Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood 2010

2010 Annual Report

Principal: Mr Ray Werren

Address: Phone: Fax: Web:

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

Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report

1.

Message from Key Groups in Our School Community

1.1 Message from the Principal The Annual Report is always an opportunity to reflect upon achievement as well as being a chance to see missed opportunities or areas where a community might be able to do even better. We would like to express our thanks to each and every member of the College community and the wider Catholic community for their energy and enthusiasm over this past year. 2010 was a year when we worked in close partnership with our local parishes to build Catholic community; it was a year when our Higher School Certificate (HSC) students performed outstandingly well; it was a year in which we implemented our renewed pastoral structure for students; it was a year in which we advanced our own maintenance and refurbishment program; it was a year in which our ratio of Catholic student in the college passed 82% - in short it was a year to be very proud of.

As a diocesan Catholic community, the driving force for us in school improvement is the pursuit of our ‘Mission in Context’ and our ‘Leading of Learning’. 2010 was a year in which the spiritual, academic and pastoral lights of our community shone brightly and it is my pleasure to introduce this Annual Report to you.

Principal

1.2 Message from the Parent Body In 2010 the College Board continued to build, strengthen and nourish the College as part of the wider faith community. In its key role in the partnership of parents in the College, it is an integral part of the College leadership framework. The College Mission Award presented annually by the College Board recognises a student who exemplifies the College mission by their actions. The College Board serves as an active conduit between the College community and the College executive. The College Board follows the model of Shared Wisdom in its decision making processes. The year of 2010 was one of continued growth for the College and its community and we are pleased to have been a part of the journey throughout this past year. We look forward to this Annual Report as an official record of that journey.

College Board Co-chairpersons

1.3 Message from the Student Body It has been an excellent year for the Class of 2010. Along with the College Prefects, College Leaders 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 portfolio of leadership; Community, House, Liturgy, Peer Leadership, Performing Arts and Sport has attempted to enrich their area of responsibility and make the College a better place.

Over the course of the year, we have been rewarded by the friendliness of the community and their support of the Year 12 students as we prepared for and completed our HSC examinations. 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 - 2010 Annual Report

2.

School Profile

2.1 Student Profile The following information describes the student profile for 2010: Girls

Boys

LBOTE*

Indigenous

Total

421

406

21

2

827

*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

71

2

0

73

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 2010 was 96%. This figure does not include teachers on planned leave.

The teacher retention rate from 2009 to 2010 was 100%.

2.5 Teacher Satisfaction An independent Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey was carried out in Term 3 of 2010: 35% of parents, 73% of staff and 90% of students completed this external survey instrument. Staff reported ‘Very High’ levels of satisfaction with: the College leadership; the emphasis placed on Religious Education; and with College resources and facilities. In addition, staff reported ‘High’

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report

levels of satisfaction with: the pastoral care program; the overall academic program; the administration of the College; and with communication within the College.

2.6 Student Attendance and Retention Rates

Year

Average student attendance rate (%)

7

93

8

92

9

92

10

90

11

92

12

92

The average student attendance rate for 2010 was 92%.

Of the students who completed Year 10 in 2008, 69% completed Year 12 in 2010.

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

•

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.

The Catholic Schools Office (CSO) 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.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report

2.7 Student Satisfaction 90% of students completed the independent Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey which was carried out in Term 3. Students reported ‘Very High’ levels of satisfaction with the emphasis placed on the academic life of the College. In addition they reported ‘High’ levels of satisfaction with: overall satisfaction with the ‘school’; the College academic program; communication within the College; and with the emphasis on Religious Education. Students expressed ‘moderate’ levels of satisfaction with: College resources and facilities; and with College leadership.

2.8 Senior Secondary Outcomes The percentage of students in Year 12 attaining a Year 12 Certificate or equivalent VET qualification in 2010 was 100%.

The percentage of students in Year 12 undertaking vocational or trade training was 35%.

