Blue Gum Montessori

School Annual Report 2009

Our Mission

To provide an excellent Montessori Education for 3 to 12 year old children.

Our Vision

Confident, independent, community minded children, inspired to a life long love of learning.

Our Philosophy

The Blue Gum philosophy is to acknowledge the uniqueness of each child and support the natural

phases of their development. We are an independent school that values community life and that actively fosters the partnership

between children, parents / carers and professional staff.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of Contents

Page

Section 1Section 1Section 1Section 1

General information …………….……….......... 4

School Council …………………………… 5

School Statistics …………………………… 6

Blue Gum Montessori Staff …………………………… 7

Minutes AGM 2008 …………….……….......... 8 - 12

Chair’s report ……………………........... 13 - 16

Principal’s report ………………….….......... 17 - 22

Section 2Section 2Section 2Section 2

Treasurer’s report ……………………………………………………... As Attachment

Annual Financial Statements & Auditor’s Report …………………… As Attachment

General Information Blue Gum Montessori School Inc. is an association which has a stated vision and mission. The objects of the Association are stated in the constitution.

The Council members are elected every year. Elections are held every year at the Annual General meeting. Council meetings are held every month during term time and are open to members of the incorporation. The dates of the Council meetings are on the School Calendar. Minutes of the meetings are available upon request made to the Council. An Annual General meeting is held each year within four months after the end of the financial year of the association. A notice regarding this meeting is published on the school website, on the notice boards outside the classrooms and in the school newsletter.

.4.

School Council 2009.

Bill Monaghan Anneke Wiesner Chair of Council Deputy Chair Human Resources

Committee

Paul Williamson Sally Mischke Treasurer Secretary Chair Finance

Committee

Drew Devereux Vanessa August Parent representative Parent Representative Policies review

committee

Ian Wilcox Amber Janowicz Parent representative Parent representative Polices review Parent Coordinator committee

Janet Laing Principal

.5.

School Statistics ( December, 2009) Number of children 3 – 6 years old 100 6 – 9 years old 26 9 – 12 years old 23 Number of Families 114 Number of teachers* 9 Number of Educational Assistants* 6 Number of Administration staff* 4 * Not all staff are full time

.6.

Blue Gum Montessori Staff ( December 2009) Principal Janet Laing Boab teacher Laura Nicholls Wandoo teachers Maren Speckels and Vinita Desa Melaleuca teacher Sally Wimbridge Wattle teacher Sujatha d’Souza Jarrah teacher Deborah Dwyer Tuart teacher Tina Creese Curriculum Support Michelle d’Bruin French teacher Caroline d’Argent Boab Educational Assistant Rebecca Barth Melaleuca Educational Assistant Gwen Hills Wattle Educational Assistant Jane Grierson Jarrah Educational Assistant Patricia Englebrecht Tuart Educational Assistant Maria Fahey Playgroup coordinator Lee - Anne Carton Business Manger Linda Knox Administration Officer Kathleen Stevenson Enrolments Officer Melanie Ormshaw Planning and Special Projects Officer Robyn Whitaker Auditors Lawrence Business Management Steven Rellis Bank Bankwest

.7.

BLUE GUM MONTESSORI SCHOOL Date: 23rd March 2009 MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Venue: Blue Gum Montessori School Present: Brian

Troy (Chair)

Rod Jarman (Treasurer)

Janet Laing (Principal)

Lara Vasta (Minutes)

Pamela Lumsden (Council)

Sally Mischke (Council)

Anneke Wiesner (Deputy Chair)

Parents recorded in attendance book

Apologies: Hadi

Family Williamson family

Greenwell family

Risbey Family

Hamdani Family

Daniel Pui

Boccardo Family

Bakker Family

Lee Family

Visitors: Nil

Item/Discussion Decision/Action By

Whom By When

1. Meeting Opened 1927 hours 2. Welcome and introductions 3. Minutes of last meeting Motion to accept 2008 Special General

Meeting minutes moved by Jo Flynn, seconded by Shelley Doig – carried. Motion to accept 2008 AGM minutes moved by Angela Price, seconded by Dean Lawrence – carried.

