Connolly Primary School, in Connolly
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| Connolly Primary School is a modern cluster type school that was established in 1991. The school is located in the northwestern suburbs of Perth, close to the Joondalup Golf Course. The School's mission states; To ensure that our students develop the understanding, skills and attitudes relevant to individual needs, thereby enabling them to fulfil their potential and contribute to the development of our society. In working together to achieve our mission, we seek to ensure the following outcomes are achieved by the children. *Effective literacy skills *Effective numeracy skills *An understanding of their historical, social, cultural and environmental context *An understanding of the natural world and scientific principles *The capacity to utilise technology *A concern for and confidence to participate in the creative and practical arts *Learning skills in a LOTE and an understanding of other cultures *A concern for and understanding of how to achieve personal health and well being *Self motivation and confidence in their approach to learning and the ability to work independently and colaboratively, and *Recognise that everyone has a right to feel valued and safe and in this regard, understand their rights and obligations and behave responsibly. The Staff In addition to the Principal, Connolly Primary has some twenty eight teaching staff. The majority of staff are full-time employees, but others work various part-time arrangements. The school has two Deputy Principals who, in addition to their leadership and administration roles, have a teaching responsibility. The school has a full-time Physical Education Specialist and Library Resource Teacher, as well as part-time staff specialising in Visual Art, Music and LOTE (Japanese). Some staff conduct other specialist programs such as Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology and academic extension programs. Teachers at this school bring considerable experience to the school with some sixteen staff having Senior Teacher status. Some nine members of staff have been nominated for excellence in the National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NETA). A further two members of staff have been nominated for the Premier's Teacher of the Year Award, and four members of staff are Level Three Exemplar Teachers. The school's administration needs are supported through the provision of a full-time Registrar and part-time School Officer. The management of the library is supported by a part-time Library Officer. The school employs approximately 3.7 Teacher Assistants to support our early childhood, junior primary and students with special needs. Our grounds are managed by a part-time gardener employed three days a week. Our school is presently cleaned through an outsourced contract. Student Welfare Programs Our school recognises and believes strongly in the importance of developing the whole child. We therefore have a strong focus on the pastoral needs of our students. In addressing this need the school conducts a range of programs including: * A strong commitment to managing issues related to bullying and assisting students to manage such situations. These lessons occur early in the school year. The school has a clear policy statement on the issue of bullying, available through the school website, to guide interventions and support students in this area. * The school has continued to utilise a buddy program, which has seen opportunities for students in junior and senior classes to meet regularly and conduct activities with the aim of enhancing the children's social skills and the overall tone of the school. * The school has offered a range of curriculum based experiences to support the social needs of students. In particular, the 'You Can Do It' program was used in the many of classes throughout the school to encourage skills development in the areas of organisation, confidence, persistence and getting along. * Many students in Years One to Seven have the opportunity to participate in a classroom based drug education program, which exposes children to a wide range of skills related to this issue. In particular, the program has a strong focus on the development of decision making and social skills. * Structures to manage the behaviour of students throughout the school include the use of faction points, merit certificates and classroom based procedures. Where appropriate, the school has accessed support through external agencies to support the management of students. Supporting Student Learning Currently our school offers a number of programs to support students experiencing challenges with their learning. In keeping with the philosophy of early intervention these programs are targeted at students in the early years of schooling. The school operates in partnership with the State Child Development Centre to offer an 'In School' Occupational Therapy for students in Pre-Primary. The Child Development Centre supports the school by screening students and providing advice on programs to assist them. The school also offers an 'In School' Speech Pathology program for selected students in Pre-Primary. Again, the programs operate through a partnership with a private speech provider to screen selected students and provide advice on program development. Students in Year One are supported through withdrawal programs that focus on vocabulary development and auditory discrimination programs. The quality of our early intervention program is a credit to all staff involved, particularly Mrs Fiona Stott who coordinates our work in this area. Modifications to classroom programs in the form of individual and group education plans have also been used to support students needing specific planning to address particular needs. This has included both children requiring learning support as well as extension. Some students have had the opportunity to participate in the Primary Extension and Challenge Program (PEAC). This is an off-site supplementary program offered by the Government School System for students identified as gifted and talented. Children identified as having special needs are tracked through a school wide record system so that teachers receive information about individual student's needs and a history of the support the child has received. Parent Participation Our school Parents & Citizen's Association continues to work tirelessly for our school community and I would acknowledge their tremendous support. The association conducts a significant number of fundraising events through the year with the aim of enhancing the schools facilities and resources. Our School Council has had a very industrious year dealing with a range of significant issues including: * Approval of the Charges and Contributions Schedule for 2007 * The Review and approval of the Voluntary Contributions * Approval of the 2007 Booklists * Participation in the Student Report Review * Participation in the School Priority Selection process for 2007 * Ratification of the School Development Plan 2007 * Review of the School Budget 2007 The Council is our peak decision-making group and has strong parent representation with some six parent members in the group. Providing opportunities for parents to be involved in their children's education is important to our school. This has included opportunities to assist in classrooms, on excursions and at various school events. These contributions are greatly appreciated by the school community. Community Use of School Facilities The school continues to pursue a policy of encouraging the community to utilise our facilities. This ensures the school's significant resource can benefit all members of the community while providing in many cases extra-curricular activities for our students. Student Intake Profile The majority of students are from the suburb of Connolly representing 63% of the school population. Some 11% of students are from the suburb of Currambine and a further 6% from the suburb of Joondalup. Approximately 5% of students are from the suburb of Heathridge. The remaining 15% are from other areas including Carramar, Ocean Reef, Iluka, Kinross, Beldon and Sorrento. | ||||
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