and acknowledged the commitment of past and present students, parents, religious and lay staff to the development of this College as a place where all are welcomed and nurtured. In particular, the community paid homage to the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, who recognised the need for a Catholic education for young people on our beautiful escarpment of the Northern Beaches.

The Golden Jubilee was formally recognised during the Golden Jubilee Mass on the Feast of Mary Help of Christians when past principals gathered with the staff and students to celebrate the handing on of the Gospel story over the last fifty years. Events such as the Gala Performance Evening and the Fiftieth Anniversary Dinner Dance, as well as the publication of Golden Memories Mater Maria at 50! enabled the community to enter into the celebrations in a meaningful way.

1.2 Message from the Parent Body The Mater Maria Catholic College Board is one of two peak parent bodies committed to the mission of the College (the other being the Parents & Friends Association). The College Board’s role is to act as custodian of the spiritual journey of the College, its focus being the well-being of the whole of the College within the beliefs and values, teachings and traditions of the Church.

In May, the co-chairpersons of the College Board stepped down after three years of service and soon after new co-chairpersons were discerned following the College Board retreat.

College Board Co-Chairpersons

1.3 Message from the Student Body 2012 has been a year of great celebration for the College with the Golden Jubilee milestone. It was an honour and privilege to lead the student body during this momentous year. Along with the College Prefects and fellow Year 12 students we aimed to enhance the College spirit and connect with the student body and staff of Mater Maria Catholic College. Each ministry of leadership: Community, House, Liturgy, Performing Arts, Social Justice and Sport has attempted to enrich their area of responsibility and make the College a better place.

We extend our best wishes to the younger students of the College and wish them well during their remaining years at the College.

College Captains

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

2.

School Profile

2.1 Student Profile The following information describes the student profile for 2012: Girls

Boys

LBOTE*

Indigenous

Total

454

425

46

5

879

*Language background other than English

2.2 Enrolment Policy The Diocese of Broken Bay has established an Enrolment Policy† which is implemented by all systemic schools in the Diocese.

The implementation of this policy is monitored by the Catholic Schools Office. †Copies of this policy and other policies in this report may be obtained from the Catholic Schools Office website at: http://www.csodbb.catholic.edu.au/about/index.html or by contacting the Catholic Schools Office.

2.3 Staff Profile The NSW government requires that this report detail the number of teachers in each of the following categories: a)

have teaching qualifications from a higher education institution within Australia or as recognised within the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR) guidelines

b)

have qualifications as a graduate from a higher education institution within Australia or one recognised within the AEI-NOOSR guidelines but lack formal teacher education qualifications

c)

do not have qualifications as described in (a) or (b) but have relevant successful teaching experience or appropriate knowledge relevant to the teaching context. Such teachers must have been employed:

- to ‘teach’ in NSW before 1 October 2004 (either on a permanent, casual or temporary basis), and

- as a ‘teacher’ during the last five (5) years in a permanent, casual or temporary capacity. a

b

c

Total

75

1

2

78

Further information about the staff profile can be found in the School Facts section of the school’s profile page on the My School website.

2.4 Teacher Attendance and Retention Rates The average teacher attendance rate during 2012 was 96%. This figure does not include teachers on planned leave.

The teacher retention rate from 2011 to 2012 was 94%.

2.5 Teacher Satisfaction During 2012 staff members were invited to participate in an Educational Leadership Practices survey which probed satisfaction with the overall leadership of the College across nine domains.

The areas of Goal Setting, Strategic Resourcing, Ensuring Curriculum Quality, Ensuring the Quality of Teaching, Promoting Collaborative Teacher Learning and Development, Ensuring a Safe and Orderly Environment, Ensuring Educationally Powerful Connections with Families and Community,

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

Principal Leadership and Teacher Work and Experience. The survey results were analysed at a staff development day and areas of strength acknowledged and celebrated. Areas for improvement were identified and have been integrated into the Annual Plan for 2013. Overall the feedback was very positive and the survey was a useful tool in gaining insight into teacher satisfaction with the College’s leaderships and structures.

2.6 Student Attendance and Retention Rates

Year

Average student attendance rate (%)

7

94

8

93

9

92

10

90

11

93

12

92

The average student attendance rate for 2012 was 92%.

