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Curriculum

Religious Education

Christ in the heart of all

 

St Patrick’s School is dedicated to the evangelising, catechising and educational mission of the Church, helping foster children to seek what is true, good and beautiful. Our school motto Christ in the Heart of All, inspired by the words of St Patrick reminds us of the dignity of every human person, created in the image of God, redeemed in Jesus Christ and gifted with a unique vocation. On this basis, we aim to establish and maintain relationships and practices that acknowledge the rights and responsibilities of this human dignity and contribute to the development of each individual; spiritual, intellectual, aestheical, physical, social and emotional. 

Curriculum Framework

Religious Education at St Patrick’s School is guided by the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) framework to engage the Catholic tradition and its relationship with the wider contemporary contexts that the students experience. Learning areas include the persons of Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit, scripture, prayer, liturgy, Sacraments, saints, morality and justice. Educational resources include To Know, Worship and Love, Together at One Altar and Loyola Press that foster knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith and it’s connection to our lives with our head, heart and hands.

Students are taught both formal and informal prayers, participate in daily classroom morning and afternoon prayer, Christian meditation twice a week, and reflection on the weekly Sunday Gospel. Guided by their learning of the Church’s liturgical calendar, students participate in traditions such as Stations of the Cross, celebration of St Patrick’s Day and the Rosary. 

Students also have regular opportunities to participate in whole school Mass as readers, altar servers and in the school choir joined by families and parishioners in attendance.

Sacramental Program

  • First Reconciliation (Year 2)
  • First Eucharist (Year 3)
  • Confirmation (Year 6) 

Sacraments are a visible sign of the invisible grace (gift) from God. The sacramental program aims to deeper students’ formation and relationship with God, supported by school learning, parish and family engagement. Students participate in a retreat day, family faith sharing afternoon and commitment mass in preparation for receiving the Sacraments.

Social Justice

The way we treat one another has always been the most evident sign of being Christian, modelled on the example of Jesus and his greatest commandment to “love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34). Guided by the social teaching and values of the Church in charity and justice, students are provided opportunities for social outreach in collaboration with the Parish’s St Vincent de Paul society and Caritas Australia. Each grade is represented by two Social Justice leaders who are encouraged to create their own initiatives and lead the school to help those in need, as Jesus said to his disciples “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40).

Sacramental Life and Programme

Baptism

The life of grace and membership of the Catholic Church is received in the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism. Infants are baptised where there is a well-founded hope that the children will be brought up in the practice of the Catholic Faith. Parents who wish their children to be baptised need to contact the parish and undergo some formation to assist them in carrying out the responsibilities they assume at Baptism.

Blessed Eucharist

The practice of the parish is for children who are in Year 3 at our two schools to be prepared to receive the Lord in their First Holy Communion. The Parish Priest and the parents make the decision about children being admitted to First Holy Communion. It is required that an enrolment card be presented to the Parish Priest and signed at the Commitment Mass in the year the children will make Holy Communion. Children who do not attend our schools or who for one or another reason have not been ready or able to receive First Holy Communion in Year 3 are able to participate in classes of preparation on Sunday Mornings. Parish catechists under the care and supervision of the Sisters of St Paul de Chartres conduct these classes.

Penance

The Sacrament of Penance is celebrated before the reception of First Holy Communion. Children are prepared in class during Year 2 or at catechetic classes on Sunday mornings. The Sacrament is celebrated on three occasions during each week and more frequently in the days leading up to the great Feasts of the Church.

Confirmation

According to Archdiocesan Policy, the candidates for Confirmation receive this Sacrament when they are in Year 6 or above. The Sacrament which completes the grace of Baptism and strengthens the Christian in their life of faith is celebrated where the candidate is disposed and ready to deepen their Catholic faith.

Holy Matrimony

The Sacrament of Marriage is the Sacrament that unites a man and women in Christ as they form a community of life and love. The “form of marriage” binds Catholics. This means that a Catholic to be validly married in the eyes of Christ and His Church must marry in a Catholic Ceremony before a Catholic Priest and two witnesses. To celebrate this wonderful sacrament, the man and woman wishing to celebrate must be free to marry, that means unmarried or declared free to marry by the Church. They must have the intention to form a permanent, faithful and exclusive relationship with their spouse in a relationship which is open to the gift of children.

St Patrick's School Prayer

Literacy

   
At St Patrick’s School, we believe that teaching literacy is the cornerstone of empowering young minds. Our teachers prioritise evidence-based strategies to ensure the most effective literacy instruction possible. Grounded in the principles of the science of reading, our program emphasises systematic phonics instruction, explicit teaching of phonological awareness, and the development of fluency and comprehension skills. Literacy programs are tailored to meet the diverse needs of every child, ensuring that each student develops strong foundational skills in reading comprehension, writing fluency, and critical thinking. From phonics and vocabulary building to creative storytelling and analytical reading, we strive to instil a lifelong passion for literacy, equipping our students with the tools they need to thrive academically and personally. From Prep to Year 2, we integrate InitialLit methodologies into our literacy curriculum, ensuring a comprehensive approach to early reading and writing development. With InitialLit, we focus on laying a strong foundation in phonological awareness, letter-sound correspondence and decoding strategies. Through structured and sequential instruction, supported by multisensory activities and interactive technology, we scaffold students’ literacy acquisition, building upon their existing knowledge and abilities. Our teachers are trained in evidence-based InitialLit techniques, including systematic and explicit instruction, guided practice, and frequent feedback, to support students at every stage of their literacy journey.
 

