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  • School Houses | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    School Houses St Patrick's have four school houses and each student is allocated to a house when they start at St Patrick's. That house allocation will apply to siblings as they enrol too. The four school houses are named after prominent people. McAuley (blue house) ​ Named after Sister Catherine McAuley, joint founder of the Sisters of Mercy, born September 29 1778 in Ireland and died November 11, 1841. ​ In 1824 Catherine McAuley leased a property in southeast Dublin to build a house to serve poor women and children. ​ On December 12 1831 Catherine McAuley, Mary Ann Doyle and Mary Elizabeth Harley professed their religious vows as the first Sisters of Mercy, thereby founding the congregation. She encouraged her Sisters to "educate poor girls, to lodge and maintain poor young women who are in danger and to visit the sick poor". Within 10 years Catherine founded nine Convents of Mercy in Ireland and England. ​ The Sisters of Mercy made a foundation in Perth, Western Australia in 1846. ​ Today there are more than 12,000 Sisters of Mercy worldwide. They run 200 health care facilities, 19 colleges, 58 schools and provide many other services that help people of every age. O'Rourke (yellow house) ​ Named after Father Timothy O'Rourke, Parish Priest at St Patrick's Catholic Church 1885-1860, died January 16 1861. ​ Fr O'Rourke was educated at Maynooth, Ireland and ordained as a priest in mid-1849. He left Ireland in August of that year to undertake missionary work in New Zealand. ​ In poor health he came to Melbourne for a holiday in January 1854 and agreed to act temporarily in the vacancy caused by the last illnesses of Fr Clarke in the parish of Kilmore. He remained and carried on with an energy far beyond his strength and accomplished much in a few short years which is testimony to the zeal of a great priest. Fr O'Rourke's first task was to assume responsibility for the building of the school-church. He initiated the building of a bluestone church-school. This building, used as a boy's school, had two large rooms with extra small rooms for a master and a school-mistress. ​ About 1855, under Fr O'Rourke's supervision, a small, solid bluestone church known as St Bridget's was built at the Survey on 2 acres of land donated by George Jessop. Maher states that the church was used for services for two years before being blessed by Bishop Goold on November 1 1857. ​ Fr O'Rourke not only took on responsibility for the building for the church, he also maintained several schools in the parish including opening at least 5 to accommodate the growing numbers of children living in the area. ​ St Patrick's Church was begun in 1857 under the watchful eye of Fr O'Rourke. He continued serving his parish despite ill health up until the last few months of 1860. Fr O'Rourke was interred in front of the Our Lady alter in the church he had organised to build on March 23 1871. Chisholm (red house) ​ Named after Caroline Chisholm, humanitarian, born May 30 1808 in England and died March 25 1877 in England. ​ Caroline Chisholm was born in England. She arrived in Australia in 1838 and set up a home for other women who had come to live here. She worked to improve life on the ships bringing people to Australia to start a new life and started a loans plan to bring poor children and families to Australia. She arranged free trips so that the families of convicts who were transported to Australia could come to join them. She also believed poor people should be able to buy farms cheaply. ​ Caroline set up a home in Sydney for young women, and organised other homes in several rural centres. The home was soon extended to help families and young men. During the seven years Caroline was in Australia she placed over 11,000 people in homes and jobs. Her 'home' - the Female Immigrant Home helped over 40,000 people in its 38 year lifespan. She became a very well-known woman who was very much admired. Morrison (green house) ​ Named after Monsignor Ken Morrison, Parish Priest St Patrick's Catholic Church 1952 - 1977. ​ Monsignor Morrison became the Parish Priest of St Mary's in Williamstown in 1936. This included becoming the part-time chaplain to the Point Cook and Laverton bases of the Royal Australia Air Force. During World War II he became the Principal Catholic Chaplain. He was responsible for 60 chaplains who served in Britain, Malta, the Far East, the Pacific, Japan and throughout Australia. He made frequent visits to their posts. In 1947-48 Monsignor Morrison served a 12 month tour of duty in Japan. In 1948 he reverted to his pre-war practice of dividing time between civil and service duties. He was awarded the OBE in 1962 for his work with the Air Force. ​ In 1952 he took up the appointment of parish priest in Kilmore, He quickly gained support of the parishioners to restore the church that was showing severe damage. He also rebuilt the school that had been condemned by the Health Authorities. In 1968 he added a larger school building and organised a bus service to bring students to St Patrick's from Broadford and Kilmore East. Monsignor Morrison drove the bus for 17 years. ​ During his remaining time at St Patrick's Monsignor Morrison added a district church at Wallan and rebuilt one at Darraweit Guim. He also administered a circuit of six district churches. ​ He handed over the reins of Parish Priest to Father Peter Rankin on June 18 1977.

