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Oatley West Public School

Annual School Report 3797

Our school at a glance The school has an excellent and proud tradition of providing high quality public education. The school is focused on teaching the whole child and this is encapsulated by our eight core values of: care, cooperation, fairness, excellence, respect, responsibility, integrity and participation. The staff participates in a strong professional learning program to ensure that ‘best practice’ and quality education is delivered across the whole school. The staff provides a safe and nurturing environment where students are encouraged to try their best. The classrooms are stimulating and engaging and the students consistently produce high results across the school.

Students

Oatley West Public School (OWPS) had 18 classes in 2012 with 475 students across the school. We welcomed 78 Kindergarten students and 71 Year 6 students graduated in 2012. Approximately 35% of students are from language backgrounds other than English.

Staff

Our staff consists of a dedicated and hardworking team. OWPS has four Assistant Principals, nineteen classroom teachers as well as six support teachers for Relief from Face to Face teaching (RFF), English as a Second Language (ESL), Learning Support Teacher (LST) and Gifted and Talented Programs (G&T). OWPS is also home school for the School Councellor.

Significant programs and initiatives

In 2012, OWPS was involved in a number of programs. We continued with our Financial Literacy Program known as ‘Lifeskills’ and participated in a Chinese Sister School Visit as well as Drama, Talent Quest, St George Performing Arts Festival (SPAF), Debating, Number Crunchers and much more.

Student achievement in 2012

The school performed strongly in the NAPLAN results in 2012. We were above the State average in all aspects of Literacy and Numeracy and have continued to show steady growth.

In debating, we won the District Premier’s Competition and went on to be semi- finalists in the

Sydney Region Competition. We entered Number Crunchers and Emily represented our school at the finals day after winning the District.

Messages

Principal’s message At Oatley West Public School, we believe in being inclusive and working together as a team to strengthen and unite our school community. This report provides a summary of our achievements in 2012. It offers an overview of our priorities and the focus for our learning in 2013. We believe that children are unique and possess special abilities, needs and experiences. We have a commitment to developing children to their full potential in all areas. Our school enjoys a well-deserved reputation for high academic achievement, a tradition of excellence and a caring, supportive school environment. We hold high expectations for student achievement and provide a wide variety of learning and welfare programs for students. A positive environment forms the basis of our school culture and is a major factor in the success and happiness of students at our school.

There is strong recognition by staff of the need for continual improvement and to reflect upon and evaluate teaching and learning practices across the school. During 2012 there has been a specific focus on Literacy, Numeracy and Interactive Technology programs that ensure progressive Kindergarten to Year 6 teaching and learning programs. The school has a dedicated team with a depth of experience. The team is a strongly focused on improving the literacy, numeracy and technological achievements of all students through active student engagement and quality teaching practices.

In addition to the formal subject areas, students were given opportunities to participate in choirs, the school band, dance, drama, public speaking and debating. High standards were achieved by many children and the level of enjoyment was evident at each and every performance. Developmental sport and competitive inter-school sporting experiences in Primary School Sports Association (PSSA) teams, Cross Country, Swimming and Athletics Carnivals promoted an active, healthy lifestyle. School teams competed well, always displaying the highest levels of sportsmanship and fair play.

Many teams in both summer and winter competitions made it through to semi-finals and grand finals.

I certify that the information in this report is the result of a rigorous school self-evaluation process and is a balanced and genuine account of the school’s achievements and areas for development.

Paul Nash

Teachers involved in the China visit. Both school principals in the middle.

Parents and Citizens (P&C) Report

A number of achievements were accomplished in 2012 including:

1. School Photos P&C recommended The School Photographer be used following an investigation into various companies. In general the community was satisfied with this choice and has booked them for same time next March. P&C to evaluate again next year. Stacey Sheedy

2. Two P&C Working Bees were held to clean up an overgrown area in the ‘Yellow Brick Road area’ and to extend the Gardening Group’s vegetable patch; now using produce in the School Canteen. Jamieson Louttit, David Buchanan and Dads

3. Mathletics Online Computer Learning Tool organized at discount price. 170 parents joined. Tara Cowper

4. P&C Insurance offered by P&C Federation in 2012 was a new package requiring all P&C owned assets within the school to be listed in order to be insured. In future, every P&C event requires a ‘Notification of Events Form’ and ‘A Risk Management Plan’ to be sent to Federation two weeks prior to any P&C event e.g. Christmas Carols, Art & Craft Show. Leonie Eivers

5. Treasurer Update P&C’s move to consolidate accounts at CBA to increase transparency on sub-committee accounts, as well as reducing fees. Jacqui Borg • Art & Craft Show (A&C): The majority of fees

(approx. $2000) were merchant fees, so they have changed to ANZ (as they were the cheapest fees and also had a night safe facility for the Show weekend). A&C Show Coordinator Mark Wilson & Treasurer David Wilkinson

• Canteen Committee has changed provider to Westpac because the School banks through them and a courier now collects the money directly from the School (which is safer for personal reasons/theft than carrying cash to the bank). Kym Coleman

• P&C Commonwealth won’t do a better deal, so P&C have stayed with CBA. As for the Treasurer being able to see all accounts, we have the paper work and will transfer the signatures after the P&C AGM in November 2012. Jacqui Borg

Teacher Guest Speakers to inform School Community on Education issues:

• Virginia Morris: (Teacher’s Federation Representative) reported on ‘Local Schools: Local Decisions’ and how it could impact on schools.

• Natasha Eaton: Reported on National Assessment Program (NAPLAN). Displayed results in detail, and discussed weaknesses and strengths.

• Jennifer Tall: Brief demonstration on teaching grammar/literacy and suggested purchasing ‘The Teaching & Learning Pathway’ sets of books to assist teaching these skills.

Working with School Council

• for guidance in subsidising expenses for students representing OWPS at State and National Events

• for intervening with Hurstville Council Traffic Committee re P&C submission to improve

traffic congestion and student safety around the school. The submission was presented by P&C and significant community group representatives. The submission was adjusted by RTA and sent back to Council for approval of the works.

Committee’s Reports

Art & Craft Show: The final figure raised for 2012 A&C is $48,000. A huge thank you to everyone who made this possible. For those who are retiring from the show, thank you for all of your help.

Art and Craft Show Volunteers

The OWPS Art and Craft Show took place before the last weekend of March. A dedicated number of parents, carers and teachers joined forces to create an outstanding occasion. Those involved were rewarded with the uplifting experience of volunteering their services so that students of OWPS, and those who come after us can enjoy the fruits of their labour, just as we who are at the school presently, enjoy the valuable contribution of those who came before us.

Mark Wilson

Uniform Shop: investigating better quality jackets & hats. More comfortably designed Girls grey pants and pocket, & Netball skirts inbuilt pants.

Melissa Mason

School Banking: another successful year under new coordination. We applied for bulk orders, to ensure reward items are delivered by Commonwealth Bank on banking day. Three new volunteers recruited. Approx $350 deposited per week.

Helen Tang

Newsletter: Julianne Kennard & Sarah Kennedy have revamped the Newsletter. They have worked every weekend throughout the year to produce the community’s section of the Newsletter.

