St Catherine of Siena School supports the creation of a supportive and nurturing environment.
Student Wellbeing is embedded into our daily experiences, enabling all students to achieve improved spiritual, physical, emotional, social and academic outcomes.
Students at St Catherine of Siena are encouraged to participate in a variety of experiences that enable personal growth and build a safe, positive and engaging learning environment that enhances each child’s individual and collective wellbeing. These include:
- Daily mindfulness and meditation
- Explicit Rights, Responsibilities and Respectful Relationships social-emotional lessons
- Regular physical activity
- Facilitated Play activities each break time
- Kitchen-Garden sessions
- Outdoor Learning Program
- Weekly Literature Appreciation classes
- Performing Arts-Choir
- Visual Arts Club
- Gardening at lunchtime in our school vegetable garden
Buddy Program
Our Buddy Program is an important part of both our transition into primary school and leadership offered by Senior students.
At the beginning of the year, our Grades 3-6 students are buddied up with a Grade Prep student. This is particularly valuable at the start of the year when new students are finding their way around the school and trying to make new friends. This program promotes social and support networks for children beginning Prep and fosters a sense of community and belonging in the school.
Positive Behaviour for Learning
At St Catherine of Siena, we are committed to providing a positive learning environment for all students. Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) is a behaviourally-based systems approach that helps us to develop positive learning environments across the school by defining, teaching and supporting appropriate and expected student behaviours.
The three school expectations at St Catherine of Siena that drive PBL are: We are Respectful, We are Learners, We are our Best Selves.
Our Whole School weekly assemblies endorse positive behaviour with awards presented to individual students who have displayed these expectations.
Literature Appreciation
St Catherine of Siena Primary School boasts a vibrant, well-resourced school library.
Our library collection offers a broad range of reading materials across a range of genres and reading levels. Our library staff work collaboratively with classroom teachers to support classroom programs and to foster students reading skills and love of books.
Weekly Literature Appreciation sessions are timetabled for all classes to provide opportunities for our staff to share books by many different authors and illustrators, all aimed at exposing students to a diverse range of themes and cultures. This is achieved through activities such as listening to book readings, participating in book discussions, responding to literature creatively and undertaking author studies.
Outdoor Learning Program
Outdoor learning at St Catherine of Siena creates opportunities for students to form rich connections with the natural world, each other and our local community. It promotes wellbeing, strengthens curriculum knowledge and understanding and encourages us to consider our collective responsibility in being part of the world as stewards of creation.
The wellbeing being aims of our program include:
- Developing collaboration and social skills through play and experiential learning
- Providing opportunities for fine and gross motor skill development
- Providing explicit opportunities for personal reflection, metacognition and celebration of learning
- Designing learning experiences that promote responsible risk taking and personal challenge
In Grades Prep-2 students have structured outdoor learning sessions, either onsite or at our nearby woodland reserves, facilitated by our Outdoor Learning Specialist teacher. In Grades 3-6, the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program provides opportunities for students to enjoy pleasurable food experiences and to develop their understanding of environmental sustainability through growing their own produce.
We have a passion for bringing health and wellbeing to our community, and a desire to feed hungry minds.
Child Safe
St Catherine of Siena School Community promotes the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children.