  • Literacy | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    Literacy At St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, we not only value the teaching of English but believe that it is paramount in providing students with the skills and understandings to fully access the curriculum and develop as divergent, critical thinkers. Through the integration of the three strands: Reading & Viewing, Writing & Spelling and Speaking & Listening, the students are provided with learning experiences that enable them to develop skills and strategies to be competent and confident users of the English language. Literacy skills are best taught through modelled, guided and independent learning experiences, based on explicit teaching. Therefore we provide a differentiated curriculum that caters for the diverse needs of the learner through effective, relevant and challenging learning and teaching opportunities. The English curriculum aims to ensure that students: learn to listen to, read, view, speak, write, create and reflect on increasingly complex and sophisticated spoken, written and multimodal texts across a growing range of contexts with accuracy, fluency and purpose appreciate, enjoy and use the English language in all its variations and develop a sense of its richness and power to evoke feelings, convey information, form ideas, facilitate interaction with others, entertain, persuade and argue understand how Standard Australian English works in its spoken and written forms and in combination with non-linguistic forms of communication to create meaning develop interest and skills in inquiring into the aesthetic aspects of texts, and develop an informed appreciation of literature. ​ ​ Reading and Viewing - CAFE, Daily Five and InitiaLit ​ At St. Patrick’s, we are committed to 10 hours of Literacy per week. In Years 3-6 we follow the CAFÉ Model which includes the “Daily Five”. The Daily Five is a literacy structure that teaches independence and gives children the skills needed to create a lifetime love of reading and writing. It consists of five tasks that are introduced individually. ​ During this time, every child will participate in a guided reading group with their teacher once per week. During this session students will be explicitly taught reading skills appropriate for their ability level. For more information on CAFE and Daily 5, please go to the program website here . ​ InitiaLit is an evidence-based whole-class literacy program providing all children with the essential core knowledge and strong foundations to become successful readers and writers. InitiaLit is a three-year program, covering the first three years of school (Prep to Year 2). ​ InitiaLit–Prep incorporates the key components necessary for early reading instruction – phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. ​ InitiaLit–1 continues on from InitiaLit–Prep in providing an explicit and effective model for teaching reading, spelling and related skills to children in their second year of schooling. The program incorporates daily lessons in reading and spelling, as well as rich language instruction using children’s literature. As with InitiaLit–Prep, a set of decodable InitiaLit Readers (Levels 10-16), have been developed to align with the InitiaLit–1 instructional sequence. These readers, used alongside the program, will help students generalise and consolidate their skills. ​ By Year 2, most children will be well on their way to reading independence. The program builds on the skills taught in InitiaLit–Prep and InitiaLit–1, with the focus shifting now to consolidating children’s reading and spelling skills, working specifically on reading comprehension, fluency, spelling and vocabulary. ​ ​ MiniLit and MacqLit ​ The MiniLit and MacqLit programs are literacy intervention programs. MiniLit is aimed at Prep to Year 2 and comprises 80 lessons, delivered 4 times per week, for one hour per lesson. A placement test will indicate the ideal starting point on the program for each student, with criteria provided for grouping students according to instructional level. Regular assessments administered throughout the program will monitor progress. Each lesson comprises three main components: Sounds and Words Activities Text Reading Story Book Reading ​ MacqLit is aimed at Years 3-6 and is an explicit and systematic reading intervention program for small groups of older low-progress readers. It is a comprehensive sequence of lessons that includes all the key components necessary for effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. ​ ​ Writing and Spelling - SMART Spelling ​ At St Patrick’s students create a range of imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts including narratives, procedures, performances, reports, reviews, explanations, poetry and discussions. Students practise, consolidate and extend what they have learned. They develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of grammar and language, and they are increasingly able to articulate this knowledge. Gradually, more complex punctuation, clause and sentence structures and textual purposes and patterns are introduced. Student work is marked against a rubric that links directly to the Victorian Curriculum and is referred to regularly to ensure students know what to include in their piece of writing. We use the Seven Steps program to guide our teaching, which is fabulous for generating ideas and teaching students how to engage their reader. In 2017, St. Patrick’s introduced SMART Spelling in Years 3 to 6. SMART Spelling is designed to support teachers in the explicit and systematic teaching of spelling. The program is based on whole words with an emphasis on meaning and vocabulary development. Students must be able to read their spelling words, understand what they mean and how to use them. SMART Spelling is an acronym for the sequence teachers follow to teach words to students. It stands for: Say Meaning Analyse Remember Teach The spelling program runs through a weekly routine. Part of this routine is to have a weekly list of words which has a common sound. The students choose 6-8 words they want to focus on and highlight them. This list is then sent home and becomes the spelling homework for the week. ​ For more information on the developer of the SMART Spelling program, please go to her website here . ​ ​ Speaking and Listening ​ At St. Patrick’s we seek to develop the oral language competence of students across the school. Teachers plan and implement strategies which specifically target the development of oral language skills. ​ Language and the ability to communicate effectively is a key foundation to students’ capacity to learn in most general ways. A better developed knowledge of language and how it is used means a greater capacity to learn and to manage and to direct one’s activity as a learner (Munro, 2005) ​ Students participate in Show and Tell, 1 minute talks, debates and oral presentations of their work. Oral language permeates throughout

