Annual School Reporting - 2012
Introduction
Welcome to Our Lady of Dolours Catholic School. We are a fantastic small school with great students, staff and families. Our charism is grounded in the formative work of the parish, the spirituality of St Benedict and the Sisters of The Good Samaritan of The Order of St Benedict who founded the school in 1951. These find expression in the house names of Nugent, Benedict and Samaritan. The early school motto: In all things may God be Glorified, gives expression to the ancient Benedictine philosophy to live by, paying attention to the fullness of life. This finds resonance in the current school motto, Living Loving and Learning in Christ, which draws upon the Good Samaritan charism and is enacted each day with students who are encouraged to be life long learners who care for others, think and learn and act so they can make a difference in their world. We strive to provide a holistic curriculum which acknowledges that learning is about being enthusiastic, motivated and involved in what you do. Our children have a range of talents and needs and all are at different points on their individual learning journey. This individual progress is measured in many ways and in a variety of formats. We encourage positive participation by all members of the school community - families, students, staff and parishioners by promoting respectful, open and peaceful communication.
School Profile
Our Lady of Dolours School is a Catholic school administered through Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Brisbane. It is a coeducational school offering primary school education.
Total student enrolment - 180
Girls - 95; Boys - 85
Characteristics of the student body
Students of Our Lady of Dolours School predominantly come from relatively high socio economic background (SES 108).
In 2012 we had 12 students with verified disabilities including ASD, Intellectual Impairment, Social Emotional Impairment and Speech Language Impairment. There are a variety of student learning needs outside verified needs and our school has a responsive learning support team that focuses its energy on early intervention through the development and implementation of programs that build student learning. Our school has a low population of English as a Second Language (ESL) students and low population of Indigenous students. Given the school's proximity to the Enoggerra Army Barracks, we have high number of students from Defence Force families. This enrolment fluctuates anywhere from 20 to 35 students and in 2012 we had 29 students enrolled. We employ a Defence School Transition Aide to support these students and families. Our school has a recognised process for acknowledging Differentiation for Excellence amongst students and there is scope for vertical acceleration of students where necessary.
A small proportion of students leave our school at the conclusion of Year 4 to move onto Religious Institute same sex schools. This impacts our upper school enrolments and thus we offer multi age classes in these upper year's classes.
Our distinctive curriculum offerings
Our Lady of Dolours offers a contemporary curriculum that provides rich and purposeful learning opportunities across all areas of learning, optimising student academic success. Students develop the necessary depth of understanding, extent of knowledge and the sophistication of skills expected so that they can move beyond the classroom and make connection within local and global contexts and begin to create personal and social change within their own world.
In 2012 our distinctive curriculum offerings included:
- Specialist LOTE, Art, Music, Dance Lessons
- Go Sports Program and Gymnastics Program
- Swimming Lessons
- Comprehensive focus on ICLTs incorpoarting information literacy, development of computer skills and online communication and its associated behaviours
- iMaths Approach to the teaching of Mathematics
- Early Intervention Screeners in Prep and Year 1
- Sound Waves Spelling Program
Extra curricula activities
- Year 6/7 Social Justice Evening for Vinnies Winter Appeal
- Optiminds: Commendation Award 2012
- School Choir: We sing at local events and every term for the Children's mass, we also won a Gold medal at the Qld Catholic Schools Choir Competition
- Dance and Music: Each class is taught dance and music throughout the year
- Zone Sports: include Netball, Soccer, Touch Footbal, Tee Ball, Athletics,Swimming,Cross Country Kilometre Club: O.LD. Running Club
- Buddies Program
- University of NSW Academic Competitions
- Piano and Keyboard Lessons ( Private)
- Year 6/7 trip to Canberra/Lake Ainsworth ( bi-annually)
- Cool School's Peer Mediation Program
- LOTE Japanese
- Gymnastics Program and Go Sports : Gross Motor and Athletics Skills
- Multi Lit and ELF Program
- Chatting Children : Oral Language program
- Christian Meditation
- Walk for Water
- Swimming lessons.
How Information and Communication Technologies are used to assist learning
Students at Our Lady of Dolours are encouraged to apply Information and Communication technologies to solve problems, locate, analyse and exchange information, develop ideas, create models present and display work.
In 2012, the opening of a computer centre in the school's new iCentre provided a teaching space for the development of computer skills, internet searching, information literacy, application of multi media techniques, Web 2.0 expertise, blogging, online communication, sharing of work and an understanding of the importance of cyber safety. These capabilities are applied in learning situations in the iCentre, the classroom, at home and in an online world.
This has been supported by a major upgrade and expansion of computer hardware with a roll out of forty new iMacs and ten iPads across the school. This created a dual platform environment where students interact with both Mac and Windows hardware using the latest operating systems. All classrooms have an interactive whiteboard for teachers to both instruct and provide supportive teaching processes.
The school enjoys wireless connectivity throughout with a high speed internet connection provided by Brisbane Catholic Education.
