Empire Bay Public School Annual Report 2016 1839 Page 1 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
Introduction The Annual Report for 2016 is provided to the community of Empire Bay Public School as an account of the school's operations and achievements throughout the year. It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities for all students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self assessment that reflect the impact of key school strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equity funding. 2016 was a great year at Empire Bay PS and I am proud to share the progress of the school and the academic achievements of the students. The success of the school is due to the ongoing efforts of our dedicated staff, engagement of our students and of course the support from our parents and the local community. Deniz Leslie Principal (Rel.) School contact details Empire Bay Public School Empire Bay Drive Empire Bay, 2256 www.empirebay-p.schools.nsw.edu.au empirebay-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au 4369 1796 Page 2 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
School background School vision statement Empire Bay Public School is committed to: A professional learning program that enables our teachers to provide high quality learning opportunities to our students, Developing & maintaining high quality systems and procedures that allow genuine partnerships to flourish within our school community, and Providing high quality learning opportunities to our students opportunities that are engaging, relevant, significant, challenging and meeting the needs of the individual. School context Empire Bay Public School is a proud and active member of the Brisbane Water Learning Community. Currently, 455 students are enrolled a number which includes; 21 Aboriginal students, 5 students receiving state integration funding in addition to students from a wide range of socio economic backgrounds. The school is currently classified as P2. Currently, 19 class teachers (including 4 Assistant Principals) and 1 PP2 Principal sustain teaching and learning. Professional Learning is focused closely on: The implementation of Focus On Reading, The maintenance of L3, The continued roll out of Quality Teaching Rounds, and The implementation of History and Geography syllabuses. The Positive Behaviour for Learning program is embedded into the life of the school. Additional whole school programs include: A school band (x 2 training & concert), Environmental program, Digital learning 3x BYOD classes, Ethics program K 6, Student Leadership Community Engagement program, Strengthening Community Engagement program, and School Chaplaincy program. Self-assessment and school achievement Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from self assessment using the School Excellence Framework, school achievements and the next steps to be pursued. This year, our school undertook self assessment using the School Excellence Framework. The framework supports public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high quality practice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading. Page 3 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
In the domain of Learning, our self assessment process shows that the school values and promotes positive and respectful relationships among students, staff and the community ensuring good conditions for student learning. The school uses a strategic and planned approach to support the emotional, social and academic wellbeing of all students and continues to encourage active partnerships with community members. Processes are in place to analyse student data to monitor, track and report on school performance. In the domain of Teaching, our self assessment process shows that staff use student data to understand the learning needs of students and to evaluate effectiveness of their own teaching practices. Professional learning is provided to build teachers' skills in analysis, interpretation and use of student data. Staff work collaboratively in and across stages sharing ideas to ensure consistency of curriculum delivery and to maintain consistency of teacher judgement. The school has embedded explicit systems for classroom observations so staff can provide and receive planned constructive feedback to improve teaching practice. In the domain of Leading, our self assessment process shows that the school leadership team creates an organisational structure that enables management systems, structures and processes to work effectively and in line with legislative requirements and obligations. The school solicits and addresses feedback on school performance and parents and community members have opportunities to engage in a wide range of school related activities. The school also acknowledges and celebrates a wide diversity of student, staff and community achievements. Our self assessment process will assist the school to refine the strategic priorities in our School Plan, leading to further improvements in the delivery of education to our students. For more information about the School Excellence Framework: http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/about the department/our reforms/school excellence framework Page 4 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