4. Principal’s Report – Janet Laing As circulated.

Noted

5.Chairman’s Report - Brian Troy As circulated Quality of education and community spirit are the strengths of BGMS. These aspects are strong and constant withstanding time and changes Stage 2: Progressing well and we have a full upper primary class for the first time. This is generating rewards for staff and students. Finance going forward is tight but manageable. We expect to have a strong finance committee for 2009 – 2010. Strategic Planning is in progress as the 2004 plan is nearing its end. Ground work for a new plan has commenced and we expect for this to be a focus for 2009 to 2010 The history of BGMS governance is, until a few years ago, the school was parent run. BGMS now has professional staff which has resulted in the development of relationships and roles for council and staff. The administration staff is still small and BGMS still requires parent assistance with some specialised functions.

Motion to accept Chairman’s report Lance Quartermaine, seconded Terence Lee All voted in favour

.8

Item/Discussion Decision/Action By Whom By When

BGMS Council changes Pamela has reached her four-year limit and has served the community well upholding parent perspective. Lara thank you for one year as secretary Rod worked really hard to overcome peculiarities of finance and developed role of finance committee and treasurer Brian thanks Christine his wife for her support and understanding over the last 2 years and noted that like many BGMS positions it has been a team effort as the family has served as Chairman of BGMS for past 4 years. Questions from the floor Q: Who are we purchasing the land from? A: Land is purchased from Housing Department Q: Is BGMS aware of Roe 8 being planned behind the school? A: Yes BGMS is aware of the Roe Highway; the school is separated by a large buffer zone and is excess to Roe Highway reserve. Q: What are the plans for BGMS fee increases? A: BGMS now has a fee setting model that assists the school in setting fees. New Council will set fees later in year, but expect fee increase of around 5% to 6%. Staffing major cost and note BGMS teachers currently only paid 90% of state school teachers although we are trying to bridge the gap. 6. Annual Finance Statement Please note the following changes to circulated document

• Item headed Book club payments actually Busy Bee levies

• Grant income other includes a capital grant of $47,200, so net operating surplus actually $39158

Reasons for growth of BGMS is a critical mass of students is required to support financial structure. Government grants provide us funding for kindergarten children, pre-primary and primary students. The critical mass number is dependent on operating and interest costs. The Education Department advises that 180 FTE children is required to sustain a school financially. Overall finance goal is to improve surplus and build a maintenance nest egg. Plan to make a surplus of 10% of gross income.

Finance Report noted. Annual Financial Statement received.

.9.

Item/Discussion Decision/Action By Whom By When

2010 to 2011 is a tight period. As student numbers stabilize this is expected to improve. One middle primary will change to two middle primary 2010 to accommodate the increased student numbers. Attrition of student numbers requires careful planning. Brian has developed a forecasting model will assist us in planning student numbers. Causes of attrition are:

Families moving Other Private schools State Primary schools

Difficulty for the school is it generally only replenishes students at the bottom ie 3 and 4 year olds. We need to ensure for sustainability that we recruit enough new 3 year olds each year. There may be a future challenge for rationing older places or waiting list for entry. This is not a new issue for the school but has not been a recent issue as capacity growing. Future selection for places may include such things as parent contribution to school activities. Key point is we are now able to forecast into the future and BGMS would like to be proactive in regard to accommodating student numbers 7. Election of Parent Council Members 2009 Deputy Chairman Anneke Wiesner Treasurer Paul Williamson Secretary Sally Mischke Parent Representatives – Middle/Upper Primary x 2 Vanessa August Ian Willcox Parent Representatives - Junior Primary x 2 Amber Janowicz Drew Devereaux

Proposed/seconded Lana Tan/Rebecca Liddington. All in favour. Elected Unopposed Proposed/seconded Rod Jarman/Robyn Whitaker. All in favour. Elected Unopposed Proposed/seconded Tessa Kalkhoven/Shelley Doig. All in favour. Elected Unopposed Proposed/seconded Sally Mischke/Shelly Doig. All in favour Elected Unopposed Proposed/seconded Jo Flynn/Perry Lucus. All in favour. Elected Unopposed

.10.

