Welcome

Welcome to our Wantirna South Campus.

Our deaf and hard of hearing students enrol into St Mary’s College and attend our campus based in Holy Trinity Primary School Wantirna South, where they immerse and thrive in all aspects of school life.

Our Wantirna South campus offers an integrated primary education for deaf and hard of hearing students from Prep to Year 6. Wantirna South campus students wear the Holy Trinity uniform and are welcomed in all classes and extracurricular activities.

- Melissa Lucy

Wantirna South Campus overview

Environment

Our Wantirna South campus is a welcoming local school community where students find a sense of belonging and develop their own confidence and communication success for any school or social environment.

Forming a strong community foundation, Holy Trinity has a commitment to the TORCH values of Tolerance, Optimism, Respect, Confidence and Honesty.

The Wantirna South campus is the location of the St Mary’s College school built in 1984 alongside Holy Trinity Primary School. Students at both schools share the site utilising the learning spaces in both school buildings. A large oval, sandpit, two basketball courts, adventure playground as well as our harmony garden for outside play provide safe and picturesque outdoor spaces for our students to explore, play and form friendships.

Location

Our campus is located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, situated at Holy Trinity Primary School, 10 Riddell Road, Wantirna South.

It is also St Mary’s College Administration Office.

Transition

Transition programs for new students into Prep commence the year prior to starting and continue into Term one of the child’s Prep year. Program Support Group (PSG/SSG) meetings are held with parents/guardians and others including Early Childhood teachers, Early Intervention professionals or other specialists such as Speech Pathologists to gain a holistic understanding of the learning and social needs of every student.

PSG meetings are an opportunity to discuss how each child will manage being in a mainstream classroom and explore any other supports required to ensure they have a great start to primary school. Our Head of Campus arranges a visit to each student’s current kindergarten to see how they learn and engage with teachers and other children in order to create a program of support that will be both familiar to the child and based on their strengths and needs.

Further transition events are organised by Holy Trinity giving children and parents an opportunity to become familiar with the school facilities, meet the Holy Trinity Prep teachers and experience fun, engaging learning activities that introduce them to the school environment and structure. Activities include kinder kids reading session, Year 6 buddy program, parent information sessions and three student transition mornings held in Term 4 prior to beginning their first year of school.

Learning overview

Our Wantirna South campus offers a nurturing and individualised deaf and hard of hearing program delivered by Teachers of the Deaf who are passionately committed to student growth and learning in an environment that stimulates and lays the foundation for the fundamental knowledge, skills and behaviours required for many years of school success. Each student’s weekly program is planned enabling them to fully participate in the school curriculum as offered through Holy Trinity while accessing St Mary’s College Expanded Learning Program (EXP).

Expanded Learning Program (EXP)

EXP is a learning area taken as part of each student’s class timetable. Taught by Teachers of the Deaf, EXP is discussed in collaboration with parents and based on the Expanded Core Curriculum for deaf and hard of hearing students, designed to support students in accessing and experiencing success in the core learning areas of English, Maths and inquiry units. Teaching areas may include literacy, expressive and receptive language, audition, speech or social-emotional learning. EXP is flexible and varies from student to student and from year to year, depending on learning and social needs.

PSG/SSG meetings are held with parents each term as a way of monitoring student progress, receiving feedback and planning for future teaching and learning. In between meetings, we maintain regular phone and email contact with parents.

Courses and activities

As part of the broader St Mary’s College deaf and hard of hearing community, our students participate in:

• Primary School’s Deaf Sports Day
• St Mary’s College assemblies
• St Dominic’s Day celebrations
• Social or Auslan Lunchtime Clubs.

Many students develop close and lifelong friendships with other students they identify with at these St Mary’s events and activities.

Students also have the opportunity of studying:

• Mathematics
• Science
• English
• Health and physical education
• LOTE (Italian)
• Humanities (geography, history, civics and citizenship, economics and business)
• The Arts
• Digital Technologies (including ICT and coding).

The Young Engineers Program provides an opportunity for students to develop critical thinking skills while developing skills in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Co-Curricular Activities

Through our partnership with Holy Trinity, there are numerous co-curricular activities such as the Learn to Swim Program, interschool sport and the school production.

Each year the school camp program offers:

• Years 5/6 students a 2-night/3-day camp
• Year 4 students a 1-night/2-day camp
• Year 2 students have a camping day at school
• Preps stay at school and participate in organised activities until 5pm one day in the year.

Students can also participate in the Sacramental program offered by Holy Trinity as part of the St Jude’s Parish in Scoresby.

Student Leadership

Students participate in leadership programs offered at St Mary’s College and Holy Trinity. Student leadership gives students the opportunity to develop confidence, experience the benefits of doing things for others as well as be positive role models.

St Mary’s Leadership

A senior St Mary’s student is elected Primary Student Campus Leader each year. Part of their role is to meet other Student Campus Leaders and College staff and provide feedback on how the educational experience for St Mary’s College students can be enhanced. They also plan campus and whole school social and fundraising activities.

Holy Trinity Leadership

There are opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing students to nominate themselves as leaders of Holy Trinity. A student is selected from each class every year to represent their class in the SRC (Student Representative Council). The SRC regularly meets with our Deputy Principal to discuss and make decisions about our school.

Year 6 Leadership

Year 6 students join a leadership team where they work together alongside teachers to provide additional learning opportunities outside of school. Examples include Holy Trinity environmental leaders who help run the Gardening Club and DigiTech leaders who help organise the Minecraft Club.

Wellbeing

A positive approach to student wellbeing underpins the spiritual, emotional, social, academic and physical growth of all students. Activities offered to strengthen wellbeing include St Mary’s Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Program and Holy Trinity TORCH values and the Friendship Groups Program.

Assistive technology

Assistive hearing technologies support our goal in building strong and capable student communication skills through listening and spoken English. Classrooms and assembly spaces are fitted with Roger SoundField speakers, FM transmitters and wall pilots making syncing in for students subtle and seamless. Technology is regularly checked ensuring good working order.

Student voice

Our students feel a sense of belonging, connection and ownership at our Wantirna South Campus. It’s a place where they care and respect each other while reaching their potential.

St Mary’s College is a great place to be! But don’t just take our word for it – listen to what other St Mary’s College students have to say.