Environmental Landscape Management Plan: A Landscaping Committee is to be formed to prioritise an approach to the existing plan. Aim is to have priorities for the P&C 2013 Budget Requests meeting.

The funds raised during the year have been spent on:

1 STLA - Learning Support Teacher

3 half days (with the school to supplement the 4th half day)

$16000

2 Teacher/ student books, ‘Springboard into comprehension’ program for all students (Year K-6)

$8000

3 P&C Insurance (incorporates Canteen insurance)

$2500

4 Computer Tablets (similar to IPADS) x 4

$2500

5 Technology equipment comprising of mix of camera’s, web cam, CD Players

$1700

6 Year 6 End- of- Year Book $1500

7 Christmas Carols $1000

8 Drama props and costumes $500

TOTAL $33700

Leonie Eivers

Music Council

The Year in Review: 2012 has been another successful year for Music Council. More than 130 children are involved in the band and percussion power programs at Oatley West, and Music Council appreciates the continued strong support of school staff, parents and the band directors.

Students have represented the school proudly at a variety of performances throughout the year and have performed to a very high standard. Both Concert and Intermediate Bands received gold awards for their performances at the UNSW BandFest and Engadine Music Festival competitions.

Students have embraced the music opportunities offered to them this year:

• attendance at rehearsals and play outs has been excellent throughout the year;

• the inaugural full-day percussion power workshop was a big success and is expected to be added as a fixture on the Music Council calendar;

• band camp was held in May and provided an invaluable opportunity to prepare for upcoming band competitions;

• Oatley West was represented by some of our Concert Band students in Sydney Region Band and Sydney Region Orchestra.

Treasurer’s Report – Results as at 31 October 2012: As at 31 October 2012, Music Council is showing a profit of $10 500. This profit includes all fees that have been invoiced for all band and percussion power groups for 2012.

However, there are several large costs still to be paid which will reduce this result. These costs include Term 4 conductors’ fees as well as outstanding invoices for Term 2 & 3 for Peter Sampson and Term 3 (partial) for Danielle Buiaroski. Service costs for the 2011 hire/buy saxophones have yet to be submitted.

Bank Account

The reconciled balance of the Commonwealth Bank Cheque Account as at 31 October 2012 was $22 100.

Term Deposits

Our Commonwealth Bank Term Deposits were reinvested at 11 November 2012 for a further three month period and are currently valued at $24 200.

Forthcoming instrument purchases

Music Council expects expenses of approximately $16,000 for new instruments before the end of 2012. This expense includes new hire-buy instruments, as well as the purchase of extraordinary items (piccolo, baritone saxophone).

Carolyn Northcott

Concert Band at the opening of the St. George Music Festival

Oatley West OOSH 2012 Review

Staff:

Nominated Supervisor/Co-ordinator: Carolina Fernandez. Assistants: Lauren, Anne and Patrick. Trainee: Lauren

Education and Care Services National Law, Education and Care Services National regulation:

As of the 1st of January 2012, the National Regulations have been modified to create uniformity in the quality assessment for education and care services. Oatley West OOSH has been consistently following these regulations and implementing them in our daily programming and management of the Centre. Oatley West OOSH is linked to a long day care Centre in the Kogarah area as a result of this association we have been following the previous set of regulations since our opening.

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority, National Quality Framework:

Since the beginning of 2012 The Centre has initiated our approach to the New National Quality Framework. Oatley West OOSH has not yet been assessed under the new assessment process, but received a high quality standard under the old system and feels confident in its procedure to continue receiving high assessments in the future.

Continually developing and working on the Centre’s Quality Improvement Plan:

Oatley West OOSH has completed its Quality Improvement plan for this year; we will be reviewing and working through our 2013 Quality Improvement Plan in January.

My Time Our Place Framework:

This is the new framework set for School aged care centres. The Framework follows five Outcomes:

• Children have a strong sense of identity.

• Children are connected with and contribute to their world.

• Children have a strong sense of wellbeing.

• Children are confident and involved learners,

• Children are effective communicators.

Our program is set out to accommodate for all of these outcomes.

Registered staff for Nominated Supervisor (submitted and under assessment)

Registered staff for Certified Supervisor Certificate (submitted and under assessment)

Registered for service approval (submitted and under assessment)

Submitted all staff new working with children’s clearance checks (submitted and awaiting response)

Administration:

Centre Policies Manual revised, October 2012

Procedure and forms revised, October 2012

Food Handling Manual developed, October 2012

Staff handbook revised, October 2012

Centre Handbook and Enrolment form revised October 2012

Fees:

The Centre’s fees are set to increase by $1.00 per session in 2013. $1.00 is the normal fee increase per annum. The Centre continues to struggle with Parents/guardians paying their fees. As a result from 1st January 2013 the fee payment system will convert to Ezi debit. 60% of our parents are already on this payment system. We hope to alleviate budgeting and finanical pressure for both parents and management by having fortnightly payments being paid via Ezi debit.

Centre’s Program in Review

Before and After School Care:

Attendance has continued to be steady. Our centre has large numbers for both Before School Care and After School Care, reflecting that we are providing a service that the parents of OWPS, both use and need.

Before School Care: The morning program reflects a homelike environment. Quiet activities such as craft, drawing, homework, TV as well as breakfast are made available. Group sporting games are encouraged when the weather is appropriate.

Wake and shake, program: This program has been introduced to encourage team collaboration between all children at the Centre. Every morning the children choose a song and choreograph a movement and exercise routine which they perform before final bell. All children participate in this program.

Before School Care has restarted using the connecting Kindergarten room more during its program, as a result of higher student attendance.

The Kindergarten balcony is continuously used for children’s bag storage and activities. When possible or suitable, the use of this area has decreased the pressure to use the Kindergarten room.

After School Care: The Centre has employed a sports instructor for Monday afternoons. This was at the request of the children and parents.

They felt that their child/ren where missing out on extra curricula sporting activities by attending OOSH.

Afternoon tea: Carolina the Centre’s Nominated Supervisor has worked with the parents, children and staff to provide a nutritious afternoon tea that is both healthy and filling.

Popular Centre program themes:

Healthy eating and the food pyramid

Different mediums of art work

Natural play spaces

Group team building skills

Community event days

Vacation Care: The vacation care program continues to grow. The Centre’s staff, researched great new activities and experiences for the children to participate in. They surveyed both the parents and children to incorporate all ideas into the program. This effort has continued to result in high attendance numbers. We find that many parents are on holidays, but still send their children to participate in these great activities.

Some recent activities include; Florist creations, Wheels day, Sewing day, Deep Water Sea Creature- Australian Museum and Sushi making.

Contributing to our community:

During the September vacation care program the children held a carnival day which raised money for the Sydney Children’s Hospital. The day encouraged children to think about others less fortunate than themselves. The children received a certificate of appreciation from the Hospital which they all were proud of.

Value Leaf System:

The Centre continues to implement the Schools Value Leaf System into its program. The program has seen many positive changes in children’s behaviour at OOSH. The children have responded positively to

knowing the program and having a clear understanding of what a yellow, red or green leaf means. Continuous behaviour expectations have been set, and positive green leaf rewards are received for encouragement. This program has assisted parents in understanding that we are consistent with all children’s behaviour expectations.