  • Communication | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    Communication Communication is a fundamental element of the relationship between the school and their families. St Patrick's ensures that there are as many opportunities for the school to get messages to families, and families to communicate to the school. Some of the more regular methods of communication are shown here. Newsletter The school newsletter is a document that is communicated to families every Thursday via email. Hard copies of the document can be collected at the front office on Fridays. ​ The newsletter provides details on upcoming events, curriciulum, reviews of recent activities, community news, as well as reports from the principal and other curriculum leaders. SIMON Everywhere App SIMON Everywhere is a simple smartphone app where information can be quickly sent to parents. ​ Through push notifications, parents can be informed of urgent information, upcoming events as well as providing reminders. As such we request that ALL parents and carers download the app and have it ready to receive notifications. Through the app, families can also access their Parent Access Module (PAM) to update student medical information, access school reports, report student absences, etc. ​ The SIMON Everywhere app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Facebook Group St Patrick's manages a private Facebook Group for parents and carers only. This Facebook group is the place where photos of students will be posted, as they will not be posted on the main corporate Facebook page. ​ We encourage all parents and carers to join the Facebook group by going to the group and answering the membership questions at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stpatskilmorefamilies (note that membership will not be accepted without all questions being answered). Seesaw App Seesaw gives families an immediate and personalized window into their child’s school day, and makes communication with teachers seamless. ​ Seesaw empowers students to independently document their learning with built-in creative tools, and provides an authentic audience for their work.

  • Newsletters | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    External Newsletters In addition to the internal school newsletter, there are a number of organisations that support the work of Catholic Education. Their newsletters provide insight and information to our families. Marist Schools Australia (MSA) Their latest newsletter can be found here . Catholic Schools Parents Victoria (CSPV) Their latest newsletter can be found here and select the year and "eNews". Catholic Education Today (CET) Copies of the CET magazine can be found here .

  • Learning Diversity | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    Learning Diversity Catholic schools, in their endeavours to support all students to flourish, intervene as early as possible to meet the individual needs and abilities of each student. ‘Catholic schools are committed to fostering inclusive practices which respond to learning diversity so that all students are actively engaged in learning and experience success .’ Horizons of Hope: Learning Diversity in a Catholic School, 2017. What is Learning Diversity? ​ Diversity encompasses all learners across cultural, academic, social emotional and physical attributes noting these are not mutually exclusive. ‘Learning diversity’ refers to the infinite variety of life experiences and attributes a child brings to their formal learning at school. Educators seek to meet the needs of all learners, so that every student experiences success. While all educators have this goal, Catholic educators see each student as a sacred creation – ‘made in the image of God’ (Genesis 1:27). It is the understanding that all students should be fully active members of their school community and that all professionals in a school share responsibility for their learning. Learning diversity in Catholic schools is enacted through an inclusive pedagogy and a commitment to uphold the rights of all to be: welcomed; valued; acknowledged; actively engaged in education. ​ Catholic schools in their endeavours to support all students to flourish, intervene as early as possible to meet the individual needs and abilities of each student. ​ "All students regardless of race, age or gender, by virtue of their dignity as human persons, have a right to an education that is suited to their particular needs and adapted to their ability. (Pope Paul VI 1965)." *Horizons of Hope: Foundation Statement: Learning Diversity in a Catholic School ​ How does St Patrick's embrace Learning Diversity? ​ St Patrick's Primary School have a Learning Diversity Leader, Natalie Rees, who oversees the school's learning diversity program. The program involves the full spectrum of a child's time at the school, from assistance in transitioning to school, assisting with referrals for assessments, additional classroom support, regular parent meetings, learning intervention programs, personalised learning plans, NDIS support, additional support during recess and lunchtimes, providing break out space from the classroom, speech therapy, occupational therapy and psychological help, through to transitioning into secondary school. ​ The school maintains detailed, continuous records of a student and their progress, and through those records can obtain additional funding which is utilised to provide this school-wide program. This includes additional support resources, additional classroom support through Learning Support Officers (teacher's aides) and specific programs. ​ In addition, the school is one of few that have a dedicated support space, known as the Engine Room. The Engine Room provides a break out space for students to leave the classroom, regulate themselves through sensory or physical activities, and then rejoin the classroom ready to engage in the learning. ​ The school also engages a speech therapist and occupational therapist on a part time basis to assist students in these areas. The school also has a part time psychologist that works with students that require additional support.

