Creative Arts

Teaching and learning in Creative Arts at St Thomas School is based on the NSW Board of Studies K-6 Syllabus. Learning in this Key Learning Area is supported by at least one 90 minute session per week for students in Years K-6 to develop their skills in:

Dance

Drama

Music

Visual Arts

English

At St Thomas the teaching of English is based on the NSW Board of Studies K-6 English Syllabus. An effective whole school approach to literacy at St Thomas Catholic Primary School includes:

School and Classroom Organisation

Differentiation of programs and learning experiences through open and parallel tasks, student
groupings and effective use of literature.

Dedication of an uninterrupted literacy block including modelled, guided and independent sessions for both reading & viewing and writing & representing.

Use a range of appropriate resources including ICLT.

Assessment and Monitoring

Diagnostic assessment, including Running Records and writing samples (imaginative, informative and persuasive texts), to create a whole school picture, develop school based targets and to inform teaching programs.

Effective feedback and reporting to parents and students that is explicit, clear and supported by evidence.

Ongoing school-based assessment based on multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know and can do within a range of contexts.

Intervention

Identification process informed by an understanding of children’s linguistic development and achievement standards.

Intervention programs facilitated by specialist staff in response to identified student needs.

Support for classroom teachers from the English Coordinator and Special Needs Teacher in differentiating classroom programs to optimise student learning.

Our annual public speaking competition in which every child Kindergarten to Year 6 participates is held in Term 3.

St Thomas debates for Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, North Sydney with a Year 5 & Year 6 team.

HSIE

Teaching and learning in the area of Human Society and its Environment Curriculum at St Thomas is based on the NSW Board of Studies K-6 HSIE Syllabus. In this key learning area students learn knowledge, understandings, skills and values about people and their physical environments.

In this area St Thomas employs an inquiry approach as such an approach reflects the belief that ‘active involvement on the part of the students in constructing their knowledge is essential to effective teaching and learning’ (Kath Murdoch 2010).

In Stage 3 the students are exposed to a wide range of technology based Challenge Based Learning units. Each term the students will build their knowledge, skills, understandings and values about selected content and respond to it by creating a project which will be presented to the community at the end of the term.

The Term 1 project is usually a 5 minute film planned, scripted, shot and edited by small groups of students to present that group's knowledge and understandings developed through extensive research over the course of the term. The highlight of the term is a film premiere night.

Over the two years in Stage 3 students learn to produce movies, radio shows, webpages, podcasts and learning expos.

ICLT

The staff at St Thomas Catholic School is committed to the delivery of quality educational programs. As part of this commitment we envisage that students will view technology as an integral tool for learning.

Access to Information, Communication and Learning Technologies is made possible through the provision of networked classroom computers and primary laptop collections. In addition to utilising network capable technologies in their learning, students are challenged to create their own multimedia projects and songs.

All staff and students have access to educational materials that have been aggregated and stored within the diocesan on-line Learning Management System.

Mathematics

At St Thomas the teaching of Mathematics is based on the NSW Board of Studies K-6 Mathematics Syllabus. An effective whole school approach to numeracy at St Thomas Catholic Primary School includes…

School and Classroom Organisation

Differentiation of programs and learning experiences through open and parallel tasks, student groupings and effective use of concrete materials.

Dedication of an uninterrupted numeracy block including a warm-up, lesson core and a plenary.

Use a range of appropriate resources including ICLT.

Assessment and Monitoring

Diagnostic assessment, including the Mathematics Assessment Interview, to create a whole school picture, develop school based targets and to inform teaching programs.

Effective feedback and reporting to parents and students that is explicit, clear and supported by evidence.

Ongoing school-based assessment based on multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know and can do within a range of contexts.

Intervention

Identification process informed by an understanding of the growth points in numeracy and achievement standards.

Intervention programs facilitated by EMU specialists in response to identified student needs.

Support for classroom teachers from the Numeracy Coordinator and EMU Leaders in differentiating classroom programs to optimise student growth.