2013 Goals

To assist parents with transitioning to the Centre’s compulsory Ezi debit payment system.

To continue to provide a resourceful team of staff.

For our program to reflect key aspects of the, My Time Our Place, Framework.

To research and potentially plan for the Centre to have its own building on site.

To continue working under the new National Quality Frameworks and Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations.

To provide a safe and nurturing environment for OOSH children.

Continuous development of our Quality Improvement Plan.

Fiona Keyes Director

Student representative’s message

This year the Student Representative Council (SRC) met fortnightly on Mondays. Throughout the year we held four mufti days raising money for different causes.

Firstly in Term 1, we had a Purple for Epilepsy Mufti Day to raise money for the treatment, care and research into epilepsy. The playground was a sea of purple people and we raised over $600.

In Term 2, we had our annual Stewart House fundraiser and this year we sold very popular sparkly bouncy balls. Everyone came dressed in sparkly clothes and we raised a mammoth $1500 towards this worthy cause. Stewart House provides a holiday destination by the sea and medical attention to students who may never get an opportunity to have

that experience. It is also a charity supported annually by teachers.

In Term 3, we chose to raise money for Jeans for Genes Day.

Year 6 SRC Leaders – Talia, Sophie, Grace, Ben, Mitchell and John

This charity raises much needed money for medical research. This helps scientists learn more about birth defects or genetic diseases. They hope to extend the lives of children everywhere. On this day the SRC drew an enormous pair of jeans on the basketball court and all the classes placed a gold coin around the outside. We raised $480 that day.

In Term 4, we had our International Mufti Day. This day raises money to pay for the sponsorship of our World Vision child Mateus Pedro who lives in Mozambique Africa. Children dressed up in clothes/costumes of a country of their choice. It was a fun day.

The SRC don’t just organise days for raising money for charities, we unite the whole school by allowing students to express their ideas on how to improve it. There have been many great suggestions made this year, some of which have been completed and some we are continuing to work on. These include- wire around the multi- purpose room to stop handballs going under, better toilet paper in the toilets, more garbage bins in the caterpillar area and a suggestion box to allow students to select music for the daily PA broadcasts.

Many thanks to Mr Nash and Mrs Laurence for taking us all on a variety of out of school excursions to leadership conferences and educational functions, and for supporting our work in the school. We will always remember our year as SRC Presidents.

We have had many wonderful experiences, fantastic people to work with and will leave Oatley West with many happy memories.

John and Grace- on behalf of the SRC Seniors

School context

Student information

It is a requirement that the reporting of information for all students must be consistent with privacy and personal information policies.

Student enrolment profile

Student Attendance Profile

Gender 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Male 209 228 230 251 256

Female 228 233 220 202 214

Total 437 461 450 453 470

Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

K 97.5 96.9 97.1 96.4

1 96.5 97.7 96.1 94.8

2 96.6 96.9 97.3 94.9

3 96.9 96.8 97.5 95.6

4 95.4 95.9 96.6 96.0

5 96.4 97.1 95.5

6 97.6 95.9 95.4 96.9

Total 97.1 96.7 96.7 96.6 95.8

Post-school destinations

We had 69 Year 6 students complete primary school in 2012. These students dispersed to 26 different high schools. We had two students placed in Selective High schools at North Sydney Boys and Sydney Girls.

Staff information

It is a requirement that the reporting of information for all staff must be consistent with privacy and personal information policies.

In 2012 Mrs. Sue Ross was appointed as Assistant Principal to begin in 2013, replacing Mrs. Wendy Chalmers. Mrs. Jennifer Tall was appointed as Assistant Principal in 2012, replacing Mr. Frank McKenny. Mrs. June Playford was appointed in the Learning and Support Teacher position. Mrs. Rita Fitzpatrick was appointed as the Teacher Librarian replacing Mrs. Lee Patterson. Both Ms. Kathleen Warren and Mr. Levi Burr were appointed as permanent classroom teachers. Ms. Benita Clark was appointed as the School Chaplain in 2012.

Ms. Myrosia Iwasyk and Ms. Sue English retired from teaching after a thirty plus year career. We wish them all the best in the future.

Ms English and Ms Iwasyk at their final Xmas Concert

Staff retention

Two teachers retired in 2011.

Staff establishment

Position Number Principal 1 Assistant Principal(s) 4 Classroom Teachers 16 Part Time Teacher 0.8 Teacher RFF 0.798 Support Teacher Learning Assistance 0.1 Teacher Librarian 1.0 Teacher of ESL 0.1 Counsellor 1.0 Total Teacher Entitlement 24.698 School Administrative and Support Staff 3.382

The National Education Agreement requires schools to report on Indigenous composition of their workforce. There were no indigenous teachers at the school in 2012.

Teacher qualifications

All teaching staff meets the professional requirements for teaching in NSW public schools.

Three of our teaching staff completed the NSW Institute of Teachers Accreditation requirements and one teacher updated their NSW Institute of Teachers Requirements which is due every five years.

Qualifications % of staff

Degree or Diploma 100

Postgraduate 24

Financial summary

This summary covers funds for operating costs and does not involve expenditure areas such as permanent salaries, building and major maintenance.

Date of financial summary 30/11/2012

Income $ Balance brought forward 123596.67 Global funds 283652.11 Tied funds 83960.92 School & community sources 220791.16 Interest 6882.99 Trust receipts 26780.81 Canteen 0.00 Total income 745664.66

Expenditure Teaching & learning

Key learning areas 40671.35 Excursions 51525.60 Extracurricular dissections 70690.45

Library 9194.87 Training & development 5633.04 Tied funds 100742.86 Casual relief teachers 57900.53 Administration & office 86669.40 School-operated canteen 0.00 Utilities 52187.94 Maintenance 42224.98 Trust accounts 22720.25 Capital programs 64950.25 Total expenditure 605111.52 Balance carried forward 140553.14

A full copy of the school’s 2012 financial statement is tabled at the annual general meeting of the School Council and/or the parent body. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school.

School performance 2012

Achievements

Arts

Senior Dance Group

This year saw the introduction of a senior girls’ dance group. The group was comprised of 16 girls from years 5 and 6. The girls rehearsed during lunch times to learn a routine to perform at the St. George Performing Arts Festival in Term 3. The music was Ray Charles ‘Shake Your Tail Feather’, and the choreography was largely inspired by the

Blues Brothers movie. The girls worked extremely hard to learn their routine and were very excited to perform at the festival. We also danced at Kindergarten Orientation and the school Performing Arts Evening.

Jennifer Tall Drama Groups

This year students in both Stage 3 and, for the first time, Stage 2 had the opportunity to participate in Drama Groups. The two groups ran from Term 3 and were held weekly, during lunch times. The end result of these meetings was a spectacular performance night held at the end of Term 4 with stellar performances from each group.

Stage 2 Drama Group meetings were based on building dramatic skills and stagecraft. Students experimented with mime, improvisation and voice projection. In small groups, students improvised and developed scenes that required them to negotiate and collaborate together. The group decided to base their scenes around Fairy Tales, connecting with learning explored in library lessons. The enthusiasm and imagination of this group was a credit to the students involved, and we hope they will continue to participate in Drama Group.

