Nhulunbuy Christian College Annual Report 2014

Transcription

1 Nhulunbuy Christian College Annual Report 2014 grow is wisdom : serve others : change the world Location: Nhulunbuy Postal: PO Box 621 Telephone: Fax: [email protected]

2 1 Contents Vision and Mission Statement...2 Principal s Statement...3 School Profile.4 Staffing Information (FTE)... 5/6 Highlights of the School Year...6 Teaching and Learning...7 Parents and Community...8 Parent Survey.9 Finance and Facilities...10 Summary.11 Endorsement...11

3 2 Vision Statement The vision statement of NT Christian Schools is, we desire to be a Christian community, learning together to live life as God intended, offering hope for the world. Mission Statement To partner with parents in providing an education that honours Jesus, is academically rigorous, develops character and promotes healthy relationships. We want our students to grow in wisdom, be empowered to serve others and make a difference in the world. grow in wisdom serve others change the world

4 3 Principal s Message Nhulunbuy Christian College continues to shine a light of hope within the Nhulunbuy community was a year of changes yet our school experienced a season of growth. The College continued to steadfastly and passionately define itself as a welcoming place where excellent Christian education is offered to all families in the small East Arnhem community of Nhulunbuy. The College went through uncertain times with curtailment and eventual closure of the RIO operated refinery in Long standing staff of NCC were affected and so were many of the families enrolled in our school. We said too many goodbyes to beautiful families throughout the year. Leadership changes in 2014 added to the mix of complexities; but despite seemingly huge struggles, the College did not waiver. The College became even more committed to cherishing every single student in its care. NCC became (and continues to be) a beacon of light for all. Our College actually grew in numbers in 2014 as new families arriving in town sought out the college for their children. Other families already in town began assessing their options. Marking 15 years of Christian Education in Nhulunbuy in September became a highlight of the school calendar! Parents, students, families and staff worked collaboratively in creating a day to acknowledge, reminisce and remember the past. It was also a day to celebrate and get excited about what lay ahead. It was (and is) a time to give thanks for the great things that happen at NCC. I am continually in awe of the amazing people that make up the NCC community. In 2014 parents played a significant role in our school. It was a delight to see parents running events at our sports carnivals, being present in classrooms and lifting up the College in actions and words. The 2014 NCC staff should also be praised. They were a committed team who were gifted in so many ways. Everyone was energetic, positive, dedicated and faithful to their work. There were so many opportunities for learning, growing and making new friends in Students importantly felt loved and in turn encouraged and accepted each other. It was exciting to see the students participate in whole school events. What a delight it was to watch little Transition students partner with Year 9 students in races and events at our carnivals! 2014 was a year for memory making for all of our students. As we look forward to 2015 we smile. We are extravagantly loved by our God and for this we celebrate! Yours in Christ Lara Hvala

5 4 School Profile Total enrolments 190 Girls 110 Boys 80 Full-time equivalent enrolments 190 Indigenous students 2% Language background other than English 12% Student attendance rate 94.8% Figures above are taken from the 2014 August Census data. Non-attendance is not a significant concern at NCC. Whenever a student is absent, contact is made with the parents during the morning of absence. Chronic or unexplained absenteeism was not an issue in There were no critical incidents that impacted the College in 2014.

6 5 Staffing Information (FTE) Staffing Profile Qualification if Full-time Term/FTE Principal Russell McKane Bachelor of Theology Grad Dip Ed Dip Applied Art Post Grad Dip Christian Studies Post Grad Dip IT Principals Advisory Group/Teac hers Anthony Collier Lisa Piper Bachelor of Education Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Education Teaching Staff Lara Hvala Bachelor of Theatre 1.0 Bachelor of Education Michael Vos Bachelor of Education 1.0 Tracy Pickford Bachelor of Education Early Childhood Desarei Stanaway Bachelor Education 1.0 Anne Fourie Dip Ed (Sen Prim) + Dip 1.0 Spec Ed (Rem Ed) Rachel Stockley Bachelor of Education 1.0 David Holmes Bachelor of Education 1.0 Sarah Bambery Bachelor of Education 1.0 Anthony Collier Bachelor of Education 1.0 Kylie Farnsworth Bachelor of Education 0.8 Joanne Duncan Bachelor of Arts 1.0 (Humanities) Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) Sarah Hayman Bachelor Science 1.0 Masters in Teachers Carmel Gynell Rebecca Thomson Bachelor of Education Bachelor of Education.2.8 Kelly Dare Bachelor of Education.4 Rebecca Thomson Bachelor of Education.8 Learning enhanceme nt support staff Terese Marchesi (LE Coordinator) Bachelor of Social Science 1.0 Esther Rika (TA) 1.0 Christie Giles (TA).5 Kylie Whyte Cert IV in Graphic Design 1.0 Caren Erasmus (6 months) Cert IV in Travel 1.0 Shontelle Adams (6 months) 1.0 Sandra Brazier Dip Library and.5

