Learning & Teaching

St Paul Apostle North School

The staff, students and parent community of St Paul Apostle North are committed to providing a personalised, inclusive learning environment which strengthens the Catholic identity of our students and enables all students to flourish; academically, emotionally, socially, spiritually and physically.

We teach the whole child and understand the importance of knowing each student; their personalities, interests, family background, strengths and challenges – so we place relationships and wellbeing at the centre of our teaching. Student learning is enhanced by ongoing partnership between key stakeholders within our school and local community. A cohesive and collaborative whole school approach ensures consistency and positive outcomes for students as they progress along the learning continuum. We endeavour to equip our students with the critical tools and skills to adapt and succeed in an ever-changing and increasingly global community. By inspiring and empowering them to be the change-makers within our school and local community, we aim to instill a belief that they can enact change, to make a difference in our world.

Education in Faith

St. Paul Apostle North School is a learning community committed to developing the faith of all students, staff and families. We celebrate our Faith in the tradition of the Catholic Church, where the teachings and values of Jesus Christ and our Patron Saint, Paul, encourage us to lead our lives as active witnesses in the local and wider community.

The central focus of the Religious Education program is to make meaningful links between faith and life, building positive relationships with one another to enhance the sense of belonging within our school community. Our deep learning experiences through contemporary and consistent practices provide opportunities for students and families to participate in the life of the school and wider community as we act for justice and seek the common good for all. Our school respects the diverse cultures, worldviews and backgrounds of students and families. Students are empowered to seek truth, ask questions and make meaningful connections in their life.

Horizons of Hope – Vision

Horizons of Hope – Religious Dimension

At each level, learning is focused on the dimensions of religious learning and the key practices and beliefs students need to engage with at that stage of their faith journey.

Sacrament Program

St Paul Apostle’s Sacramental Program is parish based. The school works in partnership with parents to support the child’s faith journey. The children prepare for the Sacraments at the following levels:

Grade 4 Reconciliation and Eucharist
Grade 6 Confirmation

Literacy

“Literacy is the jump-off point from which all of life’s successes take flight”

― Lauri Fortino

At St Paul Apostle North, we believe that every learner flourishes through the explicit and effective teaching of literacy skills. Our Literacy program aims to develop and nurture each student's love of reading and writing as they actively engage in an ever changing world.

Our students for whom English is an additional language are supported through the use of the EAL Developmental Continuum which assists teachers to identify students’ current stage of English language development. This assessment can be used for reporting purposes and to plan for purposeful teaching for individuals and small groups of students with similar needs.

We believe our effective Literacy Program:

uses the Victorian Curriculum to inform all learning, teaching and reporting
uses a variety of teaching practices and assessments to personalise learning
focuses on building oral language, reading, writing and spelling skills
caters for all students, including those for whom English is an additional language, within real life contexts
builds comprehension and critical thinking skills
provides Literacy Intervention
is structured, sequential and evidence based

Numeracy

At St Paul Apostle North we understand that Mathematics is integral to participation in society and that all students can achieve success in Mathematics. Mathematics is more than numbers. We endeavour to integrate it across the curriculum by applying various concepts, skills and processes to pose and solve real-life problems.

Planning for targeted teaching is informed through data gathered from purposeful assessment. The content is delivered in an engaging environment equipped with resources, so the children can deepen their understanding, while developing collaboration and critical thinking skills.

Teachers utilise evidence-based, best practice models, while integrating proficiency in problem solving, reasoning, fluency and understanding across all areas of the Mathematical Curriculum.

Mental Maths is an important focus, as it is a skill set that helps students make connections between ideas, facilitating the learning of new concepts. It is a process whereby students perform calculations in their head, without the use of aides or materials.

Walker Learning

Personalised Learning

Walker learning is a highly structured and responsive approach to learning for each individual student, in which all students are able to participate, progress and achieve. It is concerned with transforming education and schooling to best fit citizens in the 21st century.

St Paul Apostle North School is passionate about placing the student at the centre of learning and teaching strategies. Our students are actively engaged in their own personal investigations to meet learning intentions and goals. Students learn with the explicit teaching of skills and understandings at the point of need within dynamic learning environments.

Our students display:

Higher levels of engagement and motivation
Higher oral language skills
Increased writing skills
Increased social skills
Decreased behavioural issues

At St Paul Apostle North School we value the individuality of each member of our community and the unique gifts and talents they bring.

Therefore we believe:

Learning occurs in different ways and at different rates.
Learning needs to be meaningful, challenging, relevant and build on previous knowledge and skills.
Opportunities should be given for learners to practise and apply the skills they have learnt in a variety of ways.
Collaboration and discussion about learning are important.
Learning should incorporate goal setting and taking responsibility for our own learning.
Learning is a lifelong journey that, while at school, we are undertaking together as a community.

Find Out More

Inquiry

At St Paul Apostle North School, we believe in a student-centered pedagogy where students’ interests and passions inform our teaching. We provide a safe and nurturing environment that allows every child the opportunity to flourish; developing a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Designing authentic, purposeful units of learning, which intertwine all curriculum areas, to reflect real-world experiences, developing relevant, life skills that will set them up for success in our globalised world.