2.9 Student Destinations Data collected from our students who leave after the compulsory leaving age (17) suggests that the unemployment rate amongst our past students is negligible or nil. 55% of our 2010 HSC class received offers of university places. The universities in Sydney continue to be the most favoured although an increasing number are travelling further afield to take up university places. The university town of Bathurst has a significant number of our past students studying there. A number of the students are travelling abroad in 2011 and will take up study options at university or TAFE in 2012. Approximately 20% of the 2010 HSC class have taken up apprenticeships.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report

3.

Catholic Life and Mission

3.1 Catholic Heritage There continues to be a focus on the heritage of the College which was founded in 1962 by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. The place of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan within the foundational story of Catholic education in Australia is celebrated in the life of the College. The College is supported by and participates actively in the life of the two surrounding parishes: the Catholic Parish of Pittwater and the Lakes Catholic Parish.

3.2 Religious Life of the School Liturgy is an integral part of the everyday life of our Catholic school. The Eucharist is celebrated on occasions such as the Opening Year Mass, Mater Maria Day in May, on significant feast days and at the graduation masses of both Year 10 and Year 12. In addition, the College is fortunate to have a local Parish Priest who celebrates the Eucharist with students and staff weekly at lunchtime.

During the course of 2010 we celebrated a range of significant liturgical events. These included: the Diocesan Schools Staff Mass; the Diocesan Mission Mass; the Feast of the Assumption; Thanksgiving mass for the Volunteers of the College; Christmas Carols service; our Presentation of Awards liturgy and our Christmas liturgy. In addition the seasonal Church Lenten liturgy of Ash Wednesday and the Easter celebration enabled us to place focus on this seminal period of the Church calendar. A special celebration was conducted in October to mark the canonisation of St Mary of the Cross. Thanksgiving masses were also held for the retiring College Bursar and departing College Principal. The liturgical life of the College is a vehicle for the celebration and support of our Catholic community.

In 2010 the College increased again the proportion of students who are Catholic. In 2010 we had a Catholic student population of 82.5%, an increase of 2.2% over the 2009 figure. In 2010, retreats and reflection days were held for students in Years 10, 11 and 12. Once again, spirituality days were celebrated for students in Years 7, 8 and 9. The Youth Ministry Coordinator in the College continued to work on outreach and on developing strong connections with students to the local parishes. The College Mission team consists of the Principal, Assistant Principal, the Religious Education Coordinator, the Youth Ministry Coordinator and the Liturgy Coordinator.

3.3 Catholic Worldview The College community reflects the Catholic worldview in the way that it functions as a just, collaborative community which is founded upon the message of Jesus and which sits within the tradition of the Catholic Church. The pastoral, academic, cultural and sporting directions of the College all reflect this spiritual foundation.

Social Justice is an important expression of the Catholic Worldview and the College’s St Vincent de Paul group and the Year 7 Social Justice Society are a key source of direction in this area. The College Board and the Youth Ministry Coordinator ensure that there is a source of outreach in the College for families who are experiencing difficult times. All families are included and there is a deliberate strategy to ensure that financial hardship is not a barrier to participation in the fuller life of the College.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report

3.4 Professional Learning in Catholic Life and Mission The Diocese of Broken Bay has established a policy on the Professional Requirements for the Accreditation of Teachers of Religious Education which is implemented by all systemic schools in the Diocese.

In Term 4 the staff experienced a reflection day which was designed to deepen the awareness of staff to the nature of the spiritual journey and the need for people to be accepted and nurtured along the way. It was centred on youth spirituality and the influence of the media, and was led by an expert in the field and staff reported very positive feedback about its appropriateness and utility.

During 2010 a number of staff took up study with the Broken Bay Institute in Graduate Certificates.

In addition, two staff members studied Theology units with that Institute at Masters Degree level.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report

4.

