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St John Paul II C o l l e g e

Gun gahl i n

Justice • Peace • Courage

2016

Table of Contents

Parish letter 2

Welcome from the Principal 3

Our Patron 5

Foundation Keys 6

Well-being and Learning Keys 7

Pastoral Care 8

Mentoring 9

Educational Philosophy 10

Self-Directed Learning 11

Curriculum 15

Learning Support Philosophy 18

Technology 19

Sustainability and healthy lifestyles 20

Co-Curricular activities 21

Uniform 23

School fees 24

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‘Empowered by the Spirit to Serve’

Welcome from the Parish

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Welcome from the Principal

Welcome to St John Paul II College! We are a Catholic co-educational College in Nicholls in Gungahlin. We commenced in 2013 with an intake of Year 7 students and are adding a year group every year so that, by 2018, we will be a 7-12 College with a student population of approximately 1200. Together with Good Shepherd Amaroo, Holy Spirit Nicholls and Mother Teresa Harrison, we are very proud to be offering a P-12 Catholic pathway in Gungahlin, ACT. In 2016 we will cater for Years 7-10.

St John Paul II College is a welcoming and inclusive learning community - a flagship college of best practice in education for the community. It offers a unique, innovative educational environment where every student can flourish. Diversity is embraced and learning outcomes are optimized for each individual through a pedagogical approach which maximises active student learning using brain based learning principles, an inquiry approach and a self-directed learning environment. Mobile devices enhance learning. The physical design of St John Paul II College facilitates the teaching and learning with open, flexible, adaptable spaces in a beautiful, state of the art campus.

Our philosophy includes knowing each student well and caring for them in a welcoming and secure environment. As a Catholic school, we aim to assist each student to develop all aspects of themselves, growing emotionally, socially, intellectually, spiritually and physically, supported by strong values and the principles of the Catholic faith. A Mentor Teacher works with each student to provide pastoral care and academic mentoring to support this holistic growth and development and to be a vital link between school and home.

An essential part of our life as a Christian community, is working together for the common good whilst fostering in each individual a feeling of belonging and of self-worth. At John Paul, we work together – parents, students and staff - to form this strong dynamic community. Close ties with Holy Spirit parish, the three Catholic primary schools in Gungahlin, our neighbouring schools and other ACT Catholic secondary colleges enrich the community.

St John Paul II College offers exceptionally well-equipped facilities designed for 21st century learning, a rigorous academic program and an innovative and supportive learning culture. These, together with recognition of the unique gifts that each student brings and high expectations of success for every student mean we are very well placed to enable young people to flourish.

I look forward to working with you.

Catherine Rey

Principal

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Our Patron and Motto

Justice • Peace • Courage

Pope John Paul II was born Karol Józef Wojtyła on 18 May 1920. In 1978, John Paul II made history by becoming the first

non-Italian Pope in more than four hundred years. He reigned as Pope until his death on 2 April 2005, the second-longest serving Pope in history.

John Paul II was acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. A vocal advocate for human rights and justice, John Paul II often spoke out about suffering in the world. He held strong positions on many topics, including his opposition to capital punishment. A charismatic figure, John Paul II used his influence to bring about political change and is credited with the fall of communism in his native Poland. In 1981 John Paul was shot and severely wounded in an attempted assassination. However, this didn’t deter him in speaking out against governments. People of all faiths admired his courage.

John Paul II significantly improved the Catholic Church’s relations with other faiths, he was a leader in ecumenism and universally praised for attempting to build greater understanding between Judaism, Islam and Christianity. He was also widely praised for his firm Catholic stances on particular issues. One of his key goals was to transform the Catholic Church, through promoting the spiritual renewal of the Church.

Pope John Paul II placed special emphasis on living a holy life, that our actions and relationships with one another should imitate Christ, by focusing on countless examples of holiness as an incentive for the people of our time. As the leader of the Catholic Church, he travelled the world, visiting more than 100 countries to spread his message of faith and peace.

Pope John Paul II’s love for young people brought him to establish the World Youth Days. The 19 WYDs celebrated during his pontificate brought together millions of young people from all over the world. At the same time John Paul II’s care for the family was expressed in the World Meetings of Families, which he initiated in 1994.

