Student Support
The classroom teacher is responsible for the education of all students in his/her class utilising the support of appropriate personnel. Support applies to both students who need extension and intervention. Therefore, it may be accessed by students who are high achievers as well as those who are experiencing difficulty.
The Student Support Teacher and Intervention Specialists provide collaboration, expertise, resources, testing support, coordinates the Student Support School Officers and acts as case manager for students with individual needs. The Student Support Program is a valued and effective component of the school curriculum. The program creates a flexible and diverse learning environment.
Student Support Committee
The school has a Student Support Committee for the purpose of considering the needs of students within the school. This committee is reviewed annually and is composed of the following: School Executive members, Student Support Teacher, teacher of child being reviewed and any relevant person with expertise that is applicable to the case being considered (a Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office representative if appropriate). The committee offers advice and these recommendations are implemented by the teacher.
Extension and Enrichment
At St Mary’s School we ensure all students are given every opportunity to reach their academic potential. The objective of the extension and enrichment, at all levels at St Mary’s School, is to cater for the specific learning needs of high achieving students. We offer opportunity for academic enrichment and extension, which is exciting, challenging and engaging. We also offer enrichment to students who have specific interests and needs.
We respond to individual needs within the parameters of the school’s structure. Extension and enrichment occurs across all areas of the curriculum to students identified by classroom teachers and in the school’s data collection. It is important that our students develop not only skills, but confidence and self-esteem through experiencing success and support.
English as an Additional Langauge or Dialect (EALD)
The school provides support for families who have English as their second language. Families will be supported from the enrolment process through to their transition into the classroom, and as members of our school community.
School Guidance Counsellor
Our School Guidance Counsellor works at our school nine days a fortnight. The School Counsellor works in a variety of ways to support the social and emotional wellbeing of the children at our school. Should you wish to speak to the School Counsellor, please make contact with your child’s class teacher.
Positive Education
At St Mary's, we explicitly teach a Postivie Education curriculum that has been developmentally sequenced from Prep through to Year 10. Our model aims to build a positive culture that places wellbeing at the heart of education.
Our curriculum is not a replacement for the implicit Positive Education that takes place every day through pastoral care, teaching and every interaction that staff have with our students. Rather, it is an explicit curriculum where students can be taught the key concepts of wellbeing so they can live healthy and fulfilling lives.
URSTRONG Friendship Program
In 2023, St Mary's launched the URSTRONG Friendship program across the whole school. Students learn about the language of friendship within their Health lessons, and staff use this language to foster a common language of friendship across the school.
Research shows that relationships are the heart of wellbeing and learning. When we get friendships right in schools, children flourish!
URSTRONG provides our teachers with a friendship skills curriculum that helps our students establish and maintain healthy relationships, manage conflict with kindness and increases their overall resilience.