Pastoral Care

4.1 Diocesan Policies The Diocese of Broken Bay has established Pastoral Care and Student Discipline Policies 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 Student management procedures are based upon Diocesan policy. The foundation of our practices is restorative justice and a proactive stance towards resolution of potential issues before they become problematic. Expectations of appropriate behaviour are clearly set out in the student diary and emphasised in Year assemblies, mentor group periods, College assemblies and via written communication.

The quality pastoral environment of the College was enhanced in 2010 as a result of the implementation of a student mentor system which meant staff had smaller pastoral groups with a mentor program designed to focus on building student connection to the college and connection to learning. A vertical structure and partnership exists for students in Years 7 and 10, Years 8 and 11, and Years 9 and 12. Pastoral Coordinators now work in Pastoral teams in year groupings which has led to an enhanced pastoral environment in each year group.

4.3 Pastoral Care of Families The College places a high value on working with parents in partnership. The interface between the parents and the staff is provided by the College Board and the Parents and Friends’ Association. The College Board continued to sponsor the parent outreach group and they were able to assist a number of families who were experiencing significant periods of distress during 2010. The Family Mass and the meal which is shared afterwards continued to be a most appropriate spiritual occasion for students, parents and their extended families.

Care is extended to all members of the College community and counselling is offered to students.

Parents are also advised of apt contacts with health professionals in the local community and in nearby adolescent units should that be required. The College works sensitively with families during times of grief and all relevant assistance is offered.

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.

4.5 Occupational 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

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report

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 - 2010 Annual Report

5.

Excellence in Teaching and Learning

5.1 Quality Teaching and Learning In 2010 we continued to develop our integrated approach to the delivery of curriculum using Information, Communications and Learning Technologies (ICLT) resources. There was a continuation of monitoring of the Fitzmaurice Learning Centre to ensure that this open learning space was being well utilised and it continued as a centrepiece of self-directed learning. The College’s Teaching and Learning Committee continued to focus much of its efforts in further skilling staff in the area of ICLT integration and staff professional development.

The second group of students who were given the chance to accelerate their learning by completing a Preliminary Course in Year 10 completed their HSC courses in these subjects. All of the students expressed satisfaction with the extension program although they did not generally achieve to the same high extent as the previous group of accelerated students had done.

In 2010 the College again ensured that all curriculum documents and information were available to the community electronically and feedback from parents again indicated that they were very pleased about this level of availability of information. Once again in 2010 we learned from the data available to us from the HSC, School Certificate and NAPLAN. In addition, the independent Satisfaction Survey carried out in Term 3 gave us valuable insights into the perceptions of our community about the quality of teaching and learning in the College. The College continues to appoint a Literacy-Numeracy Coordinator who assists in the analysis of NAPLAN data and in directing follow-up literacy and numeracy strategies for staff to utilise with students. One of our goals for the year had been to enable each staff member to have ready access to the SMART 2 data on NAPLAN. In part we were thwarted in this by ICLT difficulties which meant that not all staff could readily access this data. It will remain a key focus for 2011.

In 2010 we implemented a team-teaching approach in Stage 4 classes which included integrated students with identified learning difficulties. This approach to rich pedagogy will be evaluated at the end of 2011 – it was supported by the Diocesan Catholic Schools Office and received very positively by the community in 2010.

5.2 Student Achievement Students in Years 7 and 9 sat the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) in May. 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”.

•

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 (SMART), 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

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report summary report published by the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA). All school data is sourced from SMART. •

In the 2010 cohort, there were 144 students in Year 7 and 175 students in Year 9.

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

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

4 4 5

13 13 7

21 24 21

26 28 33

22 19 24

11 10 10

95 95 95

Writing

State National School

5 6 4

11 14 9

32 28 31

24 28 31

18 16 18

7 8 6

93 93 96

Spelling

State National School

5 6 4

9 12 6

19 22 19

29 29 43

25 21 24

11 9 4

94 93 96

Gr. & Punct.