Church officials began the process of making John Paul II a saint soon after his death, waiving the usual five-year waiting period. In 2011 Pope John Paul II was beatified, a significant step in the process of becoming a saint. He was canonised on 27 April 2014. Following his canonisation, the College became St John Paul II College.

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FOUNDATION KEYS

Christ calls us to flourish as members of the

Catholic community of St John Paul II College

by:

• Following in the footsteps of

Pope John Paul II as living symbols

of justice, peace and courage

• Celebrating and nurturing the

uniqueness of each person

• Opening our hearts and minds to

wisdom through dynamic and

self-directed learning

• Honouring God in all people through

life-giving relationships

• Upholding the sacredness of creation

Transformed by the Spirit we are empowered to build the

kingdom of God

St John Paul II College

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St John Paul II College

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Pastoral Care

St John Paul College II is committed to developing partnerships between the school and home. Pastoral care structures aim to foster this relationship and to support students in their growth through adolescence into adulthood.

The College is dedicated to providing a physical and social setting that is safe and sup-portive. In this inclusive and reassuring environment, each person’s individual skills and talents can be nurtured, with student achievement and self-esteem being strongly promot-ed. Mutual respect and trust are seen as keys to developing a strong, positive culture. High expectations about behaviour, appropriate and caring relationships and ongoing support are integral elements of the College’s pastoral care initiatives.

We have a vertical House system which encourages leadership in older students, peer mentoring and ongoing relationships with House staff and fellow students. There are six Houses, each with its own unique identity. The community worked together to decide the names for each of the Houses. We chose inspirational “modern day” prophets: three men and three women, contemporaries of John Paul II, strong Catholic role models, one from each continent to symbolise the way John Paul II reached out to all four corners of the earth through his extensive travels. Each prophet particularly represents one of our core values or aspirations.

Kennedy

Ferré Drexel

Vanier

Maathai

Van Thuan

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MentoringThe Mentor relationship between student and Mentor Teacher is fundamental to the College philosophy of looking after each individual. The mentor relationship is a unique one where teachers use coaching techniques to develop each student’s capabilities, to challenge them both academically and personally and to provide support for growth and change.

The Mentor Teacher meets individually with each student in their care twice a term for an extended discussion that includes monitoring of academic progress and pastoral welfare. A report from that meeting is sent home to parents to provide opportunities for sharing of insights to build a strong partnership between student, school and home.

Discussions are organized around the concepts of Head (academic issues and progress), Heart (how the student is feeling within, relationships with friends and peers at school and relationships at home), Hands (involvement in both the JPC community and the broader community) and Spirit (the ability to be still and reflect on self, to cultivate their own spirituality and to reflect on our core JPC values of Justice, Peace and Courage). The report also includes a running spread sheet of assessment results. This provides a context for the academic discussion, allows Mentor Teachers to intervene quickly if there are any issues and gives parents feedback on academic progress.

The regular contact between Mentor Teacher and student, the development of trust and the depth of discussions often enable concerns or potential problems to surface quickly and allows parents, students and the school to work to address these together.

HEAD

HEART

HANDS

SPIRIT

RelationshipsYourselfFriends/classmatesTeachersFamily/home

Stillness Reflection:JusticePeace Courage

CommunityConnectionInvolvementResponsibility

TimetableClassworkIndependent learning timeAssignmentsHomework

HEADHEARTHANDSSPIRIT

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Educational PhilosophySelf-Directed Learning

Our educational approach at JPC is aimed at genuinely meeting the individual needs of all students and enabling each one of them to grow as a person and as a learner. This means, as teachers, knowing students well, knowing their needs and having in place structures to enable us to meet their needs. For students, a key element of our approach is for them to know themselves as learners and to be active in their approach to their own learning. We work to teach young people to be analytical and reflective about themselves, their strengths as well as those areas they need to develop, so that, with support, they can actively contribute to their own success, rather than experience school passively. Learning is more than English, Mathematics, Science and the other formal subjects of the Australian Curriculum, important though they are. It is about teaching students how to learn and igniting in them an excitement about learning. It is about becoming a life-long learner with all that implies and equipping them with the skills to be organized and self-managing in order to reach their goals and dreams.