Of the students who completed Year 10 in 2010, 57% completed Year 12 in 2012.

Management of non-attendance: In order for students to reach their full potential it is of paramount importance that they attend school regularly. While it is the parents’ legal responsibility under the Education Act to ensure that their children attend school regularly, our staff as part of their duty of care, monitor all absences and work in partnership with parents to support and promote the regular attendance of students. In doing so the school, under the leadership of the Principal: •

provides a caring environment which fosters in students, a sense of wellbeing and belonging;

•

maintains accurate records of student attendance;

•

implements policies and procedures to monitor student attendance and to address nonattendance issues as and when they arise;

•

communicates to parents and students, the school’s expectations with regard to student attendance and the consequences of not meeting these expectations; and

•

recognises and rewards excellent and improved student attendance.

School attendance records also contain information regarding student absences including reasons for absence and documentation to substantiate reasons for absences. Teachers are required to monitor non attendance diligently on a student by student basis and to bring to the attention of the Principal immediately any unexplained absences, non attendance of a chronic nature, or reasons for non attendance that cause concern. Matters of concern are referred to the Principal, the Catholic Schools Office and the relevant Department of Education and Training officer where appropriate.

Where a student is not able to attend school for a prolonged period of time due to a medical condition or illness, the school in collaboration with parents provides resources to contribute to the student’s continuum of learning where possible.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

The Catholic Schools Office monitors each school’s compliance with student attendance and management of non attendance on an annual basis as a minimum, as part of the system’s School Review and Development processes.

2.7 Student Satisfaction During 2012, all students were invited to participate in a Pastoral Care survey which required feedback on mental health issues, accessing support, efficacy of support, anti-bullying and protective behaviours. The results of the survey will be analysed by the pastoral team during 2013 and used as a basis for engaging parents in partnership for the wellbeing of their children.

One of the most satisfying pieces of evidence for students being connected to their learning is the fact that in 2012 the College recognised 46 students in Year 7, 51 in Year 8, 24 in Year 9, 20 in Year 10, 41 in Year 11 and 25 in Year 12 with a Gold Award for Effort and Behaviour. This indicates that students have committed to their studies in both effort and behaviour and have acquired a Green Award for each of the four school terms over the year. In this way, the College recognises students who may not be the most academically able but can still do their best as a model learner.

2.8 Senior Secondary Outcomes The percentage of students in Year 12 attaining a Year 12 Certificate or equivalent VET qualification in 2012 was 100%.

The percentage of students in Year 12 undertaking vocational or trade training was 22.5%.

2.9 Student Destinations Data collected from our students who leave after the compulsory leaving age (17) suggest that the unemployment rate amongst our past students is negligible or nil. 57.5% of our 2012 HSC class received offers of university places. The universities of Sydney continue to be the most favoured although an increasing number are travelling further afield to take up university places. A number of students will travel abroad for 2013 and will take up study options at university or TAFE in 2014.

Approximately 20% of the 2012 HSC class has taken up apprenticeships.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

3.

Catholic Life and Mission

3.1 Catholic Heritage 2012 marked the fiftieth anniversary since the Good Samaritan Sisters established Mater Maria Catholic College, initially as a girls’ school. From 1962 until 1990, twenty-five Good Samaritan Sisters served at the College. In 1979 the College became co-educational and in 1980 the Sisters donated the land of the College in perpetuity. Responsibility for the College was later handed to the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay and in 1990 the first lay principal was appointed. The Sisters of the Good Samaritan’s charism continues to have strong influence over the life and mission of the College along with the surrounding parishes - the Catholic Parish of Pittwater and the Lakes Catholic Parish - which remain important partners in the faith education offered at the College.

3.2 Religious Life of the School The celebration of Eucharist is the pinnacle of the expression of our Catholic faith and is an integral part of life at the College. We celebrated the Opening Year Mass, Mater Maria Day, significant feast days and graduation masses for both Years 10 and 12. We are fortunate to have the support of our local clergy who are willing to assist us in this domain, including the offering of weekly mass at lunchtime and before school prayer service.

