Calwell High School Annual Board Report - 2008
Principal's Message
Calwell High School is committed to providing all students with a high quality education.
The school works closely with its community and offers a wide range of support for all students' needs and abilities. The school believes that appropriate and effective relationships between all members of the school community provide the building blocks for strong educational outcomes.
The school is committed to restorative justice and has implemented a relational policy for dealing with student management issues. Solving problems through corridor and classroom conferencing, formal conferences, classroom circles and the use of relational language are some of the key components of this approach.
The school is structured around a Key Learning Area (KLA) faculty model based on the belief that specialist teachers who are committed and passionate about teaching their subject leads to improved educational outcomes for students. This, combined with a restorative relational framework, creates a professional teaching environment that focuses on meeting the individual needs of all students.
The school offers a broad curriculum and has developed a very strong band and dance program. Students who are gifted and talented are challenged through being able to access Level 1 classes, Apollo classes in Mathematics and Science and a range of extra curricula activities. The school has developed a Talented Sports Program to provide opportunities for students to develop their interest and skills in this area.
Students who are struggling with their literacy and numeracy are supported through smaller classes, and having the same teacher in a number of KLAs. All KLAs have a strong emphasis on the delivery of literacy and numeracy.
Calwell High School works closely with its priority enrolment area (PEA) primary schools in the Calwell Cluster. The cluster has developed a P – 10 values curriculum and a P – 10 relational policy based on restorative practices. The cluster will be undertaking significant professional development in classroom management techniques and quality teaching. The school is a member of the Tuggeranong Consortium of Public High Schools in the Tuggeranong Valley.
Some of the highlights of 2008 included:
All Year 10 had an in depth careers interview as part of their student pathways program. The vast majority of eligible students have had work experience and accessed a wide range of workplace visits and workshops. This program was expanded in Year 9.
Strong student performance and involvement in Mathematics, English, Science and Computing competitions. National recognition for involvement in Digital Photography competition, with over 4 students winning prizes.
Calwell High was the first Canberra school to participate in the ABCN Goals program. Twenty Year 9 students were selected to participate in the program, and were mentored by business people including Managers, CEO’s and Executive staff from Minter Ellison, Medicare and FUJI XEROX.
The development and implementation of literacy and numeracy programs including Mathletics, Counting On, INSINC, LUAC and Scaffolding Literacy. In addition, the literacy and numeracy centre was used to implement the Sound Way program, purchased by the school to increase literacy outcomes in adolescents.
The development of the ASPIRE team, with a focus on a full school model. Work has begun on creating a Pastoral Care Curriculum for implementation across the entire school. This curriculum is targeting the first eight essential learning outcomes, and improving social and emotional outcomes for all students. Team members for 2009 will include school chaplains, counsellor, school nurse and external agencies.
Calwell High School has recently implemented a number of new programs into its curriculum as part of the new ASPIRE program. This program centres around Pastoral Care, and encompasses several areas of learning. Most importantly, it seeks to address current curriculum requirements and learning outcomes on a whole school basis. Students complete sessions each week that address Health and Wellbeing topics, build connections between themselves, the staff and the school, and seek to build social capital in the school community.
An important focus of the ASPIRE program has been the creation of meaningful and sustainable relationships between the school and its community. We believe strongly that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, and encourage our local community to participate in the education of our young people. Local businesses such as the Calwell Shopping Centre have offered assistance with the development and implementation of the program through sponsorship of programs and donations towards projects like Breakfast Club, Healthy Cooking Classes and Community Projects. One local business recognised the need to create an alternative learning program for a group of disengaged teens, and sponsored a program in order to ensure that they had success while at school. The new LINC (Linking Individual Needs to the Curriculum) and TEAM 8 (Targeting Engagement in Adolescent Males) programs have a focus on offering students the chance to connect with the community and promotes leadership in those who are capable and bright. In addition, it offers them the chance to have success and to share this with others. These programs benefit not only the students, but their families and our community.
Students are encouraged to make links to their community, and assist in creating a community that is giving, tolerant and understanding. Classes such as the QUEST group, or Community Leadership class spend extensive time in the community working with Primary Schools, raising funds for those in need, or assisting at local nursing homes. Service Learning is also a focus of the ASPIRE sessions, with the school raising and donating money to one charity per term.
The ASPIRE program will ensure that all students at Calwell High are aware of issues that affect young people including Mental Health, Bullying and Harassment, Drug and Alcohol Education, Values In Education and Emotional Literacy. It is a comprehensive and supportive program that will have incredible outcomes for all involved.
• continued involvement by the school in a wide range of sporting activities including increasing participation rates in the sports and athletics carnival
• developing and implementing a new school plan for 2007 to 2009
• continued work on enhancing the school environment
The information in this report is balanced and accurate.
Peter Sollis
Principal
Calwell High School
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