Self-Directed Learning at JPC occurs in a very structured context which relies on explicit teaching of content and skills in classes, the integration of technology and the close monitoring of students through both the Mentor Teacher and classroom teachers. Integral to our philosophy is brain based learning and the development of a Growth Mindset and technology is an essential tool. We continuously reinforce with students the improvements and success that come with effort and persistence.

MentoringIndependent Learning

Explicit teaching

in the classroomTechnology

Focus on individual

student

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What is Self-Directed Learning (SDL)?

Self-directed learning (often called Personalised Learning or Blended Learning) is a set of learning principles, grounded in research and used across the world to transform schools both to meet the needs of learners in the 21st century and the needs of a global knowledge economy. In particular, it has been a key element of Finland’s educational system – recognised as leading the world in achieving excellent student educational outcomes – for the past thirty years.

It combines a set of elements – the physical design of the school, a technology enabled environment for each student, a “case management” approach to looking after individual students, team planning and teaching with teachers as expert designers of learning, explicit and rigorous teaching of content and skills and the expectation that students will take responsibility for their own learning. It recognizes that students learn in different ways, at different rates and require different levels of support for different tasks. It requires schools to find ways to enable individual students to have their learning needs met and recognizes that learning is significantly improved when individuals take control over their own learning. Research and practice shows that students’ level of engagement, motivation and learning are greatly enhanced by SDL. AT JPC, all of these elements come together.

How does SDL work practically?

• Each of the eight subject areas we teach has the equivalent of three hour-long lessons in a week. This is comparable with all other high schools. At John Paul, two of these hours are taught in “normal” classes. The third – the middle one in the week - is spent in independent learning time. We cover the same curriculum content (the Australian Curriculum) and do the same number of assignments as elsewhere. Teachers assign tasks or assignments to be completed each week in independent time.

• Students plan each hour of their independent learning time with their parents and then have their plan approved by their Pastoral Care teacher. They need to be very specific about what they want to achieve in each lesson of independent learning time. Teachers are rostered “on the floor” for each hour-long session. Students know which teachers are on the floor in particular areas at any given time and structure their plan around specialist teachers who they want to access for assistance. Students may change areas at the end of a session but must remain in their chosen area for the duration of the session. An extra hour of practical PE is built in each week for all students.

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• Teacher-run skills sessions also occur once a week in independent learning time for each year group to develop general skills or literacy and numeracy skills. Teacher led tutorials are also regularly offered for students who wish to go over particular aspects of work taught in class.

• Students are organised into three different levels during independent learning time, according to the level of support they need to succeed.

• The majority of independent learning sessions are for individual work and students work in a quiet, calm environment. Some sessions are designated for group work where students collaborate to complete group tasks. These collaborative sessions are allocated to particular areas away from where students are working individually.

• To meet learning outcomes, students may also negotiate individual or small group projects either as extension challenges or to meet individual learning needs.

• Students are required to regularly submit work done in independent learning time, either as part of their classwork portfolio or as completed assignments.

• Our online learning system “Moodle” enables students to access unit outlines, assignments and class work and notes from anywhere – either at school or at home. We strongly encourage parents to become familiar with Moodle also. It gives them a very good idea of the work students are doing, school and teacher expectations, assignment deadlines etc.

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How mentoring works as an integral part of Self-Directed Learning

• The Mentor relationship is key. The Mentor Teacher is the vital contact between teachers, parents and students. This teacher develops a close relationship of trust with the student and family and responds to individual circumstances in a case managed approach to ensure any issues that arise, either in the family or at school, are dealt with quickly and in consultation with the parents.

• Whilst the Mentor Teacher is available to the student and parents at any time, twice a term students meet individually with their Mentor teacher for a formal, in-depth discussion on their progress and to set and monitor goals. Mentor meeting transcripts are then e-mailed to parents. This is an integral part of our educational model as it is through this coaching approach that students reflect honestly and productively on themselves and their progress.

• As assignment results appear in the Mentor Report, this data adds a new dimension both to the mentor discussion and to the information that parents receive. We seek parental feedback and input following receipt of the report so that we can use parental knowledge and wisdom about their son or daughter to better help them succeed. Our aim is to develop a true partnership between student, school and home.