During the course of 2012 we celebrated a range of significant liturgical events. These included: Ash Wednesday, Easter Liturgy, the Feast of the Assumption back to parish Masses, Thanksgiving Mass for our volunteers at the College and our Presentation of Awards liturgy. Prayer life is encouraged with formal prayer in our Mater Maria Chapel as well as prayers being offered at assemblies and mentor groups. The Golden Jubilee Mass in May was a special opportunity for the College to give thanks for the abundant blessings which have been bestowed on the community and acknowledge the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, the founding Religious Order of the College, and the remarkable gift they have left the community.

Outreach is an integral element in the education of our students and they are educated and encouraged to participate in assisting those less fortunate, from fundraising for Caritas to involvement in house-building in Cambodia. A combined Catholic Parish of Pittwater and College house building team travelled in November. Year 9 students engaged in a Reading program with local Catholic primary schools and Year 10 students arranged and participated in a fete for students with special needs. There is a concerted effort to strengthen our students’ call to serve through these outreach activities and the youth ministry program at the College.

The College Mission team, comprising the Principal, Assistant Principal, Religious Education Coordinator, Liturgy Co-ordinator, Youth Ministry Co-ordinator and Performing Arts Co-ordinator, oversees liturgy and social justice in the College.

3.3 Catholic Worldview The very foundation of being a Catholic organisation is that our Catholic Worldview permeates all that occurs in the College. The Gospel values underpin our relationships and the expectation that all will be treated with respect and dignity. Those in need are supported, including the supply of meals in times of crisis and there is a deliberate strategy to ensure that financial hardship is not a barrier to participation in the fuller life of the College.

3.4 Professional Learning in Catholic Life and Mission The Diocese of Broken Bay has established an Accreditation Policy for Staff in the Diocesan School System in respect to the Mission of the Church which is implemented by all systemic schools in the Diocese.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

4.

Pastoral Care

4.1 Diocesan Policies The Diocese of Broken Bay has established Pastoral Care and Student Discipline Policies including Student Welfare and Anti-Bullying, which are implemented by all schools in the Diocese.

The implementation of these policies is monitored by the Catholic Schools Office.

4.2 School Implementation of Diocesan Policy Positive relationships between all members of the College community are essential in forming young people and working in partnership with families. The pastoral care program in the College was an identified area of strength by the School Review panel during 2011.

During 2012 the behaviour management processes were refined according to the work of a wellknown educational consultant. As a result, the number of students who have been removed from the learning environment because of misbehaviour has significantly decreased. There is an emphasis on the restoration of relationships after conflict under the tenets of Restorative Justice.

This underpins not only classroom and playground behaviour but is also utilised in instances of bullying. The College also registered to be an e-Smart school and participated in the National Day Against Bullying.

Year Co-ordinators are paired to lead mentor partnerships. Their team of fifteen teachers mentor students. This is convened through a vertical structure for students in Years 7 and 12, Years 8 and 10, and Years 9 and 11. This vertical structure of pastoral care has led to enhanced possibilities for student leadership as the older students mentor the younger ones. Mentor partner assemblies provide students with the opportunity to showcase their gifts and talents and take a more active role in preparing the assemblies.

Mentor teachers are also involved in the teaching and learning domain and conduct interviews with their students – these are one on one conversations which set learning goals for the coming semester.

4.3 Pastoral Care of Families Mater Maria Catholic College aims to work in partnership with families in the education of their children. Families are supported to this end through parent information evenings pertaining to both teaching and learning and pastoral care including the Year 7 Parent Welcome evening and parent/teacher interviews. Parents often use school staff to access advice on raising teenagers and we believe that open communication is critical to the best outcomes for students.

Families in crisis are supported through meals, access to information for support services outside of the College and counselling services for students at the College. Approximately 20% of students accessed counselling services during 2012. The College is supported by the Catholic Schools Office through support and advice in counselling and behavioural interventions.

4.4 Resolving Issues The Diocese of Broken Bay has established a Complaints Handling Policy which is implemented by all schools in the Diocese.

The implementation of this policy is monitored by the Catholic Schools Office.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

4.5 Work Health and Safety Each school is required to implement and comply with the Diocesan School System Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS).This system reflects the current statutory requirements for OHS and complies with the Australian Standard for OHS Management Systems.