The Stage 3 production, The Hysterical History of the Trojan War, was the first full scale production developed at Oatley West. Students had to memorise lines, build sets and costumes, develop their own characters, rehearse twice a week and extend their stagecraft to encompass all aspects of putting on a play. The commitment of this group was outstanding and all students took on new responsibilities to develop the production to its full potential. The success of both groups would not have been possible without the passion and commitment of the teachers involved, with four teachers volunteering their time to expand the creativity and potential of Oatley West students. Enormous thanks go to Sarah Morgan, Stephanie Aravanopolous and Natasha Eaton for their dedication and support.

Kathleen Warren

Hip Hop Dance Class

This year students from years 3-6 had the opportunity to expand their dance skills with the introduction of a Hip Hop dance class. Classes were held weekly, at lunchtime, and run by Craig Maguire from Pulse Studios. An enthusiastic and committed group of children were taught a range of dance moves, choreographed to popular music. The dance group showcased their high energy routine at the O.W.P.S. Performing Arts Evening.

Kat Colbert and Paola Auciello

Stage 2 – Dance 2 B Fit

Throughout Term 4, students from 3N, 3M, 3/4K, 4G and 4/5S took part in the Dance 2 B Fit program. Each lesson was conducted by a professional dance teacher who instructed the students in a range of styles including Gangnam style and the Cha Cha. Our instructor Paul made the lessons fun for all of the students, and we noticed an improvement in co-ordination and fitness as a result.

Jennifer McDonald

Oatley West Has Talent

Oatley West Has Talent! Students across year Two to Six were invited to participate in this program. This allowed the many talented performers at Oatley West Public School to showcase their many abilities. Musicians, actors, singers and dancers ‘a like’ graced the stage. Oatley West Has Talent was left with 8 Finalists. The Finalists performed their acts in front of the school with the help of stage hands and a sound crew made up of students. The act Oatley West Teachers Have Talent was declared the winner as judged by the SRC and the teachers. Selected finalists were invited to perform as part of the kindergarten orientation program. The winning act of Oatley West has Talent performed at the Oatley West Performing Arts Evening.

Stephanie Aravanopoulos

Our Talent Quest Rock Band

Sport

Rugby League Medallists

Ten teams won Georges River District PSSA premierships during 2012: the Senior and Junior Girls Cricket , Junior and Senior Boys Football, Senior Girls Football, Junior Boys’ Oztag team, Junior Boys Touch football, Senior Boys Basketball, Junior Girls Oztag and Senior Girls Oztag.

Thirteen children progressed to State level in PSSA Area teams in Basketball, Football, Athletics and Rugby League.

Two children progressed to National level in PSSA Athletics.

Students participated in a wide range of sports over the three sporting seasons including: Tennis, Fitness Fun, Golf, Cricket, Football, Netball, Tee ball, Softball, Newcombe Ball, Oztag, Rugby League, Touch Football, Basketball, Dance 2 Be Fit (Stages 1 and 2) and Gymnastics (Stages 2 and 3).

The School Sports program endeavoured to provide skills to enable students to participate in minor games and to prepare them for PSSA selections. Other successes include:

Cross Country – first in the GRDPSSA district carnival on points.

Athletics – first in the GRDPSSA district carnival on points and handicap points.

Open Age Rugby League team – winners of the Open A division

St George Dragons NSW All Schools Round Robin. Jeffrey Sheinwald and Julie Knott

Stage Sport on the courtyard

Mr. Smart Ex Olympic Medalist with Mr. Nash – Sports Awards Assembly

Academic

Chess Club

The Sydney Academy of Chess once again conducted chess classes at the school throughout 2012. Many K-2 students participated this year and benefited greatly from the experience. Chess is a valuable activity for children in that it develops their logical thinking skills, concentration and discipline as well as being a source of much enjoyment. Experienced chess instructors attend weekly lunchtime lessons providing tuition to both advanced and beginner players. A school chess tournament, open to all chess players, was held at the end of the year with successful players receiving trophies. The large chess set in the school playground has continued to be popular with students enjoying many challenging games with their friends.

Anne Laurence

Number Crunchers

With a focus on extending our gifted mathematicians, students from Year 6 were offered the chance to participate in the Number Crunchers Program. Students in Year 6 completed five weekly rounds of written questions each Monday morning for five weeks. Students had 10 minutes to complete each quiz. They involved both multiple choice and free response questions. Results were then collated at school and after all five rounds, the top five students from Oatley West Public School were selected.

These students then attended a cluster Final at Penshurst Girls. Our five finalists did extremely well being the only school to have all five representatives standing after seven rounds. Oatley West Public School was successful in having Emily be the winner of the cluster final. Daniel represented Oatley West Public School at the Golden Pi Challenge reciting Pi decimal places

Emily represented Oatley West Public School at the Grand Final of Number Crunchers at the Powerhouse Museum. The format was similar to a "Spelling Bee", with answers calculated mentally and given in spoken form. The last non-eliminated student to give correct solutions is acknowledged as the Number Crunchers Champion.

Stephanie Aravanopolous

Debating

Debating started for the first time in many years at Oatley West PS. Two teams were formed and were made up of twelve Year 6 students. The two teams were entered into the Premiers Debating Challenge which is a state wide competition. The Blue Debating Team made up of Grace, Gemma, Lewis, Ryan, Sophie and Justin finished third at the District Level.

The Red Team made up of Sarah, Daniel, Klaudia, Alexandra, John and Henry won the District Competition. They then went on to compete in the Sydney Region Competition where they finished off as semi-finalists just missing out on the finals. Both teams did exceptionally well.

Gemma tried out for the Regional Team as an outstanding debater and did exceptionally well just missing out on making the team in the final round.

Natasha Eaton

The Debating Team at Oatley

Public Speaking

During 2012, Oatley West Public School continued to provide a very comprehensive public speaking program. Our school Public Speaking Competition was held in Term 3. All students had the opportunity to participate in public speaking at a class level, where they prepared a speech on a topic of their choice. Students from each class were selected to compete in a Grade final and successful students then went on to speak in Stage final. In Kindergarten each student presented their prepared speech. In stages 1, 2 and 3 the students also had to present an impromptu speech.

The winners of each stage represented Oatley West Public School at the Georges River Network Public Speaking Competition which was held in October. Our successful Public Speakers also showcased their talent at a later date compering Oatley West’s Creative Arts Evening.

Maria Hatzistergos

Technology

In 2012, Technology was chosen as the RFF focus. Our emphasis was on teaching computer skills and using the computer and other technology as a part of the learning process.

Students participated in activities that assisted in the development of their ability to: • Use computer-based technologies to locate,

access, evaluate, manipulate, create, store and retrieve information;

• Express ideas and communicate with others, using computer-based technologies;

• Develop an awareness of the range of applications of computer-based technologies in society;

• Discriminate in the choice and use of computer-based technologies for a given purpose;

• Develop the confidence to explore, adapt and shape technological understandings and skills in response to challenges.

Maria Hatzistergos

Mind Marathon

The Mind Marathon is an initiative of East Hills Boys Technology High School. Schools from all over the state are invited to send teams of year 5 and year 6 boys to compete in a tournament of the minds. The day is run in sections including general knowledge, Maths, Science, English, History and problem solving. The boys work as a team to solve problems and answer questions. This year was our first year and we sent two Year 5 teams and one Year 6 team. The boys did very well and really enjoyed the day. Although we did not finish in the top three place getters, the boys were very proud of their achievements.