The importance of parents:

• Parents have a very important role at JPC. It is not to supervise homework in the same way as they may have done in primary school. They need to transition to a support role: to help their son or daughter with planning, thinking, reflecting.

• Each week students must complete an SDL timetable in consultation with their parents, reflecting on where their time is best spent. This weekly discussion with their parents is very important, not only in helping students plan but also in encouraging them to show parents the progress they are making and in keeping students accountable. Parental input and feedback play a key role in enabling us to respond better to individual circum-stances or need.

The role of technology (iPads, Desktop Macs, Moodle)

• Technology gives students the flexibility to easily access what they need for all of their work, both in classes and in independent learning sessions. Information Communication Technologies (ICT) are embedded into the curriculum and students are taught how to use various programs and apps in authentic situations. Paper resources, where students handwrite, also have their place. Working with students to educate them continuously on the appropriate use of technology in various situations is an ongoing task.

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Benefits of Self-Directed Learning

Using self-directed learning approaches has been shown to have the following benefits:

• Students demonstrate a greater awareness of their responsibility in making learning meaningful and monitoring themselves (Garrison 1997)

• Students develop curiosity and are more willing to try new things (Lyman 1998)

• Students view problems as challenges, desire change and enjoy learning (Taylor 1995)

• Students are more motivated, persistent, independent, self-disciplined, self-confident and goal orientated

• Self-directed learners are more effective learners, employing a range of strategies to problem solve.

• SDL enables students to individualise their own learning. Rather than spending a set amount of time in a class on a certain topic, they can spend the time they need, accessing individualised assistance if they meet barriers.

• SDL enables all students to learn self-management life skills and provides a greater level of support for those who need it through a variety of strategies as well as enabling gifted students to devise challenging enrichment projects.

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CurriculumThe Curriculum taught at St John Paul II College is the Australian Curriculum, and the Archdiocesan Religious Education Guidelines, Treasures New and Old.

YEAR 7

Students in Year 7 undertake a combination of subjects, which through a middle school approach, encourages a smooth transition to high school and gives St John Paul II College students every opportunity to achieve their full potential.

The Year 7 Curriculum consists of the following subjects:

Religious Education

Religious Education makes accessible to students the rich traditions of our faith, as a grounding to understand and interpret the presence of Christ among us. The beliefs and traditions of students and families from other faith backgrounds enrich the religious education experience for students at the College.

Integrated Subjects

The integrated approach allows students to make connections across disciplines, to understand the bigger picture and develop real world understanding.

Integrated Humanities encompasses English, History and Geography

Integrated Maths and Science.

Physical Education and Health which covers the development of practical physical skills and core health issues for adolescents.

Languages

Students choose either French or Chinese and they study this language as a core subject for two years.

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Electives

In 2015, students studied term units, completing four out of the five offerings of Food Technology, Music (Year 7 Band in Term 1), Woodwork, Art and Drama.

YEAR 8

Students in Year 8 undertake eight subjects. The integrated subjects taught in Year 7 are taught as discrete subjects from Year 8 onwards.

The Year 8 Curriculum consists of the following subjects

Religious Education

English

Mathematics

Science

Studies of Society and the Environment (History and Geography)

PE and Health

French or Chinese

Electives - in 2015, these are Sustainability, Media, Textiles Technology and Dance.

YEARS 9 and 10

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The Year 9 and 10 Curriculum follows a similar pattern of core and elective subjects as that studied in Year 8. However, from Year 9 onwards, students are no longer required to study a foreign language but may choose to continue their study of a language as an elective.

Elective units that students may select include Information Technology, Food Technology, Textiles Technology, Wood Technology, Sustainability, Visual Arts, Dance, Drama, Music, French and Chinese.

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Learning Support PhilosophyThe fundamental principle of the inclusive school is that all children should learn together, wherever possible, regardless of any difficulties or differences they may have. Inclusive schools must recognise and respond to the diverse needs of their students, accommodating both different styles and rates of learning and ensuring quality education to all through appropriate curricula, organisational arrangements, teaching strategies, resource use and partnerships with their communities.’ (‘Salamanca Statement 1994’ in Catholic Education Office Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn: Special Needs Learning Support Handbook, 2004, p.87.)