The OHSMS adopted by the CSO for Broken Bay Systemic Schools has been designed to address general health, safety and welfare matters and also to take account of specific issues that apply to school communities. The management system supports the provision of a ‘safe and supportive’ environment for all students as well as taking into account the health, safety and welfare of staff, visitors and contractors to the school site.

Principals, in consultation with the relevant CSO personnel, are responsible for monitoring the school’s compliance with OHS legislation and for the implementation of the management system in keeping with the Catholic Schools Office’s Annual OHS Plan. External OHS system audits are conducted across a sample of schools each year to validate the implementation of the management system.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

5.

Excellence in Teaching and Learning

5.1 Quality Teaching and Learning During 2012 the middle leadership team of both KLA and Pastoral Co-ordinators, participated in the Leading Learning program, which is a Catholic Schools Office initiative in partnership with Auckland University. Our annual School Improvement goal, of ‘deepening quality teaching and leadership of learning through heightened responsibility and accountability’ saw us draw on professional development from the Leading Learning project in order to strategically plan for better student learning outcomes. Processes and procedures in the College were reviewed to ensure that responsibilities were articulated and accountability ensured.

During 2012 a statement on Teaching and Learning was published, a document written through consultation with staff, students and parents. A new reporting format was introduced and parents were formally surveyed during parent/teacher interviews to provide feedback. Overall the satisfaction with the reporting format was high.

A Literacy Committee was established from interested staff members who have planned, along with the Literacy-Numeracy Co-ordinator, strategies to enhance Literacy and Numeracy across the College. It was decided that for 2013, the College would enhance Literacy across the curriculum; specifically, Reading, to improve access to the curriculum and so staff were engaged in the Tactical Teaching Reading program at the end of 2012 for implementation in 2013.

The College continued to appoint a Literacy-Numeracy Co-ordinator who assists in the analysis of NAPLAN data and in directing follow up Literacy and Numeracy strategies for staff to utilise with students. Teachers of these students were notified of the particular areas of weakness and given four strategies to implement. These were deliberately kept few and easy to implement so that the students were receiving the same strategies across a number of KLAs. Again in 2012, a co-teaching model was employed for students with special needs. This involved the KLA specialist working with a Learning Support Teacher so that skills and expertise could be shared. This model has proven very successful both for staff collegiality and for student outcomes. The College also facilitates a very successful transition program for students entering Year 7. Lessons are allocated through a pastoral-based course to assist students to settle into high school and a staff member oversees this program.

Mentor teachers continued to lead individual student interviews about academic progress and goal setting. Feedback from staff and students was that this was a positive step towards students leading their own learning. The interviews occurred after a reporting period so that report feedback from all teachers could be discussed.

5.2 Student Achievement Students in Years 7 and 9 sat the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) in May this year. NAPLAN assessment results provide valuable information about student achievements in literacy and numeracy. Analysis of these results assists school planning and is used to support teaching and learning programs.

Several points should be noted: •

In Year 7, students placed in Band 4 are achieving below the national minimum standard.

Students in Band 5 are achieving at the national minimum standard. Students in Bands 6-9 are performing at a standard deemed above the national minimum standard. Students in Bands 8 and 9 are “at proficiency”.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report •

In Year 9 students in Band 5 are achieving below the national minimum standard. Students in Band 6 are achieving at the national minimum standard. Students in Bands 7-10 are performing above the national minimum standard. Students in Bands 9 and 10 are “at proficiency”.

•

Students who were exempted from any test were deemed not to have met the national minimum standard in that test area.

•

State data for band distributions is sourced from the School Measurement and Reporting Toolkit (SMART2), developed by NSW Department of Education and Training. All national data and state figures for the percentage at or above national minimum are sourced from the NAPLAN Summary Report (Preliminary Results for Achievement) published by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). All school data is sourced from SMART2. Because figures are rounded and exempted students are not included in Band distributions, percentages may not add up to 100.

•

In the 2012 cohort, there were 188 students in Year 7 and 144 students in Year 9.

Detail on school performance is provided in the following tables. Band distributions and percentages of students achieving the national minimum standard are outlined separately for Years 7 and 9.