St Thomas participates in the Mathematics Olympiad each year with children drawn from Years 4 to Year 6.

Music

Religious music plays an important role in choral singing at school. The students prepare for Mass using a variety of contemporary hymns and songs.The Music program at St Thomas School is committed to ensuring that all students are provided with the opportunity to access music consistent with their needs and talents. The program is designed to promote music appreciation through engagement in a wide variety of musical experiences and styles, as well as the development of basic music reading and performance skills for all students.

All the students are prepared for an end-of-year school concert or musical which provides them all with an opportunity to perform in front of a broad community audience and to showcase their talents in the performing arts of Drama, Dance and Music.

Students can elect to participate in the band program from the beginning of Year Three. Many of our students take advantage of this extra curricula music opportunity, receiving instrument tuition and progression through the Junior and Senior Band as their skills develop. Many students also participate in the Junior and Senior Choir program and the recorder group, both of which are available to students from the beginning of Year Two.

PDHPE

Teaching and learning of PDHPE at St Thomas School is based on the NSW Board of Studies K-6 Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Syllabus. At St Thomas School we ensure that a well-balanced program is provided for the children. Each class participates in Physical Education lessons covering a range of curriculum topics and Sport lessons focusing on skills, games and activities organised by the class teacher. A Physical Education teacher provides specialist tuition. This key learning area is an important part of the teaching curriculum at St Thomas because it is concerned with the development of the student as a whole person. The teaching content aims to encourage an understanding and valuing of self and others, promotion of a healthy lifestyle, and an emphasis on informed decision making leading to effective and responsible actions.

The Personal Development and Health component of this Key Learning Area are implemented by teaching staff using a program developed by personnel from the Catholic Schools Office. The program is developmental in nature and reflects Catholic Church teachings in this area. The teaching of the physical education component is complemented by lessons taught by outside specialists. PDHPE involves students in Years K-6 developing their skills in:

Acquiring knowledge and understanding

Applying Catholic beliefs to decision making

Their ability to make informed decisions about health and lifestyle

Social responsibility

Personal fitness

Fundamental movement skills

The School's 'PDHPE Policy' documents our beliefs, strategies and processes for effective teaching and learning in this Key Learning Area.

Religious Education

Our Mission reflects our Josephite connections, and provides the lens through which we look at the overall education of our students, which is that:

St Thomas Catholic School, exists to educate and form students in Catholic discipleship be creating a place where students grow in their relationship with God; strive for excellence in the development of the whole person in the context of contemporary life; and reach out through service to others.

This provides the lens through which all teachers, staff, students and the community come together to engage in creative and inspiring learning. Religious Education in particular is taught over several days accumulating to 2.5 hours per week. It is programmed using backward planning and inquiry learning models to ensure outcomes are achieved in a student centred way. Prayer is an integral part of the focus and is developed sequentially from Kindergarten to Year 6. Whole School Masses and liturgies are held to cover a range of feast days and Holy Days of Obligation. St Thomas Feast Day and St Mary MacKillop Feast Days have special meaning for us. We support the students in class to coincide with their parish based Sacramental Programs, and have Reconciliation for those students in Year 3-6 every semester.

Our teachers are encouraged to undertake higher levels of learning in Religious Education. All our teachers either have or are working towards completeing a Graduate Certificate in Religious Education, with several staff also having completed or are working towards a Master Degree in Religious Education and Theology. This aids greatly in teaching at a more comprehensive level.

Science and Technology

Teaching and learning of Science and Technology at St Thomas School is based on the NSW Board of Studies Science and Technology Syllabus. This syllabus is organised into three strands:

Investigation

Designing and Making Technology

Using Technology

At St Thomas School, students learn to investigate, understand and communicate about the physical, biological and technological world and value the processes that support life on our planet. Science helps students to become critical thinkers by encouraging them to use evidence to evaluate the use of science in society and the application of science in daily life. The staff have embraced the new BOSTES Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum.