Learning Statements

Positive Behaviour for Learning Together with Care and Respect

At St Joseph’s we follow our motto: Together with Christ

• I am a Learner           
• I Care
• I am Respectful

At St Joseph’s every day is a Mercy day

We show Mercy values in the way we greet, treat and speak to others respectfully

We show Mercy values by our words and action

We show Mercy values by using our gifts to serve others as Christ showed us

EDUCATIONAL VISION

Our vision for learning is based on the Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools Learning Framework.

Learning at St Joseph's includes opportunities for students to develop a range of skills including self-regulation, the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively and problem solve. We believe in providing opportunities for students to be creative learners and choose tasks that cater for their learning style.

“You can be creative in anything - in math, science, engineering, philosophy as much as you can in music or in painting or dance.” - Sir Ken Robinson

At St Joseph’s we believe effective teaching and learning addresses the following:

1. Begins from the learner’s context and personalises the learning process to meet the learners’ needs. It acknowledges the need for a safe and supportive environment
2. It matches learning experiences with emerging need and puts challenging but achievable expectations in front of students recognising both the world in which young people live and the capabilities for learning that this brings
3. Identifies the different ways in which students make connections between elements of learning, make sense of new information and encourages students to take risks and grow from them. It sees students as active in the construction of knowledge, providing both depth and breadth in the exploration of their world
4. It provides feedback to the students supporting and fostering their growth
5. It results in the teacher’s reflection on his/her own learning through teaching.