Additional information can also be accessed from the My School website (http://www.myschool.edu.au/) Band Distributions (%) – Year 7

Band 4 (-)

Band 5

Band 6

Band 7

Band 8

Band 9 (+)

% at or above national minimum

Reading

State National School

5.2 4.2 0.5

13.0 13.7 5.5

21.8 24.7 19.2

26.5 28.1 32.4

22.1 19.2 30.2

11.5 8.6 12.1

94.9 94.2 99

Writing

State National School

7.8 8.5 1.6

22.2 18.5 9.6

26.4 29.5 27.3

20.7 23.7 32.1

15.4 12.6 25.1

7.5 5.7 4.3

90.2 89.9 98

Spelling

State National School

5.5 5.4 3.2

8.3 11.2 5.3

19.0 23.4 16.6

30.1 29.8 35.3

25.2 19.5 32.6

11.9 9.1 7.0

94.8 93.0 97

Gr. &Punct.

State National School

3.4 3.4 0.5

11.4 12.2 3.7

25.1 24.6 24.1

26.4 28.8 32.6

18.9 19.6 26.2

14.8 9.7 12.8

95.7 95.0 99

Numeracy

State National School

4.5 4.7 0.5

17.1 16.1 10.9

25.7 27.2 31.1

23.1 25.2 32.8

15.1 15.0 13.1

14.5 10.4 11.5

93.9 93.7 99

The Year 7 cohort, for all dimensions tested in NAPLAN, achieved above the National standard in terms of the percentage of students at or above the National minimum. The Literacy and Numeracy Co-ordinator facilitates a program which identifies those students who are in need of remediation and indicates strategies which will assist teachers to meet the needs of those students and support enhanced learning outcomes. At the end of the year, teaching staff formally dedicated time to sharing strategies that have assisted those students in their classes and these were collated and will be forwarded to the teaching staff for 2013. Individualised worksheets for Grammar and Punctuation have been implemented during the timetabled Literacy segment each week.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report Band Distributions (%) – Year 9

Band 5

Band 6

Band 7

Band 8

Band 9

Band 10

% at or above national minimum

Reading

State National School

7.1 7.1 2.2

17.0 17.9 10.9

26.6 28.6 26.3

25.3 26.4 32.8

16.5 13.6 21.9

7.5 4.9 5.8

91.8 91.3 98

Writing

State National School

19.3 16.7 10.1

19.1 21.4 15.1

19.6 24.0 23.7

21.9 19.5 30.2

11.2 11.0 13.7

9.0 5.8 7.2

81.6 81.7 90

Spelling

State National School

8.2 8.9 5.0

11.9 16.0 14.4

23.6 25.8 25.2

26.9 26.4 29.5

21.8 15.6 20.1

7.6 5.8 5.8

90.7 89.5 95

Gr. &Punct.

State National School

7.8 8.0 5.8

20.6 18.7 14.4

23.6 28.1 28.1

25.3 24.8 28.8

15.2 13.3 16.5

7.5 5.4 6.5

90.8 90.4 94

Numeracy

State National School

3.9 4.9 3.6

20.3 18.5 13.1

25.9 28.3 27.0

22.2 23.8 32.1

14.7 13.8 19.0

13.1 9.1 5.1

93.6 93.5 96

Students in this cohort achieved above the State and National minimums in overall achievement in all areas. Students who did not achieve positive growth from Years 7 to Year 9 have been identified and the Literacy and Numeracy Co-ordinator has implemented strategies to target these students.

Record of School Achievement (RoSA) In 2011, the NSW Minister for Education announced that School Certificate tests would not continue beyond that year. From 2012, eligible students who leave school before receiving their Higher School Certificate will receive the NSW Record of School Achievement (RoSA). The RoSA has been designed to provide grades for all Stage 5 (Year 10) and Stage 6 (Preliminary) courses completed during secondary education. No student at the College requested a RoSA in 2012.

Higher School Certificate In 2012, seventy-eight students sat for the Higher School Certificate at the College. 81 per cent of results were placed in the top three performance Bands. Once again this was an improvement on the percentage gained in the previous year (2011) when 78.5% of these results were in this top category. Our students achieved 152 Band 5 results and 27 distinguished achievers’ places for marks of 90 or above.