At St John Paul II College, staff promote a Growth Mind-Set which recognises that all students have a capacity to learn and to improve. Students are encouraged to develop a love of learning and to respect their own and each other’s potential. The recognition of the student’s unique gifts and individual challenges by the school are part of an inclusive culture within the College community.

A fundamental aim at the College is establishing effective partnerships with key people in the education process. Parents, teachers, students, and the wider community join together to identify student needs, consider the full range of available resources and work to provide educational opportunities that meet the unique needs of individuals. With the identification of individual student needs, we have a responsibility to actively accommodate these needs within an inclusive curriculum in the classroom.

A flexible curriculum and learning environment to meet the needs of all

The educational philosophy of personalised and individualised learning at the College aims to ensure that each student is able to flourish. In line with this, teachers devise teaching strategies to meet the unique learning needs of each individual in their class, working in a flexible and self-directed environment. The technology offered by mobile devices is a helpful tool in enabling this.

Support for students

Classroom teachers are primarily responsible for meeting the needs of all students in their classes. In order to ensure that they have the required skills and confidence to cater for students with disabilities, the College is committed to providing appropriate professional development and support to teachers. Conversely, teachers need to also meet the needs of students who may be specially gifted in certain areas and professional development and support are provided in these areas also.

Students with disabilities and special needs are identified during the transition process between primary school and secondary school. As part of this process, there is close liaison between the College and feeder primary schools to gain information about the student cohort, particularly those with disabilities or special needs. This close liaison with the school from which they have come also occurs in the case of students transferring to the College after the beginning of Year 7.

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Technology

Allowing learning anywhere, anytime

The physical design of the building, along with the use of technology, facilitates the educational vision of the College. Together with open, flexible, adaptable spaces, cutting edge technology including wi-fi across the College, strategically placed Mac Desktops and integrated use of iPads enables learning to occur anywhere anytime. The embedding of technology into the curriculum also allows for an expansion of time and place where student learning is not limited to one particular classroom or particular period of time.

Schools in the 21st Century, like workplaces and homes, integrate technology for communication, collaboration and intellectual achievement. Access to digital information, virtual tools and resources enhances the educational experience and achievements for students:

“Technology allows the tables to be turned. Instead of teaching (push), students can be given projects that allow them to learn (pull) the necessary material themselves. Key to this is the ability to get the information they need any time anywhere without being in the physical presence of a teacher”

John Page 2007.

Technology allows for high levels of engagement, for self-expression and, crucially, enables students to go at their own pace and in an order that suits them. As such, it is an ideal partner to the Self-Directed Learning philosophy of the College.

IPads are the central learning tool for students and Moodle (the JPC on-line learning platform) is the key element for students to access learning resources. Through Moodle, students and their parents have access to all of the information that students need for assignments, Independent Learning Time and classwork.

Families supply an iPad for their child.

Teachers are fully informed of any special educational needs of the students in their classes and are expected to develop strategies to ensure their full participation in the curriculum. These students may require additional learning support, provided through the Learning Support Teacher as well as modified curriculum and assessment procedures. For students identified with a disability an Individual Education Program (IEP) is developed.

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Sustainability and healthy life-styles

St John Paul II College recognizes that a key responsibility of schools is to teach students to live healthy lives. This has to be more than a theoretical approach in formal classes. The lived reality of the College needs to reflect what is learnt in the curriculum.

A key focus for the College, before it was even built, was to have a sustainable building and sustainable systems. This has resulted in a building which is not only beautiful and functional but which was built to the highest standards to ensure comfort whilst consuming minimum energy.

We engage the students in sustainable practices. Key initiatives include:

- a healthy canteen

- minimizing landfill waste and

- a kitchen garden.

All food served in the College canteen is prepared on the premises from fresh, locally sourced, unprocessed ingredients. No food is packaged and students and staff are encouraged to sit and enjoy their meal at tables using crockery and cutlery. Students are actively involved in the preparation of canteen food, both in Food Technology classes and during Independent Learning Time where they can also elect to occasionally spend an hour in the commercial kitchen assisting with food preparation for the day. They learn about healthy food and ethical choices and they learn to cook healthy and delicious meals. Students often also offer to assist in the canteen and commercial kitchen during recess and lunch breaks.

