At St Michaels Catholic School we pride ourselves on the high calibre of staff we employ, and value their individual skills and talents. All teachers are encouraged to share their skill base and work together to provide our children with the best learning opportunities possible.

Our staff are encouraged to participate in whole school and individual professional development and they are given many opportunities to do so. Over the last two years they have undergone extensive training in the building of a Professional Learning Community. This year more work will be done in this area as well as with Writing and ICT. The Board of Trustees fully support the Professional Development of all Staff.




Staff for 2012

Principal		Carolynn Phillips
Office Manager		Genevieve van Coller
Deputy Principal		Louise Campbell
Room 10	Year 4/5	Georgina van Schaijik
Room 9	Year 3/4	Malica Gore
Room 8	Year 6	Phoebe Cunningham Tyler
Room 7	Year 5/6	Joanna Gray
Room 6	Year 3	Amy Kane
Room 5	Year 2/3	Hanna Leigh
Room 4	Yaer 1/2	Elizabeth Simpson
Room 3	Year 0	Opening in Term 3
Room 2	Year 1	Catherine Westwood
Room 1	Year 1	Nicola Gray
Enrichment		Christine King (Full time)
Part Time Teachers		Annette Wilson	Mornings only
		Fiona Holmes	2 days per week
		Paula Middleton	3 days per week
Office/Library Assistant		Terisa Cordtz	Tues, Thurs (Part Time)
Teacher Aides		Anne Bennett	3 days per week
		Pamela Pearce
		Helen Totua
Caretaker		Peter Laver
Accountant		Avril Denton

Introduction

Our aim at St Michael’s is to cater to the individual needs of all children within the classroom. However, extra programmes throughout the school are provided.

Many external agencies also service the school including RTLB (Resource Teachers of Learning Behaviour), GSE (Group Special Education), Speech Therapist, Child Psychologist, Public Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist, NZ Police School Service, Literacy and Numeracy consultants.



Religious Education

The Religious Education programme is timetabled daily, and it is important that parents/caregivers support this learning programme. Each child has an R.E book relevant to their year group that they work on throughout the year. At the end of each strand it is important that a comment is made in the ‘Parent Comment’ section.



Reading

Following six year net testing, children with identified reading difficulties are enrolled in our Reading Recovery programme. Reading Recovery offers an individualised reading and writing programme which is attended by the student for half an hour a day, 5 days a week. Rainbow Reading is a group reading session held for half an hour a day, 5 days a week to provide reading support for children requiring extra reading mileage.



Learning Enrichment

Children with identified abilities are offered an Enrichment Programme which encompasses many areas. The children are rotated throughout the year so more children can take advantage of this successful learning programme.



Maths and Literacy

Over the last five years St Michael’s have worked intensively on the development of high quality Literacy and Numeracy programmes. All staff under-take intensive professional development to upskill and to ensure high standards of teaching and learning are sustained.



Curriculum Review

Full Curriculum review is recurring this year as we ensure the full implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum. Performing Arts, Languages & ICT will encompass exciting opportunities this year.

New Entrant Tests

When a child has been at school for approximately six weeks literacy and numeracy baseline data is collected. This information enables us to gauge progress when further tests are conducted.



6 Year Nets

6 Year Nets All children at St Michael’s Catholic School are tested at the age of six in areas related to their literacy development. The results this test produces enable us to compare our six year olds to other six year olds around New Zealand. The results also identify any children who may require Reading Recovery intervention.



Assessments

Students are regularly assessed from the time they start school until they leave. In order to provide information on achievement, we use a variety of methods, both nationally recognised and school based. Books are marked and assessed to ensure progress is being achieved and results are discussed with parents at the student led conferences mid-year, and at any other interview times. Overall Teacher Judgments confirm Assessment results.



External Exams

Throughout the year, children in years 4 – 6 are given the opportunity to sit the ICAS exams. These exams are internationally recognised and are conducted throughout Australasia. They are optional and user pays.

• Maths
• English
• Spelling
• Writing

Homework

All children learn at different rates and at different levels. Your child/ren needs to be a child. Homework is given as a revision of the school day, as an opportunity to practice learning such things as spelling & basic facts or for completing unfinished classwork.

Parents/caregivers are most welcome to discuss their child’s understanding of their homework throughout the year via email or at a mutually agreed appointment time, after school hours. Teachers will contact parents for an appointment if there are aspects of a child’s homework which need to be discussed further.

The children should read every night and if they receive any homework it should be something they can do. If they can’t do it, a note can be sent to the classroom teacher. The children are all signed up for Mathletics and this is also a valuable homework tool with regular revision of basic facts also recommended.

Children may have many extra-curricular activities and teachers understand if a child is unable to complete homework on a ‘busy’ family night.

Please keep in touch with your child/rens teacher about homework, and use the excellent ‘class pages’ on the website.


Junior School Expectations:

Expect to see:-

• Reading each school night
• Spelling when reading green books and above
• basic facts practice
• Mathletics

Sometimes see:-

• RE homework
• Maths related to class work that requires further practice
• Inquiry research or questions to investigate

Senior School Expectations:

Expect to see:-

• Reading (book of the day)or book log. Reading should be for 20 minutes followed by the children retelling in their own words what they have read. This can be supported by orally asking and answering comprehension questions.
• Maths Basic Facts revision

Sometimes see:-

• Spelling word study
• RE
• Inquiry Research
• Maths-specific to what is being learnt
• Oral language-preparing presentations

The following sports and activities are offered at St Michael’s through the P.E curriculum.

Term 1

• Jump Jam
• Swimming
• Swimming Sports Day – held offsite at Sacred Heart pool.
• Gymnastics Programme
• Years 5 & 6 compete at Remuera Zones swimming competition held at St Kentigern’s Prep School mid term 1
• Summer Sports Field Day – held in Remuera/Epsom with other participating schools, years 5 & 6 only

Term 2

• Jump Jam
• General fitness programme
• Winter Sports
• Gymnastics

Term 3

• Jump Jam
• Cross Country
• Cross Country Competition - Years 5 & 6 compete at the Remuera Zones, Years 4-6 compete at the Catholic Zones

Term 4

• Jump Jam
• Athletics
• Athletics Competition – Years 5 & 6 compete at the Remuera Zones

Summer Sports

Touch Rugby – years 2 -6, in association with College Rifles. Games played at College Rifles grounds on Friday evenings. Term 4 only.




Winter Sports

Netball Teams – years 1 -6, inter schools competition played at Morrin Rd, Mt Wellington on Thursdays after school. Soccer Teams – years 1 -6, in association with Ellerslie Soccer Club. Games played across Auckland on Saturday mornings. Rugby Team – year 5 & 6, inter school games.

To ensure teams run successfully, parent helpers are always needed for coaching, umpiring and managing sports teams. Notices will be sent home prior to sports teams being formed, to ascertain the level of parent help the school requires.



Sport Days

Sports Days at St Michael’s are a wonderful way for your child to participate in different sporting activities. They are held in terms 1, 3 and 4 for swimming, cross country and athletics respectively.

We cannot run these events successfully without parent help. Dates for sports days will be on the term Calendar, and notices requesting parent help will be sent home prior to the events.



Inter School Zone Competitions

In years 4, 5 and 6, children who have achieved well in sports days will be given the opportunity to represent St Michael’s at the Remuera and Catholic Schools Zones competitions. Parent help may be needed for these events. Notices will be sent home with children that are participating.