Thirty courses were presented at the HSC and students performed above the State mean in 22 of them. Two students’ Visual Arts body of works were selected for display at Art Express. Five students’ Industrial Technology projects were selected for display at INTech. One student’s major project for Textiles and Design was selected for display at TexSTYLE. Finally, one student’s major performance for Music 1 was nominated for Encore.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

5.3 Extra Curricula Activities Within the College there is a broad spectrum of opportunities for students to pursue their individual interests and to develop their talents. There are a wide range of sporting teams and competitions in which students can participate and talented students are supported in Diocesan, Regional, State and National levels.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme continues to be popular and well supported by students. The College has a vibrant program in the Performing Arts and students are able to join bands, ensembles or productions. Students in the Year 11 drama class toured the local primary schools to perform an anti-bullying play. In 2012, ninety-three students embarked on the College’s largest overseas tour to Europe. Students played sport or participated in a cultural tour which travelled to the United Kingdom and Italy. In addition, a combined Catholic Parish of Pittwater and College house building trip took place to Cambodia in November. This was a privileged opportunity, and an alternative offering to Year 12 students in lieu of ‘schoolies’.

Some of the highlights of 2012 were: the fiftieth anniversary gala performance evening - a showcase of music students from the College over the past fifty years; the drama department’s major production, a unique adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; a visit from the College’s Japanese sister school from Tadaoka, Osaka in Japan and the Concert Band’s Golden Jubilee tour of the South Coast. Chemistry students participated in NSW Titration competition; a number of students attended the Sydney University Model United Nations conference and Year 11 Legal Studies students participated in the Law Society of NSW Mock Trial competition. The U14 rugby team and the senior boys’ soccer team won the Peninsula Cup in their respective codes and a number of students represented the College at the NSW Combined Catholic College level in cross country, soccer, rugby union, swimming and touch football.

5.4 Professional Learning During 2012, the College continued to participate in the Leading Learning program, which is a Catholic Schools Office initiative in partnership with Auckland University. The emphasis for the College was to engage the middle leadership team with a focus on tracking of student data and then provision for intervention to assist students to meet the best possible learning outcomes.

During 2012, all data including the NSW University General Assessment Test, NAPLAN, half yearly and yearly course marks and grades from Effort and Behaviour reports were collated and made available to teaching staff. Teachers were then asked to identify students in Year 12 who were at risk of achieving a Band 3 with the intention that they work with those students to increase their learning gain. The overall HSC data reveals that the number of students achieving Band 4 grew from 32 per cent to 40 per cent from 2011 to 2012.

Teacher release has been made available to staff for the writing of teaching programs to focus on the Understanding by Design framework and in 2013 a position has been created to assist in the furthering this initiative.

The pastoral care of staff was a focus for a professional learning day, where an expert led sessions in assisting staff to support their own wellbeing. A second day invited staff to participate in a selection of mission related workshops. Some attended St Canice’s in Elizabeth Bay to learn of the plight of homeless and Catholic Mission Australia facilitated a session on the situation in South Africa and our need to reach out to those in need. KLA Network meetings continue to be supported and staff are able to self-nominate for conferences and are, wherever possible, supported in their ongoing learning.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

6.

Strategic Initiatives

6.1 2012 Priorities and Achievements The Strategic Plan goals for 2011-2013 are: Mission in Context: Mature as a faith community our discipleship in Christ and strengthen our understanding of and connections with the Good Samaritan charism.

Education for Personal Excellence: Promote excellence in leadership of high quality learning within a culture of positive relationships which nurture the human spirit and develop full human potential.

Organisational Support: Commit to continuous improvement, sustainability and accountability in all aspects of the life of the College.

The annual goals for 2012 are outlined below: Annual Goal One: Maturing discipleship lived through the College values of Community and Justice 2012 was a year of great celebration at Mater Maria Catholic College as the community acknowledged fifty years of life and being as a Catholic secondary school on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. The College’s Golden Jubilee was a significant moment to pause and reflect on the remarkable gifts which have been bestowed on the community of Mater Maria. At the Golden Jubilee Mass in May, five College values - Community, Hospitality, Justice, Spirituality and Stewardship - were presented to the community as its challenge to carry the Good Samaritan charism forward to the College’s centenary.