Strategic Direction 1 Students Engaged and growing through quality learning Purpose To provide high quality teaching & learning that is: Equitable, Differentiated, Purposeful, Reliable, and Challenging So that each child is able to value add as successful, contributing citizens. Overall summary of progress Individual Learning: Students in Years 1 6 were involved in trialling and providing feedback on our proposed Student Growth Plans (SGPs). The SGPs were modified in preparation for the commencement of this initiative in 2017. Teachers were involved in the National Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) process to better understand individual needs and cater for students using differentiation and adjustment strategies. The Chaplaincy program commenced at our school resulting in students feeling supported in the school environment with improved well being and learning of the students. Curriculum: All staff participated in professional learning in Focus On Reading (FoR) and commenced implementing the Super Six Strategies across the whole school. The FoR program has had a positive impact on the reading comprehension of students and is a whole school approach, using common language. One staff member participated in L3 training which focuses on positive outcomes in literacy for Kindergarten students. Staff members participated in Brisbane Water Learning Community sessions to support the implementation of curriculum reforms for History and Geography at Empire Bay PS. Students were provided with lessons which allowed more independent analytical and investigative processes, resulting in deeper understanding of historical and geographical concepts. All teachers engaged in 2016 NAPLAN analysis teams and shared findings and suggestions for future directions to improve student outcomes. Innovative Learning: Another group of teachers participated in Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) consisting of 8 full day professional learning sessions. During these sessions, teachers were able to engage in professional readings, peer teaching, reflective discussion and lesson coding. This initiative is having significant impact on student learning and staff professional learning. Three BYOD classes were established in grades 3, 4 and 6 to promote creative and critical thinkers. Innovative and engaging learning environments were created and students and parents completed a survey providing positive feedback on BYOD classes. Students in Years 4, 5 and 6 participated in the Tell Them From Me on line survey providing feedback to the school. A team of students from these grades were given an opportunity to present the findings to the staff and offered suggestions and recommendations for future school improvements. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) 100% of students Years 1 6 working towards achieving targets as articulated in a SGP Progress achieved this year P&C feedback of draft SGP was provided to school Team of students in Years 1 6 trialled SGPs and also provided feedback of process SGPs finalised for 2017 commencement Funds Expended (Resources) Improved student growth (yr. 5 Student growth from Year 5 to Year 7 as Page 5 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) to 7) as evidenced in NAPLAN 2015/16 Literacy & Numeracy success as evidenced by L3 data 100% of students achieve growth as tracked against Literacy & Numeracy continuum Improved percentage of students in top two bands for NAPLAN Reading and Numeracy Progress achieved this year evidenced against 2015/2016 NAPLAN data indicates that the greater than expected growth in Numeracy has moved from 44.6% to 69.1% in 2016 85% of Kindergarten students were working at or above stage standard in reading by the end of 2016. 90% of kindergarten students writing vocabulary reached 40+. Future directions will include continued training teachers in L3 pedagogy with a focus on student growth and engaging whole staff in data collection and tracking systems Improvement measures were achieved at the end of 2016 for anticipated growth of students against the Literacy and Numeracy continuums Improved percentage of students in Grades 3, 5 and 7 in the top two bands for NAPLAN Reading as evidenced against 2015/2016 NAPLAN data Funds Expended (Resources) $1500 L3 OPL (Literacy and Numeracy) $14,400 QTR casual relief (Teacher Professional Learning). $14,400 QTR casual relief (Teacher Professional Learning). Next Steps Teachers continue to implement the knowledge and improved practice strategies from QTR into lessons and classrooms to improve student engagement and outcomes in literacy and numeracy, Teachers implement FoR knowledge and skills to improve student performance in reading, Re introduce the Doorway Into Practical Literacy (DIPL) program to improve student performance in grammar, punctuation and spelling, Provide working mathematically and problem solving professional learning opportunities to staff to improve percentage of students in top two bands for NAPLAN Numeracy, Continue the BYOD classes, and Implement the SGPs. Page 6 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
