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Topics:
(cont.)
10.
Staff development priorities for 2008:
[cont.]
A Pre-Authorization visit by members
of the IBO in October 2008 rigorously assessed our Curriculum and
guided us towards improvements needed before authorization is
awarded. Full authorisation is scheduled to occur on April, 2010.
11. Our Staff Profile
[top]
Staff also engage in Professional
Development to further enhance their skills, knowledge and
competency in this ever changing environment. Staff
Professional Development priorities for 2008 include:
* Literacy (Writing)
* Maths
* Arts & technology Syllabus
* Professional Standards for teachers
* Assessment & Reporting
* Early Years Curriculum
* Cross Cultures awareness
* Code of Expected Behaviour
* Child Protection/ Coed of Conduct/ WH&S
Expenditure on and teachers
participation in professional development:
The total funds expended on teacher professional development in
2008 was $22 190.00. The involvement of the teaching staff in
professional development activities during 2008 was 94%.
Our
Responsible Behaviour Plan has
been reviewed and simplified and is available on this website.
Average Staff Attendance:
For permanent and temporary staff and school leaders attendance rate
was 97% in 2008.
Proportion of teaching staff retained from the previous school
year:
From the end of the 2007 school year, 100% of staff were retained by
the school for the entire 2008 school year.
Distinctive
Skills of the Staff:
Rochedale State School's staff consists
of 33 classroom teachers who range in ages from new Graduates to
those of over 40 year's experience. This blend of staff includes
many abilities which are utilised to the fullest in passing on their
knowledge, initiative, skills and experience to the students through
their teaching and involvement in other activities like sport and
computers.
We also have specialist teachers for:
- Physical Education (5 days per
week)
- Music (5 days per week)
- Library (5 days per week)
- Support (5 days per week)
- Instrumental Music (1 and
one-third days per
week)
- L.O.T.E for Yrs 2 to 7 students -
French & Chinese
- Guidance Officer - (2 days per week)
- Advisory Visiting Teachers who provide services including counselling, assessment and providing
programs for students and parents for:
1. English as a Second Language.
2. Hearing Impairment
3. Intellectual Impairment
4. Vision Impairment
5. Aspergers Syndrome Disorder
6. Speech/Language Pathologist
- Dental Technician (By Appointment)
12. Social Climate of
the school: [top]
Rochedale State School caters for
children from many and varied backgrounds, ability levels and
cultures. All children are treated equally and given equal
opportunity in their educational and extra curricular activities.
Ethnic backgrounds and religion are always taken into account when
planning special occasions that may involve particular religious
celebrations. A School Chaplain was appointed in Term 4, 2007 to
enhance the pastoral care program within the school and is in
attendance for 3 days a week.
Average Student Attendance rate
for 2008 at this school was 94%
Values
Education:
Rochedale State School in partnership with the wider community is
committed to providing the best possible educational opportunities
for all students within a positive, supportive, caring, learning and
teaching environment. We have used the National Framework for Values
Education in Australian Schools to work collaboratively with our
school community. Through our Values Education Forum, we identified
our school’s core values and explored the place of Values Education
within our school in providing whole school behaviour support.
The six guiding
values that govern the Rochedale State School Code of Behaviour are:
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Co–operation
- Consideration
- Fairness
- Honesty
These values are the foundations of
everything we do at Rochedale State School. They are embedded in the
curriculum and expressed through our learning outcomes. These values
are not just about what we expect the children to do, but it is
expected that all members of our school community will consistently
display and live the values. These values underpin our Responsible
Behaviour Plan for Students.
Physical Aspect:
Our position in a semi-rural area
gives a rural atmosphere to the school, being surrounded by farming
land as well as opulent houses. Our feeder area is the suburb of
Rochedale South but children also travel long distances to attend
our school, attracted by our academic reputation and quality
education as evidenced by our State Test Results.
The proposed development of the
Rochedale Urban Village will see many exciting changes to the school
and a Master Plan is being developed by the State Government in
conjunction with the school, to ensure that the welfare and progress
of the school is considered in future development of the area.
2006 saw the purchase of additional
land adjacent to the school in preparation for the planned expansion
of facilities including off-street parking and enhanced oval and
playing fields. Another new building was constructed
in preparation for the Prep classes which commenced at
Rochedale State School in 2008.
It is expected that construction on
the school oval of the new Administration block will commence in
2009 and that a new oval will be constructed.
13.
Parents' Involvement in their child's education:
[top]
Rochedale State School has an "Open
Door" policy and welcome parents' involvement with the school and
their child's education. Teachers are happy to give interviews at
any suitable time but an appointment must be made. Parent-teacher
interviews are offered following reports each Semester. At
the beginning of the year, a Parent-Teacher afternoon is held where
the teacher will give an overview of the curriculum for the year,
the organisation of the class is discussed, procedures explained and
parents are informed of excursions etc that they can expect their
child to be involved in during the year.
-
P&C
Association:
Rochedale State School has an active Parents and Citizens
Association which always welcomes new members. Through our P&C we
raise much needed funds for equipment, resources and computers and
major projects like our annual Fete are big money raisers.
- Tuckshop:
Our school Tuckshop is open 5
days a week and is run completely by parents and friends
volunteering to give an hour or two of their time to prepare
food and serve on the counter. We are ALWAYS looking for more
helpers and this is one way parents can be involved in their child's
school as well as meeting other parents. All profits are returned to
the students via special projects to improve grounds, equipment and
the general school environment, which are all beneficial to our
students.
- Classroom
Helpers:
Many parents volunteer their time as classroom helpers, either
directly through their child's teacher or through one of the
excellent programs we run to assist children with learning
difficulties and those caught in the Year 2 Net.. Parents are always welcome
and their assistance is
gratefully received.
- Reference
Groups:
Each school reference group has a parent representative.
14.
School progress towards its goals for the year.
[top]
Our goals for 2008 were:
- To provide an effective Curriculum
Framework through effective syllabus implementation and
development, including appropriate assessment and reporting
strategies that enhance existing structure to track and monitor
student progress.
- To promote outcomes based
education and related planning, pedagogical, assessment and
reporting procedures.
- To increase intellectual
engagement and relevance in Years 1 to 7
- To strengthen learning and
teaching in the middle years of schooling
- To integrate information and
communication technology into regular classroom practice to
enhance student learning
- To continue an effectively planned
approach to resource management
Key School Planning Priorities for
2008 were:
LEARNING -
- Consolidation of
Early Intervention Programme
- Continue development of Literacy and Integrated Curriculum
- Consolidation LOTE implementation for Years 2-5
- Continue implementation strategy for the Primary
Years Program - International Baccalaureate Organisation
- Introduce Strings pilot into the school's Instrumental Music
Program
SCHOOLS -
- Community links - High school/Primary school and cluster
schools - renewed focus on middle schooling linkages
- Investigate development of Rochedale Education precinct
(Rochedale SS, Rochedale South SS, Rochedale SHS and Eight Mile
Plains SS)
- Facilities development inline with school Master Plan
WORKFORCE -
- Extend Curriculum Coordinator (School integrated
Curriculum 1.0) position and planned teacher release
(Collaborative planning 0.2)
- Investigate methods for developing aspiring leaders
- Enhanced involvement of parent volunteers and build upon
dynamic P&C Association
- Engage staff with IBO PYP
The school made satisfactory progress towards its goals for the year.
Persons
requiring further information on our school and/or its policies,
please contact:
Liam Smith
(Principal)
lsmit43@eq.edu.au
Ph: 3340 8333
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