The College continued to strengthen students’ call to youth ministry and outreach through a range of activities. The Years 9 and 10 Reflection days were developed to provide an outreach program in local Catholic primary schools as a way to develop Literacy and social skills and Year 10 hosted a ‘fete’ for children with disabilities to break preconceived notions. The College continued to strengthen links with the Catholic Parish of Pittwater and the Lakes Catholic Parish by offering morning prayer, the Year 10 spirituality program and the combined College and Catholic Parish of Pittwater house building trip to Cambodia.

September was a time of great celebration when eight students received the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation and ten students received the Sacrament of First Eucharist as they were welcomed into the Catholic faith.

Annual Goal Two: Deepening quality teaching and leadership of learning through heightened responsibility and accountability During 2012 a statement on Teaching and Learning was published, a document written through consultation with staff, students and parents. This provides a framework for both students and teachers to be exemplars in excellence of teaching and learning.

The middle leadership team of both KLA and Pastoral Co-ordinators participated in the Leading Learning program, which is a Catholic Schools Office initiative in partnership with Auckland University and data was collected from teaching staff and students on what represents effective teaching time to ensure that all classes utilise best practice of available teaching time in their courses. Year 7 Mathematics teachers were engaged in the ‘Enhancing the Teaching of Mathematics’ project established by the CSO in partnership with the University of Sydney. This program has provided an opportunity for teachers to share professional knowledge between Stages 3 and 4.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

Teaching staff were provided with data such as Allwell, UNSW GAT, De Courcy, NAPLAN, SC and HSC, Effort and Behaviour reports and Academic reports and have become proficient at interpreting this to inform their classroom practice and meet the needs of each student in their classroom.

Following the semester reporting periods, each student met with his/her mentor teacher to review his/her progress and set learning goals for the coming semester. Teachers have commented that these learning conversations have increased students’ personal responsibility in leading their own learning.

The College continued to provide targeted professional development opportunities for all staff. The Technology, Teaching and Learning team informed much of this learning program along with KLA leaders and staff meetings were utilised as an opportunity to further professional development dialogue. In 2012, teaching staff members were asked to focus on providing parents with pertinent feedback about their child’s learning in a manner that was timely and appropriate to ensure the best possible learning outcomes for students.

The strengthening of collegiality and collaboration within KLA learning teams and between KLA learning teams remains an ongoing focus for the College. KLA leaders used strategies from the Leading Learning program to support and challenge their staff to design learning experiences with the intention to improve the learning programs presented.

The College also formed a Literacy Committee so as to enhance students’ Literacy skills across the curriculum. This committee has been used as a vehicle to investigate and plan interventions for those students who require additional assistance.

The learning environment has continued to be enhanced through refurbishment and upgrades.

Speciality rooms for textiles, technology and a new commercial kitchen facility to industry standards were opened and have enhanced the learning opportunities and training pathways for students at the College.

Annual Goal Three: Enhancing positive relationships through Restorative Justice principles The principles of Restorative Justice as the basis of the Pastoral Care framework at the College continued to be further explored by staff. Staff have implement recommendations for the ‘Establishment Phase of the Year’ made by a well-known educational consultant who facilitated a staff professional learning day with the aim to provide the best possible classroom dynamic for learning. In addition, a case management approach was implemented to support teachers in behaviour management where necessary.

The College values of Justice and Community were assigned as the focus values of the 2012 academic year. Connecting the College community in a more meaningful way to the articulated values and their role in ensuring they embed it in all that they do remains an ongoing challenge and has been integrated into future planning.

In 2012 a significant emphasis was placed on cybersafety and the College took a proactive approach to educating students by registering as an eSmart school. Anti-bullying policies were further refined and students participated in the National Day Against Bullying. Student led College assemblies and Mentor Partner assemblies have increasingly became the norm as a way to further promote student leadership.

