WHO WE ARE
Connected Community
We recognise and value the importance of building a sense of belonging and Community. Strong communities act as a support network for student health, wellbeing and engagement which are promoted via a range of initiatives. The support of student learning and development and enhancing social inclusion has led to development of multi-aged ‘Connect groups’ which take place once a fortnight for a thirty-minute block. Every student is assigned to a teacher with vertical groupings that gives students an opportunity to interact with other students and teachers developing positive relationships within our school. Student wellbeing underpins every aspect of a student's schooling, from their ability to learn in class, to their ability to build positive relationships. Teachers, parents and students understand that wellbeing is a fundamental component of the school experience and is just as important as academic learning.
Our current practice is guided by Restorative Practice, The Zones of Regulation, Making Jesus Real and Circle time. These tools and approaches ensure that we continue to develop and implement a whole school approach that acknowledges the interrelated areas of wellbeing, learning success and personal growth.
Learning Life & Faith
Learning, Life and Faith is an inquiry - based approach to Religious Education in which other curriculum areas are incorporated to strengthen our knowledge and understanding of the world, both past and present, and our role in it as people of faith. We use a concept-based approach to Inquiry Learning which provides students with opportunities to investigate, analyse, evaluate, and respond at deeper levels.
Conceptual learning encourages students to go beyond facts and connect knowledge to ideas of conceptual significance. It enables students to make connections with their learning across the curriculum and across their years of schooling.
We believe that students learn best when they are actively involved in their learning.
In the words of Benjamin Franklin “Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand."
Our Inquiry approach which is based on the model by Kath Murdoch enables this engagement. Students move through the stages of inquiry which include Tuning In, Finding Out, Sorting Out, Reflecting and Acting and Evaluating to build their knowledge and understanding.
By incorporating our Religious Education Curriculum into our Inquiry learning we are teaching the students to be aware of their faith, the teachings of Jesus and the Church in relation to these concepts and how we as a community of believers can “Make Jesus Real” through our words and actions in our everyday lives.
The following is our two-year cycle of the key conceptual throughlines across the school (Prep- Year 6)
Dispositions
At St Joseph the Worker School we believe learners learn best when they can articulate, reflect on, and have a voice in their learning.
We want our learners to know how to take charge of their own learning and to ‘know what to do when they don’t know what to do’.
The school community worked together in 2021 to identify the “top 5” dispositions we believed were important for successful learning. Students develop an understanding of these dispositions and are supported to use them.
St Joseph the Worker learners are curious, creative, collaborative, resilient, risk takers.
Evidence Based Learning
At St Joseph the Worker, we use an Evidence-Based approach to student learning and development. This means that leaders and teachers use up to date research of best practices, as well as evidence of student learning to make informed judgments in order to provide learning which is relevant, engaging and designed at each student’s point of need.
Teachers plan collaboratively and use evidence of learning to:
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establish where students are in their learning
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decide on appropriate teaching strategies
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differentiate the learning based on students’ needs
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monitor student progress
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evaluate their impact on student learning.
Students are provided with a voice in their learning. They have clarity about each learning opportunity given clear Learning Intentions and Success Criteria. They are provided with feedback which enables them to reflect on their progress and set future goals. They are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning by considering the following questions:
Where am I going? How am I doing? Where to next?
WHY WE TEACH
Why Statement:
To nurture and enrich the whole person so that all flourish.
Engaged & Connected Students
At St Joseph the Worker we work together to engage and connect with all students within our inclusive community. As a Catholic school we honour the role of parents as the first and ongoing educators of their child. The school collaborates with families to support the individual needs of every child to support their academic, social, and emotional development.
We adopt a partnership approach where leaders, staff and families work together to create and strengthen safe, child friendly environments for learning. The relationships that we have with families are actively fostered and sustained through three way conversations and regular support group meetings for students requiring extra support.
Stewards of Creation
At St Joseph the Worker, we believe that creation is a gift from God, and it is our collective responsibility to look after the world we have been given. Students explore ways they can collectively and personally care for all of creation. We do this by emphasising the importance of caring for their environment, nurturing our fruit trees and gardens, our much loved chickens and most especially each other.