State National School

10 7 6

10 14 9

24 25 22

28 26 41

14 17 10

12 9 12

92 91 94

Numeracy

State National School

3 3 4

14 13 9

24 26 27

26 27 33

16 18 17

14 12 10

95 95 96

The percentage of students who achieved at or above the National minimum standard exceeds both the National and State figures in all areas except reading where it is equal to the National and State figure. Significantly though, the percentage of students who achieved in the two highest bands was less than the National and State figures in Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation and Numeracy.

Strategies were put in place by the Literacy-Numeracy coordinator to address specific weaknesses in these areas. Once again the percentage of students who performed at the two lowest bands was again significantly lower than the National figures and this appears to reinforce the importance of our early intervention strategies with students in Year 7 who performed below the minimum standard at the Year 5 NAPLAN testing.

When compared to the 2009 results within the top Bands, in 2010 the College has received a higher proportion of Band 9 results in Reading and Grammar & Punctuation. We received the same percentage of Band 9 results in Numeracy. It is noteworthy that these results indicate general strength in all areas although there is evidence that the learning gain shown on a National and State level by other schools is comparatively stronger in some areas.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 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

8 8 3

19 18 13

23 28 22

24 27 30

19 14 27

6 4 5

91 91 97

Writing

State National School

10 11 2

22 19 19

22 27 25

25 22 27

12 12 19

8 7 7

88 87 98

Spelling

State National School

9 9 2

11 16 7

23 26 23

29 26 36

18 15 24

10 7 7

91 90 98

Gr. & Punct.

State National School

8 8 2

15 16 5

26 27 31

24 27 27

14 16 16

12 6 19

91 91 98

Numeracy

State National School

6 5 3

16 16 11

27 28 26

24 26 37

14 15 15

13 8 7

93 93 97

The percentage of students achieving at or above the National minimum is significantly higher than the National and State percentage in every test area. It is noteworthy that the combined percentage of Band 9 and 10 results is significantly higher than the National and State figures in every area of Literacy. This combined figure is less than the National and State figure for Numeracy. Numeracy is an area that was targeted for the cohort with cross-curriculum strategies put in place to target areas of particular weakness.

The success of Literacy strategies in general is reflected in these results. It was extremely pleasing that the percentage of students who achieved in the bottom two Bands was significantly less than the National and State figures.

School Certificate Students in Year 10 sat for the School Certificate examination in November. The table provided shows the mean of the 2010 school cohort in comparison with State and school results from previous years.

School Certificate means, 2006-10

2010 2009 2008 2007 2006

School State School State School State School State School State

English Literacy

Maths

Science

78.79 76.87 79.37 77.43 78.81 76.63 75.17 74.76 75.86 74.10

72.21 72.10 72.89 70.61 71.33 70.67 68.15 69.38 66.46 67.87

76.24 76.67 74.80 75.00 73.50 73.61 73.02 73.48 70.80 72.85

Civics, Citizenship & Australian History 69.96 70.16 73.01 71.56 69.26 70.58 69.35 72.14 67.80 71.00

Civics, Citizenship & Australian Geography 73.13 72.38 73.54 72.36 72.94 73.52 75.70 74.60 73.11 74.37

Computing Skills Test 81.38 79.44 83.51 81.67 82.89 80.71 79.40 80.28 78.04 80.55

Students achieved better than the State mean in four of the six areas of testing. The result in Australian History, Civics and Citizenship was marginally below the State mean, after having been better than the State mean in the previous year. Of concern is the consistent pattern in Science where the results have been below the State mean for the whole of the period under consideration.

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Whilst the Science results at the HSC have indicated strength in this Key Learning Area (KLA) there is recognition of the need to implement strategies which have led to learning gains at the School Certificate in other KLA ‘s such as English, Mathematics and in Australian Geography, Civics and Citizenship.

The College cohort in 2010 achieved a total of only six performances at the highest state benchmark (Band 6) across the five School Certificate test areas. In contrast, there were 169 performances at the second highest benchmark level (Band 5) and 313 performances at the next benchmark level (Band 4). Indeed the aggregate performance of students in these top three performance Bands matched or exceeded the State level in each area of testing but there is a question over the achievement of students matching their potential in these examinations. The achievement of so few Band 6 results, in particular, is a question of note in a community where the achievement of outstanding results at the HSC level has become an expectation.