At St Paul Apostle North, we are committed to:

Equipping students to be active participants, encouraging students to engage, question and explore the world around them.
Nurturing an excitement of learning within all students building upon their interests to encourage creativity, independence and responsible learners.
Ensuring that learning is both meaningful and relevant to the students.
Developing ethical and socially-aware students with an ability to solve problems and make informed, evidence-based decisions, in line with the Catholic Social Teaching

Two Year RE & Inquiry Cycle

Our two year RE & Inquiry cycle is developed with community, students and curriculum at the forefront. The cycle encompasses eight concepts, strategically chosen by the school community, as we believe they are essential to our students’ knowledge and understanding of the world, in conjunction with the entitlements of the Victorian Curriculum - incorporating all Humanities (Geography, History, Civics & Citizenship, Economics & Business), Science (Chemical, Physical & Biological), Technologies, Capabilities (Intercultural, Ethical, Personal & Social, Critical Thinking) and English & Mathematics where applicable.

The eight concepts are: Rights & Responsibilities, Time, Space & Place, Community, Change, Sustainability, Identity, Energy and Choice.

Each term throughout the whole school, teachers design rich learning experiences that are focused on a particular concept, with the aim of nurturing students’ innate sense of curiosity, wonder and awe, engaging them to ask questions, investigate and problem solve. Teachers develop specific explorations that build knowledge of given topics while at the same time expanding students’ ability to gather, process and make thoughtful use of information.

STEAM

At St Paul Apostle North School we strive to educate our students for the future. By incorporating STEAM throughout the curriculum, our students become passionate learners, with inquisitive minds, who take control of their own learning. The rich and authentic STEAM experiences that the students engage in incorporate a variety of science, technology, engineering, arts and math opportunities.

The teaching of robotics and coding assists our students with an early understanding of programming whilst also developing their mathematical understanding and skills. We aim to deliver programs which provide meaningful computational thinking, computer programming and 21st-century education in an engaging, hands-on way,

At St Paul Apostle North, we believe in the vital partnership between home and school, therefore one important component of our learning is our digital portfolio. This is an ongoing, flexible record of students’ learning in all areas of the curriculum, driven by the students’ interests and creativity. Across the school, students record their thinking and learning through videos and photographs that are shared with families in real time through the Seesaw platform. Thus bridging the gap between home and school to embed a real sense of community.

Visual Arts

The Art curriculum provides students with the opportunity to create, explore and respond to various elements, mediums and tools. Students are given the opportunity to learn and develop new art skills, as well as use various art materials through

construction, sculpture, collage, painting, drawing, printmaking and textiles. Within these forms, students are taught various skills including: line, shape, space, texture, colour, form, tone, contrast, balance and pattern.

Performing Arts

The Performing Arts program is a vibrant part of our school with an emphasis on music and drama education. Through music-making experiences we aim to nurture in children an enjoyment and understanding of the performing arts (Music/ Dance/ Drama) which will enrich the quality and creativity of their lives. Music is also an important part of our liturgical celebrations both at school and in the parish community.

In developing a cohesive and progressive music program, students are given opportunities to acquire musical knowledge (rhythm, melody, harmony, expression, tone colour, style, form, theory, history) through musical experiences (singing, moving, dancing, playing instruments, listening, creating).

Physical Education

Our Health and Physical Education program focuses on students enhancing their own and others’ health, safety, wellbeing and physical activity participation in varied and changing contexts. We are fortunate to have a large gymnasium and expansive outdoor facilities. We provide a well-balanced, comprehensive program covering the following areas and more:

Athletics, Ball handling and Fundamental Motor Skills
Fitness Gymnastics / Movement
Dance
Exposure to a wide range of sports: such as tennis, football, basketball, hockey, etc
Outdoor Adventure Activities (Year 5 & 6 Camp)
Interschool Swimming, Cross-Country, Athletics (Year 4- 6)
Interschool Sports (Year 5 & 6)

LOTE - Mandarin

Students exposed to languages other than English benefit in numerous ways, which include an improvement of general language skills and an appreciation of different cultures and attitudes. Experiencing the contrasts and similarities of a different language and culture assists students in learning more about their own language and way of life. A strong and rich LOTE program enables students to engage and better understand many cultures in a growing context of globalisation and modern communication.

In Grades 3 to 6 the emphasis of the program has been placed on developing students’ capacity to communicate orally in Mandarin about topics associated with their interests. Students are involved in a range of spoken models in Mandarin, supported by visual material and gestures that reinforce meaning. Students also develop skills in recording information gained through listening, speaking and oral interaction. Students in Prep – Year 2 also learn to sing songs in Mandarin. Songs and rhymes assist in the development of spoken language in the early years of a student’s education.

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation provides the inspiration, information, professional development and support for our school to deliver food education to our Grade 3/4 students, as well as in schools all around Australia. It is a fun, hands-on approach to teaching children and young people about fresh, seasonal, delicious food so they form positive food habits for life. Kitchen Garden has an array of health, wellbeing, education and community benefits.