Curriculum

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority and ACARA determine the Curriculum that is required to be taught in all Queensland schools.

As such, the QCAA and ACARA curriculum documents form the basis of all the subjects taught at St Mary’s Primary School.

The following Subjects are taught throughout the school:

Religious Education
English
Mathematics
HASS (Humanities and Social Science)
Science
Technology
The Arts
Health and Physical Education

Religious Education

Home and family are the first environments where children take their initial steps in their life long Faith journey. The role of St Mary’s Primary School is to support parents and families and the parish in the responsibility for passing on the Faith to their children. Parent participation in all aspects of the School’s Religious Education Program is encouraged.

Please click on the Religion tab on the Home page for more information.

Health and Physical Education

All children are encouraged to participate in sporting activities while at school. Years Prep to 6 undertake structured physical education lessons that promote coordination, fitness, individual and team skills and formal games. Health Lessons form part of the curriculum covered by class teachers each term. Swimming lessons are conducted as part of the Health and Physical Education program at the city pool. Availability of pool time determines which classes attend lessons. The purpose of school swimming lessons is for water safety and water confidence. For this reason, it is necessary that all children attend swimming lessons unless prevented due to a medical condition. Our children have the opportunity to compete at intra and inter school sport activities. Children are placed in four sports houses and remain in those houses during their time at St Mary's.

Digital and Design Technology

Students across our school have access to a measured use of ipads and robotics through the integrated use of devices in every day classroom use and through specialist lessons. The most up to date research shows that primary aged students should have measured use of technology in order to ensure plenty of learning opportunities for collaboration, problem solving and communication.

The Arts

Our specialist Arts Teacher takes all year levels for Visual Arts and Drama lessons throughout the year, in accordance with the Australian Curriculum.

In Years 4 to 6 instrumental music instruction in strings, brass, woodwind and percussion is available. Children in these classes are also able to participate in St Mary’s School Band and Ensemble programs. The instrumental music program allows children to be exposed to a variety of band instruments as well as the opportunity to play these to performance standard. An extra cost is involved when children participate in the instrumental music program. Details of fees may be found in the section on school fees. Other details concerning the instrumental music program are available from the school office.

St Mary’s also offers an extensive junior and senior choir program. Again, these lessons attract costs above the annual school fees.

St Mary’s students perform in our local eisteddfod each year both individually and with school groups in singing, music and verse.

Arts Council and similar performances visit our school at various times throughout the year.

Homework

The school’s recommendation is that homework is given. However, teachers are at liberty to design homework tasks that reflect the needs of the children in their classes. Teachers will outline their homework procedures at their Parent Information Night held at the beginning of each year. At other times parents can consult their child’s teacher in order to familiarise themselves with the procedure in each class. Parents are expected to support teachers in their supervision of homework.

Reading is an essential activity for the promotion of positive learning and it is expected that every child will read for a short time every night.

Assessment and Reporting

In the first few weeks of the school year, Parent Information Nights are held for each class for the purpose of acquainting Parents with Teachers’ expectations for the coming year and to assist in the opening of positive communication channels between school and home. At least one Parent or Guardian is strongly urged to attend these meetings.

It is our policy that children’s development and progress is assessed continuously throughout the year. A variety of methods of assessment are employed, including:

Anecdotal records
Checklists
Work sampling
Observation
Conferencing
Written and oral testing

Written progress reports are provided at the end of each semester, they will go live on the Parent BCE Connects app at 9am on the Monday of the last week of Terms 2 & 4. Families are invited to share any concerns directly with their child's class teacher throughout the year, ensuring open communication between home and school to support the growth of our students.

At the end of first term we invite parents and guardians to attend a Parent/Teacher conference for reporting purposes. An opportunity for a second interview in Semester 2 will also be offered.