Visual Arts

   
Our Visual Arts program provides students with opportunities to develop conceptual thinking and problem-solving skills within a range of different mediums across drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, sculpture, design, fibre art and clay modelling. The program aims to build children’s confidence in their own art ability and discover how art and design can have a positive impact on our lives, school, community, and the world. Along with art making, students learn about art appreciation through discussion and taking inspiration from various art styles and artists’ work. Students are given opportunities to express their ideas and they are encouraged to form responses to their own and other people’s artwork. They are also encouraged to reflect, monitor and plan their thinking and making as they develop a range of skills and techniques. Lessons provide an environment where imagination, experimentation, creativity, and self-expression can flourish. Visual Arts provides a platform for children to learn about different cultures and beliefs, both in Australia and abroad. At St Patrick’s we are committed to understanding more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture. We strive to meaningfully and sensitively embed this into the arts program and it is continuously explored and reflected upon.
 

Italian

St. Patrick’s School provides a comprehensive Italian language program spanning from Prep to Year 6. Students gradually develop their language skills, starting with recognising letters and greetings in Prep, progressing to engaging in conversations about familiar topics, comprehending instructions, and using common vocabulary. As they advance through the grades, students engage in role-plays, discussions, and written tasks, covering a wide range of topics including personal experiences and cultural events. By Year 6, students have a proficient vocabulary recall and are capable of analysing Italian texts with critical thinking skills, fostering a deep understanding and appreciation of Italian language and culture.

Performing Arts

Music is the core of student’s learning in Performing Arts at St Patrick’s School. Music is essential for cognitive development and is unique in providing an opportunity for expressive response to sound. Dance, Drama and Media embellish our core learning. Students make music by singing and playing recorder, marimba, drums, ukulele and guitar. Theoretical concepts are explored through note reading, rhythm reading, pitch matching, listening, composition and improvisation. Students respond to music using art, mime, acting and dance. They have an opportunity to explore composition using music technology.
The school has a Junior and Senior choir that rehearses once a week and a Junior and Senior Musical Production is performed every two years. Our students sing at School Masses and liturgies to enhance their personal spiritual and prayer life and that of our school community.

Physical Education

St. Patrick’s School provides a comprehensive Physical Education and Sports program from Prep to Year 6. In Physical Education the students develop their Fundamental Motor Skills (FMS) in Prep to Year 4 before moving into a concept driven curriculum in Years 5 and 6. (Please see below) St Patrick’s School also offers a comprehensive Swimming Program for Prep to Year 3 and Year 4 to 6. In addition external coaching agencies, through the Sport in Schools program, come in to develop further skills in a range of activities that students are less familiar with for example Taekwondo and Bowls. St Patrick’s has three Year 3 to 6 House carnivals during the year. These are in Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics, which gives each student an opportunity to compete and earn points for their house. In addition to this, the Preps to Year 2 also have a Summer ‘mini athletics’ carnival in Term 4. Teams in all three of these are also selected to participate in the District carnivals. Year 6s and 5s also have the opportunity in Terms 1 and 2 to compete against other schools in our Summer and Winter Sports Program. Students can choose to participate in Summer; Softball; Hot Shots Tennis; Cricket; Volleyball; Vollystars and in Winter; AFL; Soccer; Netball; and Tee-Ball. Teams can progress to Division, then Regional, then State across these sports if they finish top of the table. Opportunities in Lacrosse, Rugby (Touch and Tackle); Futsal and Hockey are also available in our Term 3 and 4 Gala Days.
 

STEM

STEM Specialist Subject at St Patrick’s School the students have the opportunity to participate in weekly STEM lessons for two terms a year. STEM is an approach to learning that incorporates the areas of science, technology, engineering and maths in the aim to discover rich and creative solutions to problems. Students work in pairs and develop key skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, communication, problem solving, resilience, risk taking, creativity and collaboration. They are taught the ‘design process’ where to develop a solution to a problem they need to plan, research, design, test, refine and then make improvements to a prototype. Robotics is used during STEM as a way to engage and support students problem solving ideas.

 

 

Diversity

At St Patrick’s School, embracing learning diversity is fundamental and guides the direction of interventions for students with diverse learning needs across all year levels to ensure every student’s opportunities for growth is maximised. The staff collaborates closely with the Learning Diversity Leader and the Diversity Team to identify and assist students requiring diverse levels of support, whether it be physical, sensory, cognitive, or emotional. Additionally, a dedicated team of 13 Learning Support Officers (LSOs) plays a pivotal role in the classroom, facilitating tailored intervention programs focused on literacy, mathematics, and fine motor skills.
 

Mathematics

At St Patrick’s, we strive to ensure that all students are confident, creative users and communicators of mathematics, capable of investigating, representing and interpreting situations in various settings at school and in their personal lives.