Strategic Direction 2 Teachers Providers of quality pedagogy, supported by professional learning Purpose To provide high quality professional learning that is: Equitable, Differentiated, Purposeful, Reliable, and Challenging So that each teacher is able to value add to the academic, social & emotional growth of the students in their care. Overall summary of progress Individual Learning: Performance Development Plans (PDP) were developed by each staff member to reflect on their practice and to guide further development requirements. Regular monitor and feedback processes are in place to discuss progress, support and growth. The school was able to determine areas for professional learning at a collective level. Teachers seeking accreditation at Proficiency were supported by meeting regularly with an executive member of staff to offer support and guidance through the accreditation process. Curriculum: All staff participated in professional learning in Focus On Reading and commenced implementing the Super Six Strategies across the whole school. The FoR program has had a positive impact on the reading comprehension of students and is a whole school approach, using common language. One staff member participated in L3 training which focuses on positive outcomes in literacy for Kindergarten students. Staff members participated in Brisbane Water Learning Community sessions to support the implementation of curriculum reforms for History and Geography at Empire Bay PS. Students were provided with lessons which allowed more independent analytical and investigative processes, resulting in deeper understanding of historical and geographical concepts. All teachers engaged in 2016 NAPLAN analysis teams and shared findings and suggestions for future directions with a focus on improving teacher practice and school programs. Innovative Learning: Another group of teachers participated in Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) consisting of 8 full day professional learning sessions. During these sessions, teachers were able to engage in professional readings, peer teaching, reflective discussion and lesson coding. This initiative is having significant impact on student learning and staff professional learning. Three BYOD classes were established in grades 3, 4 and 6 to promote creative and critical thinkers. Innovative and engaging learning environments were created and students and parents completed a survey providing positive feedback of the BYOD classes. Students in Years 4, 5 and 6 participated in the Tell Them From Me on line survey providing feedback to the school. A team of students from these grades were given an opportunity to present the findings to the staff and offered suggestions and recommendations for future school improvements. Teachers also completed the Tell Them From Me Teacher survey and provided collective feedback on current school processes. The teachers' survey reported that there was a need for ongoing professional learning in the use of technology within the classroom and that more teacher collaborative learning would be beneficial for Stage teams. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) 100% of staff engaged with and progressing through accreditation processes with Progress achieved this year All teachers seeking accreditation were supported by fortnightly meetings and were assisted through the accreditation procedures Funds Expended (Resources) Page 7 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) Progress achieved this year Funds Expended (Resources) BOSTES All teachers seeking accreditation were supported by fortnightly meetings and were assisted through the accreditation procedures 100% of staff have developed and in place a Professional Learning Plan (PLP) 100% of staff demonstrate growth as tracked against the Performance & Development Framework State Literacy programs: L3 & FoR are fully implemented 100% of staff have participated in Quality Teaching Rounds 100% staff engaged in the PDP process All staff able to have a focus on professional learning needs, resulting in more meaningful professional learning journeys Staff were able to focus on individual learning goals and although most of the teachers' goals were achieved, there are some goals that are still ongoing All staff completed the L3 and/or FoR training and and are implementing learned knowledge and skills in lessons. As a result, 85% of Kindergarten students were working at or above stage standardin reading by the end of 2016. 90% of kindergarten students writing vocabulary reached 40+. Future directions will include continued training teachers in L3 pedagogy with a focus on student growth and engaging whole staff in data collection and tracking systems 89% of staff participated in the QTRs. After receiving feedback from the 2016 Tell Them From Me teacher survey a modified model will be implemented for staff in 2017 $1500 L3 OPL (Literacy and Numeracy) Next Steps Continue the PDP process with staff, Teachers implement the knowledge and improved practice strategies from QTR into lessons and classrooms, Teachers implement FoR knowledge and skills in reading and comprehension lessons, Provide opportunities for staff to participate in ongoing collaborative professional learning within Stage teams, Provide IT professional learning opportunities for teachers, and Continue to participate in collaborative professional learning within the Brisbane Water Learning Community. Page 8 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
Strategic Direction 3 Community Partners informed & included contributors via Quality systems & practices Purpose To provide high quality systems, practices and opportunities that are: Equitable, Respectful, Purposeful, Reliable, and Engaging So that community members can value add to the growth of the school as an effective learning community. Overall summary of progress Individual Learning: Community members were involved in the development of the Student Growth Plan by offering feedback and ideas on the student proforma and process. Curriculum: Staff from school were involved in Brisbane Water Learning Community professional learning workshops and were able to collaboratively engage in the implementation of the new History and Geography syllabuses to ensure consistency between our local schools. The community received information on the Quality Teaching Rounds initiative and the Focus on Reading professional learning that all staff were engaged in. Innovative Learning: The school received 'Strengthening Community Engagement ' funding and employed a community member as our 'School Community Contact' (SCC). The SCC surveyed parents on how we could improve the connection between school and home, and from the report, a school Facebook page was created. This has significantly improved the communication channel between school and home. The school has received many positive comments on the use of our Facebook page. A community garden group was also established after results of the survey showed that parents and community members were keen to commence a school gardening program. Parents, community members, teachers and a team of senior students have worked collaboratively to achieve this goal. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) Increased parental involvement in learning initiatives 100% of students have completed SGPs Progress achieved this year Parents are receiving more regular updates on learning initiatives and activities for students and teachers Increasing parental involvement at school and number of parents attending information meetings or planned activities School working collaboratively with community groups such as AECG, P&C and BWLC networks strengthening links between school and the wider community P&C feedback of draft SGP was provided to school Team of students in Years 1 6 trialed SGPs and also provided feedback of process Funds Expended (Resources) Strengthening School and Home Partnership Funding $2293 Page 9 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) 100% of students have completed SGPs 50% increase in number of notifications via: school App & website 50% increase in number of Aboriginal parents attending: Welcome afternoon tea, Deadly s & PLP interviews Progress achieved this year SGPs finalised for 2017 commencement Parents feel improved connection and sense of belonging to school via new school Facebook page which is proving to provide a more useful communication channel Improved number of Aboriginal parents/families attending our school based programs Funds Expended (Resources) $7, 120 (Aboriginal Background Loading) Next Steps Implement the SGPs with assistance from parents and community members, Encourage more parental and community involvement in school based and community teams, and Include parents and community members to participate in the 2017 Tell Them From Me parent survey. Page 10 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
Key Initiatives Impact achieved this year Resources (annual) Socio economic background Support for beginning teachers Aboriginal background loading Low level adjustment for disability Quality Teaching, Successful Students (QTSS) Additional School Learning Support Officers were employed to support the learning development of students. This initiative greatly enhanced the capacity of classroom teachers to provide more individualised instruction and differentiate for individual student differences. This additional support will assist students to reach their full educational potential. Beginning teachers who received the funding, felt supported and were able to design a program of support that was individualised to suit their needs to ensure the delivery of high standards of curriculum to meet the needs of students, including differentiated programs. Students and families were engaged in a variety of school and community activities. Aboriginal families feel a deeper connection with the school, resulting in strengthening the relationships between Aboriginal families and the school. Aboriginal students are supported to set and achieve academic and social goals via Personal Learning Plans. Additional School Learning Support Officers were employed to support the learning development of students. Students are able to access and participate in schooling with a focus on reducing the gap between students with disabilities and other students, to promote and achieve physical and emotional well being. School leaders received additional weekly Release Face to Face (RFF) to support teachers and build capacity to prepare and teach lessons, resulting in improved quality teaching in all classrooms. Students benefit from high quality teaching and learning practices. Socio economic background ($25 139.24) Support for beginning teachers ($14 403.73) Aboriginal background loading ($10 569.78) Low level adjustment for disability ($22 826.00) 0.16 Page 11 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
Student information Student enrolment profile Enrolments Students 2013 2014 2015 2016 Boys 242 248 240 235 Girls 215 216 214 220 Student attendance profile School Year 2013 2014 2015 2016 K 95.1 96.1 95.7 95.9 1 94 95.1 94.4 96.1 2 94 94.5 91.8 94.2 3 94.8 94.5 92.3 95.4 4 93.3 94.5 92.3 94.2 5 93.7 94 93.8 94 6 94.1 94.4 91.2 94.6 All Years 94 94.7 93 94.9 State DoE Year 2013 2014 2015 2016 K 95 95.2 94.4 94.4 1 94.5 94.7 93.8 93.9 2 94.7 94.9 94 94.1 3 94.8 95 94.1 94.2 4 94.7 94.9 94 93.9 5 94.5 94.8 94 93.9 6 94.1 94.2 93.5 93.4 All Years 94.7 94.8 94 94 Workforce information Workforce composition Position FTE* Principal 1.4 Assistant Principal(s) 4 Classroom Teacher(s) 15.56 Learning and Support Teacher(s) 0.6 Teacher Librarian 1 School Counsellor 0 School Administration & Support Staff 3.32 Other Positions 1.16 *Full Time Equivalent Our 2016 School Counsellor allocation was placed in the 'Other Positions' on the Workforce Composition table above. This is because the school held the District Guidance Officer (DGO) funding