All students in Year 8 undertake Sustainability as an elective. They look at sustainability from a global perspective and a local perspective with a key focus locally being on the JPC energy systems and on the creation and maintenance of the kitchen garden.

Kitchen organic waste feeds the worm farm and is used to make compost and other waste is recycled. In time, the kitchen garden will supply much of the fresh produce for the canteen.

Sustainability is also an elective in Years 9 and 10.

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Co-curricular ActivitiesThe College believes that co-curricular activities are another important means of allowing individual students to flourish. It offers a growing range of enrichment activities to cater for the diverse interests and enthusiasm of students and staff.

The structure of Independent Learning Time enables some of these interests to be accommodated during the school day.

Sport

In 2015, we are continuing to run Weekend Sport teams (Netball and Basketball) and a Cheer Club. As the College grows we hope to be able to expand the range of Weekend Sport Teams on offer. Our students are also very well represented in local sporting teams and the College enters teams into many of the interschool competitions.

Students also have the opportunity to qualify for ACT teams in swimming and athletics. The PE staff are pro-active in opening up the hall for lunchtime games and activities and the College oval provides further opportunities for informal lunchtime sport.

Music

The College already provides a rich range of musical opportunities.

A growing Concert Band program enables students to be part of a concert band. The first term of the Year 7 music elective is devoted to students who wish to be part of a concert band, including beginning music students. Following that first term of intensive music, students who wish to continue are integrated into the College Concert Band.

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We also cater for students who love contemporary music through rock band and unplugged music programs. These cater for students who love to sing, play instruments and perform in a wide range of musical genres and styles.

Students can also access private music tuition through the College. Experts in their fields offer a wide range of vocal and instrumental tuition.

Aboriginal group

The College’s Aboriginal students run an indigenous group to learn more about their culture and to share it with each other and the community. They work with staff to prepare whole-school events to celebrate occasions such as Close the Gap, NAIDOC Week and Sorry Day and they work to educate the community about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and issues.

Lunchtime groups

Student initiatives are encouraged in this area. In 2015, a range of activities run at lunchtime. These include a Chess and Games Club, Debating, the Da Vinci Decathlon and Dance club.

Charity initiatives

Students have been most proactive in suggesting fund-raising events to support charities. They are supported by staff to plan and implement these fund-raising activities. Our Houses will also each adopt a House Charity in 2015 and student initiative will be key in leading fundraising for these charities.

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Uniform

Girls Winter UniformThe College red V-neck wool pulloverThe College short or long sleeve white shirt with contrast pipingThe College knee-length pleated skirt Black lace-up leather school shoes- traditional, polishable.Navy or black tightsOptional College navy weather-proof jacket

Girls Summer UniformThe College summer dress (knee-length)Black lace-up leather school shoes- traditional polishableWhite ankle socks

Boys Winter UniformThe College red V-neck wool pulloverThe College long sleeve blue shirtThe College tieThe College extendable dark grey pantsBlack lace-up leather school shoes- traditional, polishableGrey ankle or the College long socksOptional College navy weather-proof jacket

Boys Summer UniformThe College short sleeve blue shirtThe College extendable dark grey shortBlack lace up leather school shoes- traditional, polishableGrey ankle or the College long socks

Boys & Girls Sports UniformThe College short sleeve polo shirtThe College navy sports shortsTraditional sports shoesWhite ankle socksThe College tracksuitThe College hat

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School Fees 2015

Fee / Levy Year 7 Year 8 Year 9

CEO Tuition Fee – per student $797.00 per term $797.00 per term $818.00 per term

College Levy – per student $520.00 per term $520.00 per term $520.00 per term

Local Excursion Levy – per student $21.00 per term $21.00 per term $21.00 per term

Parent Levy – per student $31.00 per term $31.00 per term $31.00 per term

Camp Fee – per student $332.00 term 1 only

Building Fund – per family $153.00 per term $153.00 per term $153.00 per term

Total $1854.00 (Term 1)$1522.00 (Terms 2 -4)

$1522.00 per term $1543.00 per term

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St John Paul II College 1021 1021 Gungahlin Drive, NICHOLLS ACT 2913Phone (02) 6163 4800

Email: office.jpc@cg.catholic.edu.au Website: www.jpc.act.edu.au