Our goal is for all students to develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of mathematical concepts and fluency with processes, enabling them to pose and solve problems and reason in all areas of mathematics.  We aim to provide experiences that help students recognize connections between mathematical areas and other disciplines, appreciating mathematics as an accessible and enjoyable subject to study.

Our contemporary approach to delivering the Victorian Mathematics Curriculum involves providing a stimulating environment with engaging resources so that students can fully develop their mathematical skills. We develop individuals who are numerate, creative, independent, inquisitive, confident, and willing to take risks in mathematics.

Ongoing assessment at St. Patrick’s drives classroom instruction. We use various tools and methods to assess students and personalise maths instruction, ensuring everyone is challenged and supported. Students regularly reflect on their learning through self-assessment and goal setting. Teachers at St. Patrick’s offer their students rich mathematical challenges that cater to all learning needs.

Digital Technologies

At St. Patrick’s we aim to empower students to become confident and creative users of technology. By engaging with computational thinking and coding, students develop problem-solving skills essential for the 21st century.

Students learn to be safe online and how to manage their devices to become responsible Digital Citizens.

Digital Technologies Leadership Role

The Digital Technologies Leadership role at St Patrick’s School is responsible for the management and oversight of the school’s digital resources, infrastructure and curriculum. St Patrick’s School has state of the art devices with 1-1 chromebooks in years 1 to 6 and 1-1 iPads in prep. St Patrick’s School is a Google Workspace School and believes Google is a powerful and efficient tool to store and demonstrate students’ learning. We work closely with an ICT technician to ensure all infrastructure, student and staff devices are working effectively to maximise learning and teaching. All students at St Patrick’s School have access twice year to a rich Digital Technologies and STEM curriculum which is overseen by the Digital Technologies leader. We take Cyber Safety very seriously and there are a number of programs managed to monitor students’ behaviour and educate them to be respectful and responsible digital citizens. The Digital Technologies leader works closely with the student ICT leadership team to facilitate programs such as ‘Code Club’ to improve the school community. The Digital Technologies leader is involved in the set up and distribution of the school reports and assisting to run weekly assemblies. 

Sustainability

St Patrick’s School – Environmental Sustainability

St Patrick’s School is committed to engaging students, staff, families and the wider community in developing a sustainable environment for our school. Our aim is to educate the community that as stewards of the earth, it is our responsibility to care for the environment. Through our participation in the ResourceSmart program our aim is to reduce our landfill, water and electricity usage and increase our biodiversity. We are also a member of S.W.E.P. who assist us with water management and conservation.

Staff and students share responsibility for activities as part of our Environmental Sustainability Plan. Teachers also work together to develop a plan for teaching about sustainability across all levels. Through the curriculum, we aim to assist the students to become more sustainable citizens.

The Sustainability leader works closely with the student leadership team across the school to facilitate the implementation of initiatives such as ‘nude food’, ‘power rangers’, water saving and the student leaders assist with our market garden stall, clean ups and recycling bin system.

Learning Enhancement

Learning Enhancement

Learning enhancement is a journey that engages students in active participation, fostering the development of critical thinking skills, and empowering learners to thrive academically and beyond.

Tournament of Minds (T.O.M)

Tournament of Minds (T.O.M) offers Year 4-6 students the chance to tackle real-world challenges in The Arts, Language Literature, Social Sciences, and STEM. This program cultivates creative thinking, teamwork, and excellence, empowering students to take charge of their learning journey. Participants present their solutions at Deakin University each August.

Year 5 Maths Games Day

Year 5 Maths Games Day is an exciting opportunity for students to explore mathematics in a fun and engaging way. Through interactive activities and collaboration with peers from diverse schools, students enhance their mathematical skills and develop a passion for the subject.

Victorian Coding Challenge

The Victorian Coding Challenge, organized by The Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV), provides a platform for students to explore and refine their coding skills. This two-stage challenge fosters curiosity, passion, and creativity, preparing students for the digital future.

STEM Partnership with CSIRO

Our STEM partnership with CSIRO connects students with industry professionals to tackle authentic challenges. Through collaboration and hands-on experiences, students develop critical thinking skills and contribute to solving real-world problems in a rewarding and enjoyable manner.

Wellbeing

At St Patrick’s School we strive to promote a healthy, supportive and safe environment that fosters the development of all students. Our whole school approach to wellbeing nurtures students cognitive, social, physical and social development and is incorporated into every aspect of school life. We use a variety of wellbeing programs that are engaging and support the diverse needs of students in order to develop strong social and emotional skills. Students participate in a range of practical and hands-on activities in order to develop strategies and skills they can use in their everyday lives.

Programs and initiatives used at St.Patrick’s School to develop student wellbeing

  • The Resilience Project
  • Respectful Relationships
  • Bounce Back
  • Berry Street Program
  • SWELL Week 
  • Restorative Practices
  • Circle Time
  • Library/Lunchtime Clubs
  • Seasons 
  • Whole School Buddy Program
  • Student Leadership Program 
  • School Psychologist 

St Patrick’s Cyber Safety Hub

Please click the link for more details. spmentone.onlinesafetyhub.com.au