Higher School Certificate In the 2010 HSC 76.2% of all 2 unit course results were in the top three performance bands. Once again this was an improvement on the percentage gained in the previous year (2009) when 71.5% of these results were in this top category. The improvement shown in this measure of learning gain over the last five years has been marked. Similarly, 42.3% of the 2 unit course results were in the top two performance bands and this is also the best result which the College has had over the last five years. Our analysis indicates that the HSC cohort of 2010 had very significant learning gains and has achieved significantly beyond expectations.

Thirty one courses were presented at the HSC and our students performed above the state mean in twenty three of them. They performed at the state mean in another three courses. Three of the four courses presented in English were above the State mean and the three courses presented in the Creative and Performing Arts were each significantly above the State mean. Three of the four courses presented in Mathematics were also above the State mean. In the TAS learning area, Food Technology, Textiles & Design and Industrial Technology were also quite significantly above the State mean and this marked an achievement of great merit by that department. There were five Extension courses presented at the HSC and students in Mathematics Extension II and English Extension I achieved above the State mean. In total, 80% of all Extension course results were in the top two performance Bands although the percentage in the top Band 4 had declined slightly on the previous year.

In essence, just over half of the 2010 HSC cohort was offered places at university. This is an indicator of the overall strength of their HSC performance. The results of the De Courcy analysis also indicated that they achieved at a very high level, indicative of a group which has experienced a significant learning gain. Compared to the previous 2009 HSC cohort, the 2010 group achieved a learning gain which is best represented by the fact that the 2010 cohort achieved a smaller percentage of Band 3 results and a correspondingly higher percentage of Band 5 results. The percentage of Band 6 and Band 4 results remained approximately the same. The College community has been most pleased with this evidence of school improvement.

5.3 Extra Curricula Activities Within the college there is a broad range of opportunities for students to pursue their individual interests and to develop their talents. There is a wide range of sporting teams and competitions open to students and the College competes in local competitions with the opportunity for talented students to compete at diocesan, regional, state and national levels. The Duke of Edinburgh Program has grown in participation rate and is now very popular with students, parents and staff.

The College has a vibrant program in the Performing Arts and students are able to join ensembles, productions, clubs and there are many opportunities within the college for students to experience

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report

live performance. In 2010, a group of students travelled to the United Kingdom and Italy for a three week sporting or cultural tour.

Some of the highlights of 2010 were: the College’s Drama major production which involved a large cast and crew of students, parents and staff and the Marana Music Festival which again involved all twelve of the peninsula Catholic primary schools. The U15 girls were crowned Broken Bay Champions in soccer. A Year 7 student was successful in the Zone final of the Catholic Schools Public Speaking competition and a Year 12 student was selected as one of 26 high school students from the around the world to compete in competitive research program at MIT in the United States.

5.4 Professional Learning Staff professional learning days focussed upon the integration of ICLT in enriched pedagogy and also upon Restorative Justice as the underpinning of our pastoral care program.

In addition, staff participated in relevant professional learning in their KLA focus areas: •

TAS staff took part in practical courses in Hospitality, Business Services, Electronics and IT;

•

Music teachers attended courses in software development related to the delivery of Music in Stage 5 of the curriculum;

•

Religious Education teachers participated in courses related to the standards attached to student work in Stage 6 of the curriculum;

•

English staff attended their professional association annual conference and also attended professional learning days in specialist areas for the HSC;

•

New Scheme teachers attended regular professional learning days at the Catholic Schools Office;

•

KLA Coordinators participated in the range of professional learning network opportunities offered by the Catholic Schools Office.

One staff member graduated in 2010 with a Masters of Educational Leadership from Australian Catholic University (ACU). A further member of staff is progressing towards a Masters of Theology via the Broken Bay Institute and Newcastle University. During 2010 three members of staff took up study with the Broken Bay Institute towards the award of Graduate Certificate in Religious Education. In addition, staff upgraded their First Aid and Resuscitation qualifications during 2010.