7 6 Information Services Office and support staff Graeme Dun Associate Diploma in.2 Farm Management, Horticulture Rob Aston.2 We employed no indigenous staff in All teachers have a minimum of four years training and are registered with the NT Teacher Registration Board. Highlights of the School Year The College runs a whole school elective program every Friday afternoon. This program creates opportunities for students across year levels to work together on various projects, including photography, gardening projects, cooking, singing and cultural studies. Serving others and giving to our local and global communities is something we endeavor to promote. Students participated in a Community Day of Service, working around town to plant gardens, clean up and cook for various organisations. NCC also participates in a number of fundraising causes. We proudly target the majority of our fundraising efforts towards supporting The School of St Yared in Ethiopia. In 2014 we enjoyed Reading Under The Stars, Book Week Parade, Crazy Hair Day, Year 5 Sleepovers, Sports Carnivals, Bike day, Interschool Sports and a Year 6-10 Camping Program, Indigenous Artist in Residence Program, Athletic and Swimming Carnivals. Pancake Breakfasts and Morning Teas for parents further enhance the educational experience for the students and involve all families.

8 7 Teaching and Learning The most significant development in the teaching and learning programs at NCC was the introduction of a Middle School Coordinator, Upper Primary Coordinator and Lower Primary Coordinator. With leaders in these three areas, planning became a team effort and a collaborative and exciting way of working. Essentially with team planning, more ideas have grown. In 2014, NCC staff also participated and contributed to curriculum meetings with other colleagues at NT Christian Schools around the state. This has been positively received as a way of sharing ideas with others and energizing our practice. All staff participated in the OVER THE TOP conference in Darwin in July. This conference accommodated all staff from our 9 schools and everyone participated in professional development sessions relevant to their sections. Our classrooms are inviting spaces and it has been great to see some consistency of programing in the Primary School throughout The introduction of an early primary phonics program in our lower classes continues and teachers participated in training throughout term 1. A primary school Christian studies program was introduced with success and all teachers followed the imaths program. The whole school homework club continued through the year as well. The 2014 expansion of our learning support team particularly the appointment of a full time coordinator, resulted in significant strengthening in this area of College life. We are now able to give more attention to students who struggle with learning. In 2014 we continued our connection to the Kids Matters framework to ensure NCC remains a positive learning community where students at any level can access learning. Our school was ranked in the top 10 of schools in the Northern Territory for 2014 NAPLAN results. Only two schools outside the Darwin region, including ours, had above average scores. For information regarding proportion of students meeting national literacy and numeracy benchmarks for their year at 3, 5, 7 & 9 and for changes in benchmark results from previous year by % point change please see My School Website

9 8 Parents and Community Nhulunbuy Christian College is a big family in a small close knit community. We therefore take great delight in travelling on a journey with all parents and students every day and see it as a huge privilege. Parents are the primary educators and it is crucial that the College partners with them in the education of their children. Communication is paramount and we are fortunate to have a very involved parent community. Sports days, camps, small group reading sessions, class and library support are some of the ways parents contribute. We have a structured P&F group who run the canteen, the annual market/open day and a host of other fundraising and community events. We also have a College council who helped guide, support and hold up the college throughout 2014.

10 9 The following questions and graphs are excerpts taken from our annual parent survey: This survey was based on 28 families submissions.

11 10 Finance and Facilities Income 2014 Private income: $816,926 Recurrent Government income: $2,070,857 Capital Grants: $52,500 During the course of 2014 the only significant change to facilities was the addition of a roof/shade area over the handball courts. This was a combined Parents and Friends and RIO initiative. With additional students in 2014 we needed to move the Year 6 class into a room adjacent to the staffroom. We have also utilized other rooms in the library for Middle School homeroom and classes. There is no significant capital improvements planned for An overhaul of the watering system will need to be prioritized for Buildings are in excellent condition and the College grounds are picturesque.

12 11 Summary 2014 concluded with the departure of many families, staff and Principal from our school community. Whilst the impact of this is yet to be determined, our future still looks amazingly positive. New jobs are being created in town and those that are still living in Nhulunbuy are passionate about making it work. As we welcome new families and new staff at NCC, there is a strong message of hope. Endorsement Please sign and return Lara Hvala Principal Michael Beath School Council Chair Debra Twartz Chief Executive Officer, NT Christian Schools