Our Year 5 teams placed 6th and 14th out of 17 teams. The year 6 team placed 5th out of 23 teams.

Jennifer Tall

Other

Mortdale Oatley Baptist Church (MOBC)

Every day I see members of Mortdale Oatley Baptist Church helping children at our school. There are seven mentors who have been trained by Barbara Westbury. They are Linda Swaine, Robyn Fuller, Deb Boston, Gai Pascoe, Caroline Cotter, Louise Radcliffe and Margaret Reakes. Three more mentors are joining the team next year. The mentors give freely of their time and help students individually with reading and comprehension programs. The mentors offer individual tuition in areas where the children are experiencing difficulty. This one on one approach allows the children to work at their own pace in identified problem areas. Consequently the students develop confidence in themselves and become more settled at school.

Barbara Westbury commenced the Transition to High School course in 2009. This course runs for eight weeks and is taught to all year six students. The program prepares students for the changes they will encounter from the first day of high school. We have received feedback from several parents that this course has given their child the confidence to tackle the hurdles presented by high school. Included in the course are study techniques, memory skills, mind maps and organisation skills. Following his success last year, Peter Dymock ran the course again this year.

Barbara Westbury oversees the above programs. Barbara is sponsored by Mortdale Oatley Baptist Church for one day a week and has provided individual attention to over thirty seven students since 2009. Barbara focuses on basic skills in English, Maths, Reading and Comprehension developing confidence and resilience in students.

Staff greatly appreciate the help of the parishioners MOBC have offered the children of OWPS.

Paul Nash

Environment Report

This year OWPS has continued to integrate the school’s unique location and environment into its teaching practices. An Environmental Policy has been drafted this year and will be released early 2013. With the ever increasing awareness of how precious our land is, OWPS has endeavoured to use the school’s natural surroundings and embed them into the curriculum.

Highlights this year include:

• Our Spring Walkathon, where students were able to explore the local park and appreciate its beauty.

• The school gardening group working together on the school’s garden and are now using produce grown on the premises as part of the canteen menu.

• Purchasing a surveying program for students, staff & parents to use (this will save on paper usage).

Sarah Morgan

NAPLAN

In the National Assessment Program, the results across the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracy assessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 to Band 10.

The achievement scale represents increasing levels of skills and understandings demonstrated in these assessments.

Yr 3: from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6 (highest for Year 3)




At Oatley West Public School we performed above the state average across all aspects of literacy and numeracy in both Years 3 and 5. The results can be seen below or visit the ‘myschools’ website for further information.

http://www.myschool.edu.au

Reading – NAPLAN Year 3

In Reading 93% of our Students achieved at or above minimum standards with 63% achieving in the top two bands 5 and 6 .

Numeracy – NAPLAN Year 3

In Numeracy 96% of Year 3 Students achieved at or above minimum standards with 51% achieving in the top bands 5 and 6.

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Percentage in bands: Year 3 Reading

Percentage in BandsSchool Average 2008-2012SSG % in Bands 2012State DEC % in Bands 2012

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Percentage in bands: Year 3 Numeracy


http://www.myschool.edu.au/

Reading – NAPLAN Year 5

In Reading 94% of our Students achieved at or above minimum standards with 44% achieving in the top two bands 7 and 8.

Numeracy – NAPLAN Year 5

In Numeracy 94% of Year 5 Students achieved at or above minimum standards with 46% achieving in the top bands 7 and 8.

Significant programs and initiatives Lifeskills 2012 The Lifeskills program commenced in Term 2, with students having an opportunity to apply for paid positions in a range of roles. The management structure was formulated and positions filled from CEO, the Board of Directors and Treasury, to the many activities offered and co-ordinated in this program. By mid Term 2, we had our new banking system in place which serviced all students K-6 and which operated two days per week.

Students in Years 2-6 were able to work in Market Days. Students had to submit a business proposal to trade at these events, price items for sale, prepare marketing strategies and estimate the float they would need. This year hosted the largest Market Days experienced in our school with 31 stalls in operation for the first event followed by 42 stalls in the second Market Day. The extended school community enjoyed taking part in Market Days on our Open Day during NSW Education Week in Term 3.

During Terms 3 and 4, school auctions enabled the stakeholders to spend their money (RedBacks) on items bought and auctioned at school assemblies.

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Percentage in bands: Year 5 Reading


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Some of the most sought after items included skateboards, stuffed toys, smiggle goods and sporting equipment, bringing great satisfaction to those students who had saved and worked hard in this mini version of our financial society. Also in Term 3, members of our Lifeskills Society were invited by Milperra Public School to participate in their Trade Fair. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to investigate the types of businesses and management strategies employed by another financial society, with many returning to school with new and exciting ideas to be implemented into our Lifeskills program.

This program at Oatley West has been a resounding success in 2012, with approximately 250 students and 8-10 teachers involved in its operation on a weekly basis. Given that the activities take place for 25 minutes only during lunchtime, this is an amazing achievement for the school.

Congratulations to CEOs Kirana and Lewis and their Board of Directors for a very successful effort in 2012.

Nadine Saul - Coordinator

Chinese Sister School Visit to Oatley West

From Monday 30th of July to Thursday 2nd of August this year, our school community played host to a visit from our Chinese Sister School, Gaoqiao Primary School. Never have our school values been more evident than in the way students, school staff and parents welcomed our guests and included them in our activities.

Throughout the week, which coincided with Education Week, the Chinese students experienced a taste of life in an Australian school and with an Australian family. They participated in regular lessons in all stages, took part in our Mini Olympics and Life Skills Market Day. Gaoqiao students visited open classrooms and learnt about our natural environment and Aboriginal culture through bushwalks and a visiting performance. They performed at a formal school assembly where they showcased their own artistic talent and also enjoyed a farewell sausage sizzle “Aussie style” at Oatley Park thanks to our School Club.

Students were billeted out with families from our school where they spent three nights being involved in their host family’s daily lives and activities.

The six teaching staff who accompanied the Chinese students learnt much about the Australian school system through observations and discussions led by an interpreter.

It was a heart-warming sight to watch students from K – 6, interact with our visitors and make new friends. We witnessed an example of this at recess on the Monday morning as Oatley West students of all ages were approaching the Chinese children with basketballs or handballs and an enormous smile, motioning for them to come and play. Even the quietest Chinese students found this hard to resist. Our students demonstrated kindness and consideration throughout the week in so many ways. Our SRC Seniors were invaluable in the running of the formal assemblies and all our visitors were impressed by the behaviour and enthusiasm of our students.

A large part of the success of this week is due to the kindness and consideration of our 24 wonderful Host Families. We thank them once again for opening their hearts and their homes to the Chinese students. The Gaoqiao teachers left praising the families for their warmth and generosity. As one Chinese teacher said to us “Everyone is so sunny”. We are proud to be part of such a wonderful school and community.

We would also like to thank our Mandarin speaking families, both parents and students, who offered their assistance and support in translation both at school and at Oatley Park. Thank you very much for giving up your time to help us.