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6.

Strategic Initiatives

6.1 2010 Priorities and Achievements Catholic Life and Mission The College continued to provide a setting which provides strong connections for students to the broader Catholic community. The ratio of Catholic students in the College has now grown to 82% and the authenticity of the College as an ecclesial community is paramount. The College’s connections to the local parishes were strengthened in 2010 through the work of the Parish Priests and the work of one Parish Youth Minister and that of the College Youth Ministry Coordinator. The twelve local Catholic primary schools and their communities were connected to the College through the breadth of the endeavours of the local Peninsula Learning Community of Catholic Schools and the College took a lead in that. During the year the College also acted as a link for the teams of Catecheses volunteers from the Catholic parishes who teach religious Education in the local State schools. Social Justice became the communal expression of our discipleship throughout the year and outreach groups and the St Vincent de Paul society in the College became its exemplars.

Leading Learning Our second group of HSC accelerated students completed their designated HSC courses in 2010.

The project was evaluated and its merits were noted. In particular it has helped to raise communal expectations of students and what they are able to achieve. It has been most successful with the majority of the participants but it has necessitated a strong degree of individual initiative and independence of learning on the part of the students. In 2010 the College deepened its understanding of the part which can be played in school improvement through close attention to available data. Data from the HSC, the School Certificate and NAPLAN formed the basis of individual KLA analysis and presentations to the leadership team. The Literacy Numeracy Coordinator and the Teaching Learning Coordinator were key people in this. All coordinators are aware of the importance of the evidence and the task for succeeding years will be to embed this in the individual classrooms. The accountability of the College for the learning of each and every student is embodied in the nature of the MySchool website and the College is committed to continual school improvement.

Pastoral Care The College implemented a new pastoral structure which vertically paired year groups in mentor classes. These paired year groups then would celebrate many aspects of College life, including `House system of organisation was maintained across Years 7 to 12 whilst each Year Coordinator was now able to have an individual Year-based pastoral care team. The thrust in pastoral care was strongly on the accentuation of the positive with staff learning in the area of Restorative Justice a vital basis of our pastoral care framework.

Professional Learning and Strategic Planning The College Strategic Plan, 2006-2010 concluded this year. It was a year of evaluation and review for the College as we head towards the diocesan School Review process in 2011. A system of Coordinator Appraisal was instituted and four coordinators completed that appraisal process in term 3 of the year. At the start of the school year the College was able to open newly refurbished facilities for staff and for student services. The staff area in the Gilroy Building was renovated and refurbished and all counselling, learning support, careers and youth ministry coordination was relocated in a refurbished area on the ground floor of the main administration block. All staff received electronic netbooks and a major step was taken towards the digitisation of the learning environment for staff, students and parents. Further planning took place for the further investment of the Australian Government’s National Secondary School Computer Fund (NSSCF) in ICLT.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report

6.2 2011 Priorities and Challenges School Improvement Plan 2011 In 2011, the community of Mater Maria Catholic College will be committed to: •

Discipleship in the Good Samaritan Tradition

•

Leadership of High Quality Learning

KEY DOMAIN 1: DISCIPLESHIP IN THE GOOD SAMARITAN TRADITION By the end of 2011 we will have:

- Prepared for the College’s fiftieth anniversary year in 2012 by engaging the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, the College Board and other interested parties in the celebrations

- Enriched our understanding of the Good Samaritan charism and the history of the College so that all members of the community have the opportunity to be immersed in our foundational story

- Researched possible links with the Sisters of the Good Samaritan for social justice activities - Continued to provide rich experiences for students at reflection and retreat days - Encouraged a better and deeper understanding of the liturgies we celebrate by engaging the community in the new English translation of the Roman Missal (mass).

