Diversity & Wellbeing
Inclusion
At St John the Apostle it is important that all students access and participate in the curriculum and life of the school. Sometimes some students, for a time, need assistance to do this. The Inclusion Team at St John the Apostle is made up of our Inclusion Coordinator, Inclusion Teacher and Inclusion Assistants.
The Inclusion Coordinator and Teacher are the primary liaison for parents and teachers of students with specific and complex needs and they work with parents, teachers and students to develop Personal Plans with individual learning goals. They also provide and coordinate support for teachers and students in the classroom, this includes training, special resources and sometimes the assistance of our trained Inclusion Assistants. Support will always be tailored to a student's specific goals on their Personal Plan.
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Families and Students
We're committed to ensuring that our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and students can find at St John the Apostle a place to belong and celebrate their identity and culture. This year we are embarking on developing our Reconciliation Action Plan and we look forward to shring this with the entire community soon.
Homework Club
As one strategy for supporting our students with English as an Additional Language and/or Dialect (EAL/D) we collaborate with St Francis Xavier College to provide a Homework Club one afternoon each week where students can receive mentoring from older students to support them in their learning.
Transitions through the Education Journey
Due to our proximity to St Francis Xavier College, we are uniquely situated to provide extensive transitioning to high school for our students with complex needs. Our Inclusion Team also ensure we are well prepared for our new Kindergarten students transitioning from the St Thomas Aquinas Early Learning Centre or other local Kindergartens. Our students benefit from our strong relationships with our education partners.
Wellbeing
Be You
We have proudly become a Be You school. Be You is a mental health and wellbeing framework for primary schools and is proven to make a positive difference to the lives of Australian children. Ouy Action Team are working together on:
- building a mentally healthy community
- developing strong partnerships with families
- helping students learn resilience
- providing early support for at risk students
- responding together to the mental halth needs in our community
Be You provides the methods, tools and support to help schools work with parents and carers, health services and the wider community, to nurture happy, balanced kids.
Big Buddy Program
When children begin in Kindergarten at St John's they are connected with a Year 5 buddy who will help them as they journey through the first two years of school. This relationship is developed and celebrated throughout the two years of the Buddy Program. Older students develop great empathy in caring for a younger student and our young buddies develop a broader network of support when they need help in class or on the playground.
Second Step: Social emotional learning
We implement the Second Step Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Program, giving students the tools to excel in and out of the classroom.
As a result, we see our students progress in emotion management, situational awareness, and academic achievement.
Counselling
Catholic Care provides the school with the services of a Counsellor on a regular basis (approximately 1 day per week). The Counsellor will assist children and their families. Parents and teachers may request the assistance of the Counsellor.