The week would not have been possible without the vision and drive of Paul Nash. From the moment he suggested this at a staff meeting last year until our guests got on the bus at ten to 5 on the Thursday

afternoon, Paul has worked beside us and incredibly supportive to both of us. Whatever we have needed, Paul has been only too happy to help. We can't thank him enough for allowing us to embark on such an exciting program and feel truly blessed to have such a great boss! We don't know how he did it, but Paul managed to be involved in every part of the week whilst still organising the Hurstville Zone Music Festival and attending to all his other normal duties.

We must also thank all of the staff at Oatley West. Each one of them helped us in some way and despite many missing out on their release time and having valuable classroom time once again dwindle away, every morning, they came up to us and asked how they could help. The Admin staff provided assistance whenever it was required and we are thankful for their contribution in making the visit a success. The Oatley West Staff are a fantastic bunch of people and we are most grateful for their support and encouragement.

Each staff member, all the students and their families and the broader school community will take something from this week. We are very proud to have been a part of it. Jennifer McDonald and Rita Fitzpatrick

Host Family Survey Results

Positives about the visit:

• Everyone learnt something • Provided an insight into family life and schooling

in China • Provided the Chinese students with a taste of

Australian culture and lifestyle

• Sense of community was enhanced through the visit

• Children formed bonds within a short time • Combined Host Family gathering at Masonic Club

on their final night with the students was excellent- decreased the sense of isolation for the Chinese students

• School organisation and communication was excellent

• Daily emails to host families were very beneficial • Developed empathy for others within Oatley West

children • Communication between children was not as

great a problem as it was between adults and Chinese students

• The mix of activities allowed for the students to get to know one another in both formal and informal settings

• Caused Oatley West families to reflect upon their own values

• Our son learnt that Harry (our Chinese student) was just the same as him but he just comes from a different country

• “Thank you so much… you have definitely changed Chinese students’ lives and our family will remember this experience for ever”

Areas for Improvement:

• Some families were overwhelmed by the activities in Education Week

• Needed more opportunity to see “normal” classes and routines

• Lack of English prohibited communication somewhat- Google translator was very handy

• More information about the Chinese students before they arrived would’ve helped host families

• Greater use could’ve been made of the red folder given to each Chinese student- emphasis on them completing diary entries with their host families each day

• A host family de-brief throughout the visit to allay any fears or solve problems

Ideas for the future:

• Sister school visits should include a weekend or extra day

• Better communication between schools • Mandarin classes at Oatley West • Host families be provided with a sheet of

English/Chinese words and characters in a picture dictionary format

• Better provisions for after school needs • Translated version of canteen menu

Staff Member Survey Results

Positives about the visit

• Valuable exposure to another culture • Insights into different school system and lifestyle • OWPS program was great • Cooperation from all members of the community;

parents, staff and students

Areas for improvement:

• Structure the visit so that all classes can benefit equally from the experience

• Better supervision from the Chinese teachers • More of a balance between “normal” classroom

activities and “special events” • More opportunity for classroom learning • Better communication with Chinese teachers re

expectations about the visit

• Need to inform the Chinese teachers of Australian cultural norms and our values before they visit

• OOSH and after school care providers didn’t have enough information

Ideas for the future:

• Provide more “normal” school days in the programme

• Any O.S visit would need careful planning • Billet in China should be in University (dorm style)

accommodation • Chinese teachers take a more active role in

supervision of their students, both after school and throughout the day

• Students could bring a project to complete in English

• An exchange every second year • Utilise connected classrooms to build familiarity

and establish relationships before the visit • Greater exchange of information before the visit

Kindergarten Transition

A strong school and community commitment was evident throughout the duration of the Kindergarten Transition Program for 2012. Three orientation sessions were planned for both students and their parents to become familiar with their school surroundings, meet teachers and discover the many types of activities the children will be participating in during their first year of school. Sessions commenced in Term 4 and children and their parents were entertained by the Kindergarten Bears and Smurfs as

they performed “The Gruffalo” and our exceptional Talent Quest Finalists.

This performance was followed by a tour of our school grounds. New Kindergarten children met their Year 5 Buddies and completed activities together during the second session. Parents met in the hall and were warmly welcomed to our school by “School Club” and “Uniform” Parent Committees, who also provided afternoon tea.

The strong community commitment continued for the final session of Orientation, where numerous groups and representatives joined together to provide parents with information about our school and the various programs on offer, such as Lifeskills, Scripture, Banking, P&C, and Canteen. Stunning performances by Junior Choir, Concert Band and our Senior Girls Dance Group were a highlight of the final visit. During this time the children continued to strengthen their friendship with their buddies as they participated in social activities and interacted with the Kindergarten teachers as they worked closely together on classroom activities.

A separate Information Night for new parents was held to provide an insight into starting school at Oatley West and a School Information package was distributed to parents. Our Canteen Committee provided a scrumptious light supper for parents to enjoy on the night. Six student speakers from Kindergarten, Year 5 and Year 6 enthusiastically presented impressive speeches to parents throughout the program.

The school and community worked positively together to prepare a successful transition program for new kindergarten children and sessions were well attended by both children and parents.

Nadine Saul

OATLEY WEST PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARY

Mission Statement

The Library’s mission is to provide a welcoming, information rich centre, which stimulates a love of literature and promotes academic excellence. The Teacher Librarian collaborates with teachers to design and deliver educational programs that develop information, literacy and knowledge based learning, which will equip students with the skills to become independent lifelong learners.

The Library aims to enhance student learning outcomes by implementing, enriching and supporting the teaching and learning program of Oatley West Public School

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

GET CAUGHT READING: NATIONAL YEAR OF READING 2012

The National Year of Reading 2012 is about children learning to read and keen readers finding new sources of inspiration. As part of the National Year of Reading, our library held a competition for our students to “Get Caught Reading” in some unusual places. There was a huge response and we had photos of students reading under tables, in planes, dentist chairs, washing baskets and so on.

Each photo was displayed in the Library and it became a focal point with students poring over the images. Each entry received a prize as the Teacher Librarians couldn’t choose the best one as they were all fantastic!

READER OF THE MONTH

As part of the National Year of Reading, we initiated a new column for the school newsletter on a monthly basis, where we highlight a student who is a keen reader. Each month we interviewed a student, to find out what they like to read and why they have chosen those books. We hope to inspire other students in our school to “keep reading”.

NAIDOC WEEK PERFORMANCE As part of our NAIDOC week celebrations, an incursion by the Indigenous performer Ryka Ali and his Grandmother performed at our school in August this year. Ryka and his Grandmother introduced traditional songs and dances from both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultures. They invited a number of our students and teachers from our school as well as the students and teachers visiting from Gaoqiao Primary school to join them on stage during a highly engaging performance.

BOOK WEEK: HANSEL AND GRETEL

As part of our Book Week celebrations, an incursion by OZ Opera, performed the opera Hansel and Gretel at our school in September.

For many of our students this was the first time they had been exposed to an operatic performance.

Students came dressed as a character from a traditional fairytale, folktale, myth or legend.