- Built stronger relationships with the Catholic Parish of Pittwater and Lakes Catholic Parish communities

- Promoted opportunities for involvement and encouragement of members of the community to be outwardly focused in service to those in need, particularly through Catholic social justice agencies

- Concentrated the energy generated by World Youth Day 2011 to enrich spiritual development with our young people KEY DOMAIN 2: LEADERSHIP OF HIGH QUALITY LEARNING By the end of 2011 staff will have:

- Developed a high quality learning statement for our community - Enabled middle leaders to direct their learning teams in data analysis so that every teacher has access to and is able to utilise information about the capabilities of each student in their class

- Fostered opportunities for our middle leaders to reflect on their leadership as cohesive, collaborative, progressive and purposeful leaders of staff teams

- Identified areas of development and subsequent professional learning experiences for staff learning teams

- Promoted a regular professional development item at each staff meeting to engage staff in continuous professional learning dialogue

- Supported staff with ongoing processes that ensure the tenets of Restorative Justice are understood and implemented to support the best learning outcomes for students By the end of 2011 students will have:

- Discussed their Effort and Behaviour reports and Academic reports with their mentor teacher’s proactive guidance so to foster in each student goal

- setting, independence and leadership of their own learning By the end of 2011 parents will have:

- Engaged in a range of best practice information and provision of support, presented by the College, to enhance students’ learning outcomes at home

- Participated in open and timely communication with the staff of the College

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report

In 2011 the College will face the challenge of orienting the next Strategic Plan (2011-2013) towards the achievement of a learning environment where the School Improvement planning has the optimum chance of success. Within this school improvement framework the driving dimensions will be our ‘Mission in Context’ and ‘Leading Learning’. 2011 will also be a year when the College will experience the full School Review and Development Process. The College will finalise the purchase of its Australian Government NSSCF 1:1 computer roll out which will include a refurbished library space with new seminar rooms. The College will continue with its cycle of maintenance and refurbishment with a focus on Industrial Technology facilities. There is a real commitment at the College to continuous improvement, sustainability and accountability in all aspects of what we do.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 Annual Report

7.

Parent Participation

7.1

Introduction Parent participation at Mater Maria is structured through the Parents & Friends (P&F) 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. 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 come along to the Family Mass celebrations which are held in the Mater Maria Chapel in calendared evenings.

Parent support enables the College to cater for events such as Open Day, the Year 7 Parent Welcome and a variety of Performing Arts and sporting functions at the College. Parental involvement is seen through their service in the canteen and through the preparation of meals for those families experiencing hardship or illness. 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 2010 the College community took part in an independent on-line satisfaction survey. This was well responded to by parents and the information about parent satisfaction provided the college leadership team with some invaluable data. A summary of parental satisfaction ratings appears thus: • •

‘Overall satisfaction with the College’ rated Very High with a positive trend noted; ‘Overall satisfaction with the Religious Education Program and Faith Development Program’ rated High;

•

‘Overall satisfaction with the Academic Program’ rated High with a positive trend also noted;

•

‘Overall satisfaction with the Pastoral Care Program’ rated Very High with a positive trend noted as well;

• •

‘Overall satisfaction with Communication in the College’ rated High; ‘Overall satisfaction with the running of the College’ rated Very High with a positive trend again noted;

•

‘Overall satisfaction with the Principal’s leadership’ rated Very High;

•

‘Overall satisfaction with the facilities in the College’ rated High;

•

‘Overall Affinity (loyalty) to the College’ rated as High.

This information summarised the nine domains of the survey and indicated areas of satisfaction and some areas for the College to investigate.

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Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood - 2010 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 is found in the Diocese of Broken Bay Catholic Schools Office Annual Report at http://www.csodbb.catholic.edu.au/resources/annrep.html

Income 2%

5% 26%

Fees & Private Income State Government Grants Commonwealth Recurrent Grants Government Capital Grants Other Capital income

50% 17%

Expenditure 5%

25% Salaries & Related costs Non Salary expenditure Capital expenditure

70%

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

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