and the DGO was also our school counsellor two days per week. The Australian Education Regulation, 2014 requires schools to report on Aboriginal composition of their workforce. Empire Bay Public School has four Aboriginal Teachers permanently employed. The school enjoys a productive partnership with the local AECG. Teacher qualifications All teaching staff meet the professional requirements for teaching in NSW public schools. Teacher qualifications Qualifications % of staff Undergraduate degree or diploma 97 Postgraduate degree 3 Professional learning and teacher accreditation During 2016 all staff participated in approximately 107 hours of training provided on site led by collegial mentors and our own staff. This included attendance of Staff Development Days in Terms 1, 2, 3 and 4 and regular grade or stage based meetings, staff meetings and specific professional learning workshops throughout the year. Staff also attended workshops and seminars organised by the DoE and external providers. Just under $15000 was aligned to professional learning for all staff in 2016 which equates to $789 of professional learning per staff member. Page 12 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
All staff prepared a personal Professional Development Plan which assisted with developing professional learning schedules throughout the year. The staff at Empire Bay Public School is committed to developing their teaching skills in order to achieve best practice, which positively impacts on the quality of our teaching programs. Financial information (for schools using both OASIS and SAP/SALM) Financial information The three financial summary tables cover 13 months (from 1 December 2015 to 31 December 2016). The financial summary consists of school income broken down by funding source and is derived from the school Annual Financial Statement. Income $ Balance brought forward 152 543.14 Global funds 110 502.38 Tied funds 71 190.75 School & community sources 27 915.11 Interest 1 798.40 Trust receipts 12 718.95 Canteen 0.00 Total income 376 668.73 Expenditure Teaching & learning Key learning areas 5 289.78 Excursions 16 949.99 Extracurricular dissections 16 322.85 Library 840.09 Training & development 2 179.09 Tied funds 35 528.54 Short term relief 37 148.02 Administration & office 19 623.71 School-operated canteen 0.00 Utilities 24 530.33 Maintenance 4 765.76 Trust accounts 31 219.53 Capital programs 0.00 Total expenditure 194 397.69 Balance carried forward 182 271.04 The information provided in the financial summary includes reporting from 1 December 2015 to 31 December 2016. 2016 Actual ($) Opening Balance 0.00 Revenue 703 034.15 (2a) Appropriation 550 881.18 (2b) Sale of Goods and Services 12 779.19 (2c) Grants and Contributions 138 100.60 (2e) Gain and Loss 0.00 (2f) Other Revenue 0.00 (2d) Investment Income 1 273.18 Expenses -534 315.42 Recurrent Expenses -534 315.42 (3a) Employee Related -284 112.68 (3b) Operating Expenses -250 202.74 Capital Expenses 0.00 (3c) Employee Related 0.00 (3d) Operating Expenses 0.00 SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR 168 718.73 Balance Carried Forward 168 718.73 There is no opening balance recorded in the SAP finance table. The opening balance for the school for this reporting period is recorded as the Balance Brought Forward in the OASIS table. The OASIS Balance carried forward amount (ie, funds on date of migration) is included in the (2a) Appropriation amount in the SAP table. Any differences between the OASIS Balance carried forward and (2a) Appropriation amount is the result of other accounts and transactions being included in the (2a) Appropriation amount. Financial summary equity funding The equity funding data is the main component of the 'Appropriation' section of the financial summary above. Page 13 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
2016 Actual ($) Base Total 2 870 750.83 Base Per Capita 24 313.38 Base Location 0.00 Other Base 2 846 437.45 Equity Total 122 993.20 Equity Aboriginal 12 960.02 Equity Socio economic 25 139.24 Equity Language 855.41 Equity Disability 84 038.53 Targeted Total 36 730.01 Other Total 149 902.47 Grand Total 3 180 376.50 A full copy of the school s financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the parent and/or community groups. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school. School performance 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. The My School website provided detailed information and data for national literacy and numeracy testing. Click on the link https://www.myschool.edu.au/ and insert the school name in the Find a school and select GO to access the school data. Page 14 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
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There are 12 Premier priorities and one of them is to improve educational results of students. The link below will provide more information on this and how schools and parents can help. https://www.nsw.gov.au/improving nsw/premiers priorit ies/improving education results/ Page 16 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