LIBRARY AND 21st CENTURY LEARNING

The Library Committee presented a vision for the future for 21st C learning to the P & C in Term 4. The focus of the presentation highlighted the need for a new approach to the Library Teaching and Learning program in 2013, ensuring that the library is a place not just for collections and information, but also where there is a focus on inquiry, thinking and transformation of information into knowledge development and the achievement of quality learning. The presentation highlighted the need for:

• Change in the timetable allowing time for Inquiry Based Learning and 21st C skills

• Teacher Librarian and Classroom teacher collaborating in developing units of work and teaching as a team for Inquiry Based Learning and 21st C skills

• Purchase of a class set of iPads to support Inquiry Based Learning and 21st C skills

ANZAC DAY SERVICE: OATLEY RSL

On Sunday, 22nd April, students from our school took part in the ANZAC Day Service hosted by Oatley RSL. Our students with other community groups marched from the RSL club to Oatley Memorial Gardens where the service was held. At the conclusion of the service, Grace and Emma laid a wreath at the Memorial on behalf of our school. NATIONAL LITERACY and NUMERACY WEEK 27th August – 2nd September As part of National Literacy and Numeracy week, teachers read their favourite story to their peer support groups. Literacy is an essential life skill encompassing reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and representing. Literacy equips our students for current and future learning through literature, culture and social interaction.

LIBRARY TEACHING and LEARNING PROGRAM As the Italian Program is no longer able to be offered at OWPS, the Library Teaching and Learning program fulfilled part of the RFF role. Consequently, Library lessons were only 30 minutes in duration, with the focus on literature and due to time constraints minimal Information on Literacy skills.

The Teacher Librarian works closely with classroom teachers to plan and deliver a teaching and learning program that is meaningfully integrated with students’ class work. Overview

Term 1 • Students in K – 6 focused on China and in

particular Chinese New Year, incorporating the history of the celebration, including customs and culture. Students created art works representing different aspects of the celebration.

The focus of Term 1 supported the upcoming visit of students and teachers from our Sister School, Gaoqiao Primary School and the HSIE curriculum.

Term 2 • Students participated in National Simultaneous

Storytelling Day, 23rd May at 11am. The aim is to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age appropriate themes and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Years 1 to 6. Our year six classes read “The Very Cranky Bear” by Nick Bland in the Library at 11am. The remainder of the school read the book during the week.

• Our annual Book Fair was held from the 20th June – 22nd June using a new supplier, and was a great success. The Library received a commission of $970 and purchased a range of non fiction books including fairy tales and country information.

• Students from K – 6 focused on different aspects of ANZAC Day and we conducted a “Straw Poll” of the students to find out their views about the library. We intend to conduct a formal survey of the students in 2013.

Term 3 • Book Week is the longest running children's

festival in Australia, celebrating the best of Australian children’s literature for the past 67 years. The theme for this year is CHAMPIONS READ linking with the Olympics. Students are exposed to and participate in learning activities from the best Australian Children’s’ Literature.

Term 4 • Students in K – 6 studied different aspects of Fairy

Tales as they are an important part of literature in their own right. In the lead up to the incursion “Hansel and Gretel”, we became aware that many students have not read or heard of many of the fairy tales, especially in their original form. Students focused on: K – 2: Elements of Fairy Tales Yrs 3 & 4: Cultural aspects of Fairy Tales Yrs 5 & 6: Stereotypes in Fairy Tales

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE 2012

The PRC aims to encourage in students a love of reading for leisure and pleasure, and to enable

students to experience quality literature. It’s not a competition but an individual challenge to encourage students to read more widely.

207 Oatley West students completed the challenge in 2012.

Every year the range of books available to choose from expands to include more non-fiction choices and new books from popular authors. Students who completed the challenge were able to watch a special video congratulating them at the PRC website, received a certificate from the Premier of NSW and had their names published in our school newsletter. COLLECTION MANAGEMENT

Reviewing the collection ensures that the quality of the collection is maintained at a high standard.

• Unnecessary, damaged and outdated materials have been removed or relocated. Gaps or dated areas of the collection which will be targeted for additional acquisitions in 2013 include: Senior Fiction Teaching Resources to support the National

Curriculum

• Students and staff are able to request resources to be purchased for the library. Requests may be purchased dependent on budget and whether the resource meets the aims of the Library and OWPS teaching and learning program.

LIBRARY BOOK CLUB

Every Wednesday the first half of lunch is Library Book Club where students in Yrs 3 – 6, lunch with the Teacher Librarian and discuss books they are currently reading. It is an informal and fun session and we recently began to rehearse a short Reader’s Theatre play to perform at Assembly next year. Rita Fitzpatrick and Virginia Morris

Personal Development and Health

Live Life Well @ School

Live Life Well @ School is a joint initiative of the Department of Education and Communities and NSW Health for government primary schools. The focus of this program is on nutrition education, fundamental movement skills and physical activity as part of the K-

6 Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) syllabus. The program strives to get more students, more active, more often and aims to equip students with the knowledge to make healthy eating choices.

The program also aims to:

• increase awareness of overweight and obesity issues for children

• increase understanding of nutrition and physical education within PDHPE K-6

• provide practical ideas and strategies for teaching and learning programs

• improve community partnerships in supporting PDHPE

• improve awareness of resources to support the implementation of nutrition and physical education

To achieve these aims at Oatley West Public School throughout 2012 we:

• participated in Walk Safely to School Day to promote the benefits of active transport to school

• held a Fruit’n’Veg month canteen challenge to encourage students to eat fruit and vegetables each day

• held a Ride Safely to School Week to encourage active travel to and from school

• received and began using Coles Sport for Schools equipment from the 2011 vouchers

• participated in the Life Education program

Life Education

This year in Term 3, all students in Kindergarten through to Year 6 participated in the Life Education program free of charge thanks to a generous grant from Oatley Hotel.

Life Education is the largest non-government provider of drug and health education to children and young people, Australia wide. Life Education aims to empower children and young people to make the best choices for a safe life. The Life Education program addresses many of the outcomes in the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) syllabus and students received age appropriate knowledge, and developed skills and strategies to help

them make informed life choices through their trip to the van.

The content of the programs include:

• benefits of physical activity • personal safety • function of internal body parts • emergency procedures • peer pressure • safety with medicines • bullying • healthy food choices • consequences of smoking • personal strategies to reduce alcohol related harm • medicines as drugs and the consequences

Road Safety Education Policy

This year Oatley West Public School launched a new Road Safety Education policy.

To celebrate its introduction students from Kindergarten to Year 6 participated in Ride Safely to School Week in Term 4.

Some key points from the new policy include:

• Any student who rides a bicycle or uses a foot scooter or skateboard to travel to and from school will need to have completed a rider’s agreement and have a signed permission note from a parent or carer.

• Students who ride a bicycle, scooter or skateboard to and from school must also wear a correctly fitted Australian Standards approved helmet.

• Students must dismount before entering school grounds and walk their bicycles, scooters and skateboards to the designated storage area.

Kylie Hartnett

Aboriginal education

Oatley West has a strong commitment to the development to an understanding of Aboriginal culture both past and present. By using Oatley Park and the Georges River as a “living museum” we are able to view and interact with these important resources.

Representatives from the DEC provided inservice to the staff in Term 2 regarding the NSW DEC Aboriginal Education Document.

