House system

St Mary’s students are allocated to Marymede’s vertical house pastoral care system enabling all students to integrate into school life confidently.

Primary school students have the opportunity to participate in physical education lessons, weekly House sport, interschool sport and major House and interschool carnivals. House sport is conducted within each year level.

Students play traditional and modified games including:

• T-Ball
• Soccer
• Australian Rules Football
• Volleyball
• Basketball ‘hoop-time’.

Additional major events held include the walkathon, cross-country, athletics and swimming carnivals.

Learning overview

Our South Morang Primary 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 the duration of schooling success.

Weekly student programs are planned enabling students to fully participate in the school curriculum as offered through Marymede 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 determined 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
• Lunchtime Social Clubs.

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

Students also have the opportunity of studying:

• Religious Education
• English
• Mathematics
• Integrated Inquiry (units that are constructed covering other discipline areas of interdisciplinary, physical, personal and social learning)
• Health and Physical Education
• Visual and Performing Arts
• Specialist lessons are also provided in the arts, music and Italian.

Through our partnership with Marymede, there are numerous co-curricular activities such as choir, dance, chess on offer to further enrich the learning and social development of our students.

Students also have extensive opportunities to participate in Guild and inter-school sporting competitions including:

• Cross country
• Swimming
• Athletics
• Netball
• Australian rules
• Soccer
• T-ball
• Basketball.

Year 3 students participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Grade 3 Dinner and activities evening.

Year 4 students participate in the Sacrament of First Eucharist and also an overnight stay on campus.

Year 5 students participate in a two-night Adventure Camp

Year 6 students participate in a four-night educational tour to Canberra and the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Student Leadership

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

St Mary’s Leadership

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

Marymede Leadership

There are also opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing students to nominate themselves as leaders of the Marymede community. A student is selected to represent the Student Representative Council in Year 5 and Primary Student Leaderships in Year 6.

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 Marymede programs offered through both the curriculum and co-curricular activities

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 maintained ensuring good working order.

Student voice

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

It’s 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.