Parent/caregiver, student, teacher satisfaction Each year, schools are required to seek the opinions of parents, students and teachers about the school. In Term 1, 2016, Mrs Lisa Maddick our School Community Contact (SCC) surveyed parents to seek information on how we can better strengthen community engagement at Empire Bay PS: Parents were asked if they felt connected to our school community Never 2% Rarely 14% Sometimes 41% Most of the time 24% Always 19% Other feedback: 85% of parents said that they would like to feel more engaged and 70% want to socialise with other parents, Parents suggested a school Facebook page, better teacher/parent communication, an educational community garden and working bees. Students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 provided information to the school about student engagement via the Tell Them From Me surveys: Compared to the NSW Government Schools Norm: Social Engagement A strong sense of belonging High participation in sports and clubs Positive relationships Institutional Engagement Positive school behaviour Low effort in homework behaviour Intellectual Engagement High effort of students Quality instruction Low interest and motivation Early Signs of Disengagement Low signs in Years 4 and 5 Higher signs of early disengagement in Year 6 Teachers provided information to the school via the Tell Them From Me surveys: Teachers feel supported by the school leadership team Teachers learn from working collaboratively in teams Teachers provide a positive learning culture Teachers understand that data informs practice Teachers would like to improve parental and community involvement by sharing the learning goals of their students Teachers require more professional learning opportunities in technology Teachers are aware of interruptions of prime learning time due to the amount of extra curricular activities offered to students Policy requirements Aboriginal education During 2016, the Aboriginal Education Team continued to work collaboratively to make Aboriginal Education inclusive for all students at Empire Bay Public School. The school worked hard to ensure that our Aboriginal students had the opportunity to showcase their Indigenous heritage by proudly leading many different assemblies and functions. At the beginning of all weekly assemblies and all special assemblies an Aboriginal student presented an Acknowledgement of Country. At the beginning of the year we invited our Aboriginal families to an afternoon tea to build positive relationships and strengthen partnerships between parents, staff and students and the wider school community. Personalised Learning Plans (PLP s) were conducted via a three way conference between staff, students and families. These are always a positive experience and allow individual goals to be set for the year in a range of areas including attendance, engagement, sporting and academic performance. The school Aboriginal Education team continued to monitor and manage particular groups/grades of students through contacting their classroom teachers each term and checking on each student's particular goals. In Term Two the whole school was involved in a Reconciliation Day assembly and activities related to National Sorry Day. The 2016 theme was Our History, Our Story, Our Future which encouraged our students to stand up and be proud of their culture as they are the future generations that will carry on the traditions of Indigenous Australians. During NAIDOC Week, the 3 6 students were fortunate enough to have a visiting performer Monty Pryor share his traditional knowledge while the K 2 students completed activities in their classrooms, including dancing, singing and artwork. BroSpeak was implemented over a six week period with all of the boys in grades 2 6. This involved bringing in a community member to work with a classroom teacher to complete a garden project outside the Year Two classrooms. There were many other projects that the students were involved in throughout the year including, the Cultural Continuum excursions for each grade that are held in all of our local schools, the Deadly Awards and Young, Black and Ready. Our Aboriginal Education Team continued to participate in our local Koorana AECG meetings which are held regularly throughout the year. Overall, 2016 was a busy and productive year that successfully promoted and Page 17 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)
acknowledged Aboriginal Education at Empire Bay Public School. Multicultural and anti-racism education At Empire Bay Public School, the Anti Racism Contact Officers (ARCO) positions are held by trained staff members, Mrs South and Miss Murdoch. These staff members are the first point of call if incidents of racism are reported by students, staff or community members. Records are maintained and in 2016 as in previous years there were only a small number of complaints which were dealt with. Those students involved participated in mediation procedures and were given strategies to reflect on their remarks, change their attitude and to demonstrate respect for all students at the school. The DoE calendar for cultural diversity was used in each classroom to promote the acceptance of the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity in Australia. Harmony Day was a huge success in 2016 and the theme was Recipe for Harmony. A week of celebrations took place, with classrooms opening their doors to visitors from our community, sharing food, stories, and respecting the cultural and religious diversity of everyone. Each classroom participated with a variety of activities relating to acceptance and learning about others. In all classrooms, in line with mandatory text requirements as part of the English syllabus, students were exposed to a wide range of literary texts from other countries and times, texts written about intercultural experiences and those that provide insights about the peoples and cultures of Asia. Students In Stages 2 and 3 participated in the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition. Page 18 of 18 Empire Bay Public School 1839 (2016)