6.2 2013 Priorities and Challenges From the Strategic Plan, annual domain goals in the areas of Catholic Life and Mission, Learning and Teaching and Pastoral Care underpin the following School Improvement Plan objectives for 2013:

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

In 2013, the community of Mater Maria Catholic College will be committed to: •

articulating and promoting the College value of Stewardship;

•

enhancing literacy across the curriculum; specifically, Reading, to improve access to the curriculum; and

•

improved tracking of students using available data and effectively using this for individual student wellbeing.

Key Domain 1: Articulating and promoting the College value of Stewardship By the end of 2013 we will have:

- engaged the College Board to embed the value of Stewardship in the daily life of the College;

- fostered stewardship of the College environment in terms of playground cleanliness, respect for self, others, property and the value for the good name of the College in the wider community;

- incorporated the College value of Stewardship into teaching and learning programs (where possible); and

- engaged students in a whole College based recycling program.

Key Domain 2: Enhancing literacy across the curriculum; specifically, reading, to improve access to the curriculum By the end of 2013 we will have:

- promoted the Tactical Teaching Reading module through the professional development of teaching staff;

- embedded Literacy strategies into the Year 8 learning program; - implemented strategies for the Establishment Phase of the Year by the educational consultant to ensure that students are focused for learning in the classroom;

- engaged Middle Leaders in open to learning conversations with their respective staffs; - planned and prepared for the implementation of the Australian Curriculum; - investigated, consulted the parent community and planned for the implementation of 1:1 student mobile devices from 2014;

- effectively used established communication processes between the College and home to enhance student progress; and

- encouraged email as the preferred method of communication in the College with all stakeholders.

Key Domain 3: Improved tracking of students using available data and effectively using this for individual student wellbeing By the end of 2013 we will have:

- provided data including academic grades and effort and behaviour grades for the remaining cohorts to inform teacher classroom practises;

- implemented strategies for the Establishment Phase of the Year by the educational consultant to ensure that students are focused for learning in the classroom;

- engaged parents in a consultation process around student wellbeing and surveyed evidence that informs future planning in pastoral care strategies and wellbeing;

- established a self-service repository portal for College notes, forms and correspondence for parents and guardians to further facilitate communication between the College and home; and

- developed the new role of Pastoral Care Coordinator to enhance leadership for the pastoral domain in the College.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

7.

Parent Participation

7.1 Introduction Parent participation at Mater Maria is structured through the Parents & Friends Association and also through the College Board. Parents are integral to the organisation of the Mater Maria Festival which is held in May each year as an event which is organised and administered through the Parents & Friends Association and the College. Parents are invited to participate in the liturgical life of the College and they respond consistently well to the Opening Year Mass, the Easter Liturgy, the Ash Wednesday service and to the Graduation Masses for Year 10 and Year 12. A significant number of families came along to the Family Mass celebration which was held in the Mater Maria Chapel in March and attended the Fiftieth Anniversary Dinner Dance in July 2012.

Parental involvement is seen through assistance at the annual working bee, parents’ service in the canteen and through the preparation of meals for those families experiencing hardship or illness. A number of parents also assisted with the coaching of sporting teams, assisted at the Mater Maria Festival and the College’s Open Day. Each year in November the College community celebrates the Eucharist together in the Mater Maria Chapel as a most fitting way to give thanks to the parent volunteers in our College community.

7.2 Parent Satisfaction In 2012 the College conducted a number of online surveys to collect parent feedback on a range of issues. An online booking system was presented for the first time for parent teaching evenings.

Semester reports were also presented at the parent teacher meetings and parents commented that this was generally successful. Parents also provided feedback on other areas of College life with the view to acknowledging success and those which require further development. From the data, parents were overwhelmingly happy with the teaching staff, pastoral care and behaviour management program and the co-curricular life of the College.

The College Board and P&F also provide avenues for parents and community members to raise positive issues or those of concern. Any issues which are raised are listened to, discussed and responded to appropriately.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2012 Annual Report

8.

Financial Report Consistent with Board of Studies requirements, financial income and expenditure for this school is shown in the graphs below. More detailed financial data is available on the “myschool” website at http://www.myschool.edu.au. Diocesan system financial reporting can be found in the Diocesan school system Annual Report, which will be available at http://www.csodbb.catholic.edu.au

The contents of this annual report have been validated by the School’s consultant, Ray Werren.

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