During Naidoc Week we once again participated in the Commonwealth Government Naidoc Week Art [K-2] and Short Story/ Poetry Writing [Yrs 5-6] Competition. The Years 5 and 6 students needed to the importance of reconciliation between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians.

Through a Community Grant from Hurstville Council a group called Playful Beginnings presented a program promoting an understanding of Aboriginal culture to K-2 students. The students thoroughly enjoyed the interactive program and gained knowledge about aspects of Aboriginal culture.

Oatley West is fortunate in that we can call upon our Indigenous parents to visit our classrooms and present information sessions to the students. This has been extremely beneficial to all involved both parents and students.

In Term 3 the whole school had the opportunity to partake in the Kadul performance presented by Ryka Ali. Ryka’s performance revealed the richness of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands cultures. The show was both educational, entertaining. Student and teacher participation was greatly encouraged and a fun time was had by all.

Sue English

Multicultural education

Multicultural education is an across curriculum perspective. Classroom teachers include an aboriginal perspective in teaching programs in specific Key Learning Areas where appropriate.

Progress on 2012 targets

In 2012 the school implemented the new School Plan which has targets for the next three years. The targets were based on school needs after much data analysis was conducted on NAPLAN results and the school’s own data collection and analysis.

Target 1

Mathematics- Working Mathematically

30% of our students in Year 3 number are achieving in the middle two bands; 41% of our students in Year 5 are achieving in the middle 2 bands

Our achievements include:

• Professional Learning for all staff in Quality Teaching and best practice in teaching working mathematically outcomes.

• Purchase of Working Mathematically and Problem Solving Resources and their implementation across K- 6 classrooms.

• Professional Sharing and dialogue from all staff in the teaching of mathematics and the sharing of resources and expertise.

Target 2

English- Writing

70% of our students in Year 5 are achieving in the middle 2 bands.


• Analysis of NAPLAN results to identify students who are achieving below state proficiency standards and those achieving in the top two bands in writing to ensure these students are catered for in the classroom.

• The implementation and enactment of a 3-6 program which explicitly teaches sentence structure and paragraphing to students.

• Professional Learning sessions were conducted with staff on the teaching of writing in K-6.

Target 3 Communication

Review communication within the school community

• To review and evaluate our new student welfare policy

• To revisit school promotions team


• Professional Learning conducted with staff on communicating with students and parents and the use of Restorative Justice Practices.

• Evaluation of the new Student Welfare Policy and the implementation of new changes to the policy

• Staff attended professional learning on cyber bullying and the school community surveyed on bullying in the lead up to create a new Anti- Bullying Policy in 2013.

Target 4 Leadership and Management

School Executive Team


• The School Executive participated in the DECs Team Leadership for School Improvement Course

• The staff have completed a survey about the school and how the school could be improved in 2013 and beyond.

Leadership training with 2013 executive team

School evaluation

NSW public schools conduct evaluation to support the effective implementation of the school plan. In 2012 our school carried out evaluation of Bullying in our school so that we could create an Anti- Bullying Policy that reflects the school’s needs.

Findings and conclusions

Parent and Community Results

The sample size was taken from 107 families with approximately 370 families at Oatley West PS.

52.3% of parents believe their child has been bullied at Oatley West PS. 95% of parents had a good understanding of what bullying means.

50% of parents believe that their child had been bullied in 2012.

The most common forms of bullying at Oatley West PS according to the sample size are students being left out of a group, 73.2%, students being teased or name called, 57% and students not sitting or taking to their child, 50%.

Bullying at Oatley West PS is usually from one or two children according to the sample size.

According to the sample size not all students report incidents of bullying to their parents or carers.

Student Results

47.7% of students reported seeing bullying occur sometimes at Oatley West PS.

56.6% of students reported being bullied sometimes.

Name calling or teasing was reported as the highest form of bullying on 47%.

85% of students said that when they had reported incidents of bullying that the teachers stopped it from contuning.

Future directions

In 2013 a new Anti-Bullying Policy will be created and implemented at Oatley West PS. The policy will be based on the reported results and needs of the school. Natasha Eaton

Professional learning

Professional Learning is an important component at Oatley West PS. This year saw significant policy changes occur to the DEC. These changes included the implementation of Local Schools, Local Decisions and Every Student, Every School. The staff was trained and upskilled in the significant changes and how it would affect Oatley West PS. The staff participated in professional learning on teaching working mathematically, writing and 21st Century Learning as well as Quality Teaching elements and Team Leadership components.

Natasha Eaton

The school planning policy provides direction for the preparation and implementation of school plans including the identification of priority areas, intended outcomes and targets that are consistent with the NSW State Plan and the Department’s planning documents.

School priority 1

Outcome for 2012–2014


Target for 2013

To increase students in Year 3 number to 32% in the middle two bands; 43% of our students in Year 5 in the middle 2 bands

Strategies to achieve this target include:

• Stage and Professional Development time dedicated to Mathematics and improving students understanding of working mathematically and problem solving techniques

• Staff Development in the area of Problem Solving and ensuring teachers are explicitly teaching problem solving techniques

• Evaluate and review current teaching and learning programs by focusing on questioning techniques being used in the classroom based on Bloom’s Taxonomy and Ralph Pirozzo

School priority 2


Technology- 21st Century Learning

Target

• Continued development of teachers in the use of technology to further complement previous training in interactive whiteboard use

• Stocktake and review of current software within the school; to resource current programs K-6

Strategies to achieve these targets include:

• Training and Development of staff in the use of technology within their classrooms to teach students 21st Century skills

• Review of the new National Curriculum and the teaching of Inquiry Based Learning skills across the school

• The implementation of improved technology resources in the library to ensure all students have access to the latest advances in technology.

When staff was surveyed it became evident that not all staff is integrating technology effectively into their classrooms.

School priority 3



Target

30% of our students in Year 3 number are achieving in the middle two bands; 41% of our students in Year 5 are achieving in the middle 2 bands

Strategies to achieve these targets include:

• Use of Best Start Data analysis to create teaching and learning programs that are student centred and provide for the learning needs in each classroom by reviewing background knowledge prior to students beginning school

• Gifted and Talented students targeted in mathematics to further develop their skills in mathematics through the use of additional teacher

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• Staff Development in Quality Teaching elements incorporated into all aspects of teaching numeracy with focus on significance and higher order thinking

93% of staff said they would like further professional

learning in working mathematically.

Natasha Eaton

Damper Making at Camp- Milson Island

Special reading Day

About this report

In preparing this report, the self-evaluation committee has gathered information from evaluations conducted during the year and analysed other information about the school's practices and student learning outcomes. The self-evaluation committee and school planning committee have determined targets for the school's future development.

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Natasha Eaton – Assistant Principal

Rita Fitzpatrick – Teacher Librarian

Jennifer McDonald – Teacher

Pam McLaren – School Administrative Manager

Melanie Monaco – Parent (School Council Secretary)

Paul Nash - Principal

School contact information

Oatley West Public School

Oatley Park Avenue, Oatley NSW 2223

Ph: 02 9580 5048

Fax: 02 9580 6372

Email: [email protected]

Web: oatleywest-school

School Code: 3797

Parents can find out more information about Annual School Reports, how to interpret information in the reports and have the opportunity to provide feedback about these reports at:

http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/asr

http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/asr

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