  • Sacraments | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    Sacraments of the Catholic Church Celebration of Sacraments reflects and influences what it is we proclaim, who we are proclaiming and what we do. The parish provides the experience of belonging to a worshipping community. All Sacraments are celebrated in the Parish Church. Families and teachers work in partnership to prepare children for the celebration of the Sacraments by attending Faith Formation Forums for each sacrament and attending a Commitment Mass prior to celebrating the Sacrament. During the time of Sacraments being celebrated the focus is supported by the whole school. There are seven sacraments of the Catholic Church: Baptism; First Reconciliation/Penance; First Eucharist (Holy Communion); Confirmation; Anointing of the Sick; Holy Orders; and Matrimony. ​ At St Patrick's students celebrate First Reconciliation/ Penance in Year Three, First Eucharist in Year Four and Confirmation in Year Six. Students who are not baptised Catholic or who do not receive the sacraments are expected to support their peers by participating fully in the program. The students participate in a Reflection day prior to receiving each of the Sacraments.​​ ​ ​ First Reconciliation/Penance ​ The Sacrament of Penance teaches students to be aware of their relationship with God and the people around them. Students learn about sin and its effects on their relationships with God and the people around them. Learning to make peace with the people we hurt is an important part of this process. ​ ​ First Eucharist/Holy Communion​ ​ This sacrament is often referred to as First (Holy) Communion. Students learn more about how Jesus becomes present through the bread and wine that is offered during the Eucharist. It is during the Liturgy of the Eucharist that the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus. Confirmation Confirmation is celebrated at a special ceremony officiated by the Bishop and the Parish Priest. Confirmation candidates are encouraged to go out into the world, just as the Apostles did, with the Holy Spirit in their hearts.

  • Prayer | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    Prayer Prayer is a personal response to God’s presence and is a form of communicating with God. It fosters a personal and living relationship with God and nourishes the spiritual growth of all members of the school community. Each class takes time out of the day to pray. There are many ways of communicating with God. Students are encouraged to participate and lead prayers at assemblies, in classrooms during liturgical celebrations and at Mass. All students have opportunities to experience prayer situations, which are: • FORMAL - to learn words, songs and gestures that will help students to pray. • PUBLIC - to share aloud a prayer or prayer intention. • PRIVATE - to listen as well as speak to God personally. • SILENT - to engage in reflection, meditation or times of silence. Classes begin the day with either Christian Meditation or Prayer. All members of the school community are invited to participate in Christian Meditation and Prayer at the beginning of the day. Prayer commences with The Sign of the Cross and a scripture reading. Prayer concludes with St Patrick pray for us and we always remember to pray for one another. The staff, Parents and Friends Committee and School Advisory Council commence their meetings with prayer. Sacred Space/Prayer Table A prominent place in learning spaces is provided as a focus for prayer and a constant reminder of the presence and closeness of God. A different colour cloth is displayed for each of the liturgical seasons. The following is placed on every prayer table: a Bible, Crucifix, Candle to represent the light of Christ present during class prayer time and Resources – prayer book, biblical pictures, children’s Bible stories. Various religious icons and artefacts brought in by students can be placed on prayer tables. Morning Prayer Morning Prayer occurs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students pray before lunch and at the end of the school day. Prayer may also occur at other times throughout the day. At the beginning of every school year, each class creates their own class prayer to start their morning prayer. Christian Meditation On Monday, Wednesday and Friday we commence the day with Christian Meditation that is a form of Contemplative Prayer. The whole school sits in quietness and stillness. This allows all to continue to build a relationship with God while slowing down one’s breathing. The purpose is to clear one’s mind of outside concerns so that God’s voice may be more easily heard. Meal time prayer Year Prep and Year One students are encouraged to pray a simple prayer before the lunch time meal. Students in Year Two to Year 6 say grace using a traditional prayer. End of school day prayer Classes are encouraged to pray the traditional prayer of Hail Mary or Our Father to conclude the day. School prayer St Patrick's has a school prayer which is part of the daily prayers undertaken in the school. It is as follows: ​ Let us remember we are in the Holy presence of God and each other. Au nom du père, du fils et du Saint-Esprit. Amen Upon this ancient land of the Taungurung people, we pray together: Loving God, Inspire us to learn with each other in the community. Give us strength to show love and compassion like the Mercy Sisters and Marist Brothers. We honour all those who have come before us. Help us flourish in all that we do. In the way of Mary, help us to be strong and true. St Patrick and St Marcellin, Priez pour nous. Mary our good mother, pray for us. And may we always remember to... pray for one another. In the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. ​