Item/Discussion Decision/Action By Whom By When

. Chairman Bill Monaghan

Proposed/seconded Jemma Doak/Amanda Manson. All in favour. Elected Unopposed Proposed/seconded Fiona Hook/Darrel Horicks. All in favour. Elected Unopposed Proposed/seconded Robyn Whitaker/Lisa Byleveld. All in favour. Elected Unopposed

8. Election of Non Council Positions Class Liaison Tuart - Eva Juengling

Class Liaison Jarrah Rebecca Dawson Class liaison. Azriel Re’Shel Assistant Class liaison Class Liaison Wattle - Alene Norfis Class Liaison Melaleuca - Kelley Lavin Class Liaison Wandoo - Alison Wheatley Class Liaison Boab - Tessa Kalkhoven House and Grounds Coordinator No nominee for house and grounds coordinator Role outlined by Brian Troy and Robyn Whitaker House and grounds Non council position to be determined

Proposed/seconded Claudine O’Neil/Angela Price All in favour. Elected Unopposed Proposed/seconded Amanda Bateman/Claudine O’Neil All in favour. Elected Unopposed Proposed/seconded Perry Lucas/Jo Flynn All in favour. Elected Unopposed Proposed/seconded Amanda Bateman/Darrel Horicks All in favour. Elected Unopposed Proposed/seconded Jo Flynn/Amber Janowicz All in favour. Elected Unopposed Proposed/seconded Shelley Doig/Liz Placket All in favour. Elected Unopposed

9. Election of Auditor

PG Business Services director Alan King to be retained as Auditor for 2009. Moved Perry Lucas, seconded Amanda Manson Request from parent to review of our requirements and call for a tender for auditor 2010

10. Next meeting

Before 30 April 2010

11. Formal meeting Closed 2030 hours

.11.

.12.

Item/Discussion Decision/Action By Whom By When

1. Members open forum

1. Brian introduced new Chairman Bill Monaghan

2. Q: What are the plans for the middle

primary classes 2010?

3. Q: What are the plans to replace the teachers leaving?

4. Janet - Much work has been done for the application to Kevin Rudd’s Education Revolution grants. Please review the proposals on the board after the meeting.

Bill introduced himself and said a few words about the future. Bill thanked Brian for his contribution as Chairman over the past 2 years. A: (Janet/Brian) A class of 20 children have more independence emotionally and socially. The single class is giving us time to prepare educational staff. Children numbers are appropriate 2010. Each class will be at least 15. Staff cover is one Teacher at 15 and 20 have an additional assistant 0.5 FTE. BGMS has a limit of 27 children in one class for Middle and Upper and 25 for Junior. A: (Janet) Sally will be taking up to full time in Melaleuca We will advertise for an assistant looking to recruit a young teacher with a view to succession planning. BGMS has teaching practice to provide student teacher an opportunity to experience Montessori education

2. Meeting closed Closed 2045 Date completed Signature

Draft minutes 4 April 2009 5 April 2009

Lara Vasta Brian Troy

Confidential minute attachments: Yes No (underline)

Final version 18th May 2009 Sally Mischke Bill Monaghan

2009 Chairman’s Report Blue Gum Montessori School has continued to evolve throughout 2009. Student numbers are up due to the expansion into four Junior Primary classes, we have increased staff numbers and, courtesy of the Federal Government, Stage Three of our development has come about sooner than projected. The new building will house a new library and multi-purpose room that will accommodate our play group as well as providing a facility for meetings and information evenings. Although this building is funded by a federal grant the process requires extensive planning, both logistically and financially. The parent council acknowledges the contribution of Robyn Whittaker (Special Projects and Planning Officer), Linda Knox (Business Manager), Janet Laing (Principal), the Finance Committee and our staff with the smooth acquisition of the third stage of development. The school has also been able to upgrade security cameras, security screens, a covered area between administration and middle primary, through a $75, 000 National Schools Pride Grant and will shortly have $50,000 worth of solar panels installed which is funded through the National Schools Solar Grant. Thank you to all parties who have helped make this happen. As expected when faced with change and growth there have been several challenges that Council, the Principal, Staff and parents had to deal with. Whilst we all endeavour to minimise the impact on families it is impossible to keep all community members happy all of the time. Input and help from our families is always welcomed to help face these challenges.

To quote Andy Warhol, “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself”.