Students work with ICLT's is proudly displayed in the online magazine Our Little Dazzlers which is made available to the students in a secure environment within the school. These are samples of work produced through student engagement with the wide variety of technology tools and software applications.
Social climate inclusive of pastoral care and our response to bullying
Our Lady of Dolours is a small school in an intimate setting. We strive to provide a positive and welcoming environment and a place that promotes personal growth and self esteem for all. Parents and visitors to the school frequently comment on this friendly and welcoming atmosphere. They report a love of the small school 'feel' and community atmosphere. Classrooms surround a common courtyard where students gather to eat, and participate in a variety of learning activities. This means that students are well know to one another and to the teaching and support staff. The Leadership and Pastoral care program is structured so that all students have the opportunity to mentor younger students, to reflect on the school values and to participate in activities that foster justice, wisdom and compassion. Our Peer Mediation program involves the senior students being trained to assist other students to resolve issues of conflict in a positive and non violent way. Our school does not tolerate bullying or harassment in any form. All reported incidents of bullying and harassment are taken seriously and will be investigated. Reported incidents may come from parents, students, staff and friends of the school.
Parent, student and teacher satisfaction with the school
In 2012 we also examined the following components of school operation as part of our annual Internal Cyclical Review processes.
Partnerships
Cultural Diversity
Evangelisation and Faith Formation
Evaluation and Forward Planning
Leadership and Management of ICLTs
Parent and student response to these areas was generally positive and the school received a number of recommendations to follow up in its Annual Plan for 2013.
There is an overall feeling and a widespread view that the school offers a supportive environment and that the staff are committed, caring, responsive and respectful of students and parents. Parents agree that the learning environment is supportive and most inclusive and believe that Our Lady of Dolours School should continue in its quest to achieve excellence in student learning. Through a process of Professional Learning and goal setting in collaboration with the Principal, staff report that they generally feel supportive and trusted to fulfill their responsibilities in the context of their work.
Parent involvement in their child's education
Parents are actively involved in the life and learning at Our Lady of Dolours School. The following opportunities were availble to parents in 2012:
- Access to the school Website for a look into the learning life of the school
- Access to weekly school newsletter and term letters from teachers (each term)
- Parent teacher meetings and Celebration of Learning Portfolios
- Invitation to complete the internal school review survey
- Participation at the Parent and Community Review Summit and opportunity to provide feedback to the school.
- Participation on the School Board and Parents and Friends Association
- Parent Education Sessions (Literacy, Numeracy, Reporting, Cyber Safety and Internet Awareness)
- Individual Education Planning Meetings
- Participation in the Pastoral Parent Program for each year level.
- Classroom Help and Volunteering Program including Lunch Days and Sports Training
- Attendance at Weekly Prayer Assemblies
- Participation at working bees
Staff Profile
Workforce Composition |
Teaching Staff |
Non-teaching Staff |
| Headcounts | 13 |
11 |
| Full-time equivalents | 11.1 |
5.3 |
| Indigenous | A small number have identified as Indigenous |
|
Qualifications of all teachers
Highest level of attainment |
Proportion of classroom teachers and leaders at the school attaining this level |
| Doctorate | 0% |
| Masters | 38% |
| Post Graduate Diploma | 25% |
| Bachelors Degree | 37% |
| Diploma/Certificate | 0% |
Expenditure on and teacher participation in Professional Learning
The total funds expended on teacher professional learning in 2011 was $14 225
The major professional development iniatives were:
- Consolidation of Mathematics Curriculum
- Introduction to English Curriculum
- Staff training on using iMac Computers and related software
- Numeracy Inquiries Inservice
- Goos Model of Numeracy
- Facilitated Planning Sessions
- Interactive Whiteboard Training - development of teaching practical resources
- Leading Numeracy Learning Professional Development (School Participation BCE Facilitated Project)
- Initial Training in Learning Management System (LIFE)
- Literacy Action Research Project - Phonological Awareness
- CTC (Contemporary Teaching Continuum) Tool Inservice
- Differentiation for Excellence Australian Govt Quality Teacher Program
- Spirit Fire Prayer Formation Training
Average staff attendance rate
The staff attandance rate was96.69% in 2012
Proportion of staff retained from the previous school year
From the end of the 2011 school year, 77% of staff were retained for the 2012 school year.
Key Student Outcomes
Whole School Attendance Rate - 94.8%
Policy and practice to manage student attendance
Parents may report an absence by phoning the school. An explanatory note/email is required when a child is absent from school. The note can be sent in prior to a known absence or following any absence, i.e. illness or leave for any reason must be specified. A note is also required if a child arrives late to school or needs to leave early.
Class attendance rolls are marked prior to 8:45am each morning and again at 2:00pm. If the school does not receive notification of an explained absence for a student, the school makes a phone call to their parents to seek such an explanation.
When teachers are absent from the classroom for what ever reason, the relieving teacher receives a hard copy classroom roll and submits this back to the office for marking by administration.
Student Achievement - NAPLAN for Year 3, 5, 7.
National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results – our reading writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy results for the relevant years.
Our reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy results for the relevant years are available via the My School website.
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