  • Bus Service | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    Bus Service The St Patrick's Primary School bus service is provided through Assumption College. All of the relevant information in relation to the bus service can be found on the Assumption College website here . It provides information regarding, locations, fees, code of conduct, bus conveyance allowance, and timetable. ​ All enquiries in relation to the St Patrick's Primary School bus service should be directed to the Assumption College Bus Coordinator Dianne Fitzgerald or (03) 5782 1422. Parents at School Uniform

  • Mass and Liturgy | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    Mass and Liturgy Religious education at St Patrick’s is not confined to Religious Education classes. Christ is at the centre of all of our endeavours. As a learning community joined together in faith we aim to bear witness to Christ’s vision and values in all aspects of school life. In doing so, we extend our formal religious education to include class mass at church and whole school liturgies. Class Mass at Church Classroom teachers prepare liturgical celebrations with their students. Students have an opportunity to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word and Eucharist through attending class mass. Every class prepares for and attends at least once per semester. Mass is held in the St Patrick’s Church at 9am on weekdays. Families and members of the Parish and school community are always welcome to attend these celebrations. Whole School Liturgies Whole School Masses are celebrated during the year. Special Liturgies are celebrated in accordance with the Liturgical Calendar and the school community is welcome to attend. Places of worship are the Parish church, stadium and court yard.

  • Science | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    Science Science provides students with opportunities to investigate, predict, experiment, observe and become aware of things in our world. Science is a Specialist subject for all of our students. Each week, classes participate in one hour of Science in our newly renovated Science room. Students will have the opportunity to explore the ever changing world around them in many ways through our hands-on Science Program. Biology, Chemistry, Physical Sciences and Earth and Space are all on the calendar ready to spark our students’ curiosity.

  • History | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    School History St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore is a far cry from the Catholic primary school started sometime in 1848, being school number 358, situated on the highway. There are some unconfirmed reports of there being a boys and girls school as early as 1844. A Brief History ​ St. Patrick's Catholic Parish, centering on the township of Kilmore and the surrounding rural district, is situated approximately 60 kms north of Melbourne, in the State of Victoria, Australia. St. Patrick's was the first inland Catholic parish to be established (1849) in the southern part of what was then the Colony of NSW and is now the State of Victoria, Australia. Earlier parishes in Victoria were Melbourne (1839), Geelong (1842), Portland (1847) and Port Fairy (1849). The parishes of Melbourne, Geelong and Kilmore represent the three oldest parishes in the Archdiocese of Melbourne whilst the parishes of Portland and Port Fairy are the oldest parishes in the Diocese of Ballarat. ​ ​ Early Parish Primary Education in Kilmore St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore is a far cry from the Catholic primary school started sometime in 1848, being school number 358, situated on the highway. There are some unconfirmed reports of there being a boys and girls school as early as 1844. ​ The Vicar General, Dr Geoghegan wrote in an application to the Denominational Schools Board, dated July 3 1848: “There are sufficient Catholic children here (Kilmore) to entitle the teacher to Government aid.” ​ On March 27, 1849, the Bishop wrote: ​ “There is an unaided school at Kilmore….. The average attendance is 30 - 40. The schoolroom is most inadequate and unsuitable…” ​ And so in 1850 school number 358 officially opened, as a boys-only school, with government aid. The girls school, using the same name and number, opened on the opposite side of the highway in 1851. ​ The school inspector Childers visited the schools in 1851 and wrote: ​ “I visited this school in Sydney Street on April 30 accompanied by the clergyman, Rev. C. Clarke …The school is a slab hut with shingled roof, not plastered, no floor. Is in good condition, and was erected in 1848... Schoolroom is 86 x 11. Has glass windows, a fireplace, and two windows. There are 33 boys and 7 girls present." ​ In 1854/55 the bluestone school was built in the church grounds, which was later demolished in 1956, and replaced by the brick school. ​ In 1875 the Mercy Convent opened with Sisters teaching primary levels. Then in 1890 the new Mercy boarding and day school opened. ​ In 1893 the Marists began Assumption College, taking over the boys day school, and then taking boarders in 1901. ​ And more recently... ​ With humble beginnings, there has been a rich history of Catholic education in Kilmore, being initially provided by local parents or community members acting as teachers, then later by the Mercy nuns, Marist brothers and then Parish school teachers. Catholic primary education has had a number of locations including the Parish centre (next to the Church), the now-Kilmore International School when the school was known as St Joseph’s, and the last school site opposite Assumption College from 1968 when it changed its name to St Patrick’s, and now at the current site since 2011. Today, our Parish Priest is religious head of our school, governed by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS). Our school is a beautiful and very well-resourced school that can accommodate up to 582 students in 21 classes, with over 70 teaching and non-teaching staff members.

  • Mathematics | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore

    Mathematics The heart of our vision at St. Patrick’s Primary School is to nurture a love of learning to enable all students to reach their full potential. Our Mathematics program, in line with with Victorian Curriculum (VCAA), supports the rationale that: “Mathematics provides students with access to important mathematical ideas, knowledge and skills that they will draw on in their personal and work lives. The curriculum also provides students, as life-long learners, with the basis on which further study and research in mathematics and applications in many other fields are built. Number, measurement and geometry, statistics and probability are common aspects of most people’s mathematical experience in everyday personal, study and work situations. Equally important are the essential roles that algebra, functions and relations, logic, mathematical structure and working mathematically play in people’s understanding of the natural and human worlds, and the interaction between them. The Mathematics curriculum focuses on developing increasingly sophisticated and refined mathematical understanding, fluency, reasoning, modelling and problem-solving. These capabilities enable students to respond to familiar and unfamiliar situations by employing mathematics to make informed decisions and solve problems efficiently.” (Victorian Curriculum: Mathematics Rational, VCAA) ​ At St. Patrick’s Primary School we aim to to develop a Growth Mindset and positive attitude towards Mathematics in all of our students and to provide a comprehensive Mathematics program where students will: ​ “Develop useful mathematical and numeracy skills for everyday life, work and as active and critical citizens in a technological world See connections and apply mathematical concepts, skills and processes to pose and solve problems in mathematics and in other disciplines and contexts Acquire specialist knowledge and skills in mathematics that provide for further study in the discipline Appreciate mathematics as a discipline – its history, ideas, problems and applications, aesthetics and philosophy.” Victorian Curriculum (VCAA) ​ The main reference for teaching Mathematics is the Victorian Curriculum. The Curriculum for each level is broken up across the four terms, into Term Planners, Term Planners are then used, to plan the weekly content for each classroom. Learning in Mathematics is led and supported by the Mathematics Leader and the Leadership Team. Timetabling of Mathematics assessment is determined by the Mathematics leader, and the classroom teacher according to the following requirements: PatM testing in completed during the month of November each year, or in March and November for Year One Whole term Pre-Assessments are completed during the final week of the prior term, with the exception of Term One (where they are completed in the first 2 weeks). Whole term Post-Assessment are completed during the final two weeks of each term Anecdotal notes, and checklists are completed and collected throughout the term Daily Mathematics lessons are differentiated to meet the individual learning needs of all the students in the class. This may be done through the use of open ended tasks, as well as group based tasks and activities. Students may work in a variety of different situations such an individually, in pairs or in groups. ​ Learning Intentions and Success Criteria are communicated and/or displayed to the students as part of each lesson One of the tools used to support teaching and learning of Mathematics, is the Mathletics program. Each student in the school has their own individual account, which allows their teacher to set work and monitor progress throughout the year. ​ Students are expected to use the Mathletics program both at home and at school. For more information about Mathletics go to their website here

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