The sense of community is one of the major factors which influences our preference for a Montessori Method of education and thus chose Blue Gum as the school for our children. It is important that we don’t lose sight of this as our school grows larger and we all have an obligation to become involved in the school community through term jobs, busy bees, morning teas, school functions and information evenings. I encourage all parents to be familiar with the material covered on your expectations to contribute to our community in the Parent’s Handbook and with our School Philosophy. “The Blue Gum Montessori School philosophy is to acknowledge the uniqueness of each child and support the natural phases of their development. We are an independent school that values community life and that actively fosters the partnership between children, parents/ carers and professional staff”.

13

Communication at BGMS is extremely important and occurs on many levels – the class notice boards, communication books outside classrooms, teacher/parent meetings, pigeon holes, newsletters, notes home and through our website. Whilst not all of these suit every family it is extremely important that we as parents stay on top of this. I encourage all people to visit our website (www.bluegummontessori.wa.edu.au) in order to access information on the school, Montessori Education, the Handbook, newsletters and upcoming school activities. School fees are always a topic that is widely discussed and, whilst our fees have continued to rise over the past couple of years, Council uses a model which objectively sets any rise in order to cover the educational costs of the school. It should be noted that our fees have risen significantly less than many of our independent counterparts, both Montessori and other non-government schools. One area that has an impact on costs to the school is Council’s plan to and the implementation of an increase in staff salaries to a level that is competitive with that of the Education Department and other independent schools. However, I liken this process to the Montessori spiral Curriculum – an increase in staff salaries leads to an increase in costs (in turn fees) which leads to greater accountability and responsibilities for the staff which leads to better conditions/salaries and the cycle begins again. Through my time on Council and more specifically in the last 12 months as Chairperson I have learnt more and more about the Montessori Method of Teaching which is applied at BGMS. With this knowledge I have a great appreciation for and value the work of our Teaching Staff, Educational Assistance and Specialised Teachers in their delivery of the Montessori Curriculum. So, on behalf of Council and the wider parent body, can I thank all staff for their professionalism and enthusiasm in educating our children. I take this opportunity to thank staff leaving our community Jenny Moyles and Sally Wimbridge for their contribution to our school over many years. Thank you also to Caroline D’Argent for her time spent teaching French (including those snail adoptions) at BGMS. Whilst on the topic of the Montessori Method of education I encourage all parents to continue to learn and understand how our staff implement the method in a 21st Century school. At times certain views have been expressed to Council for clarification but have been in conflict with the workings of the Montessori Method. With a greater understanding of the philosophy, methodology and our schools vision many of these issues would resolve themselves. As an example many people, both existing parents and those who attend open days, often express concerns of the impact of larger class sizes as they fear their child won’t get enough attention from their teacher. However for quality Montessori teaching to occur having smaller classes is detrimental to the class dynamics and the quality of the education. Our staff are well trained and resourced to accommodate multi aged classes of around 24 to 26 and this allows for the learning to happen on many different levels – individual, same age group, multi age groups and teacher directed lessons. To quote Maria Montessori

“The teacher must derive not only the capacity, but the desire, to observe natural

phenomena. The teacher must understand and feel her position of observer: the activity

must lie in the phenomenon”.

14

Roe 8 continued to be an issue that Council took under consideration in 2009. Council confirmed its stance of opposing any destruction of the nearby wetlands due to environmental and cultural sensitivity of the area. I am aware that some people believe we should be taking a harder stance on this issue; however Council has the view that we purchased the land on which our school is built knowing the highway could possibly eventuate and therefore we won’t publicly oppose the highway due to our proximity to it. The latest update is that the Government has allocated $30 million on the consultation process but has not yet committed money to the building of Roe 8. The school has submitted a list of questions to the Government in order to clarify their plans and have been asked to put together a submission on a series of issues such as traffic conditions for Hope Road, walkways to access Lakeside and the Wetlands, sound barriers and use of land on the eastern and western boundaries of the school. These developments have come about from a meeting on the 6th of May and will be an issue for the new Council to act on. I would encourage people to voice their concerns to the incoming Parent Representatives and Council Chair. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Janet Laing our Principal for her dedication and the quality of her leadership at BGMS. No one person has had more thrust upon them than Janet through this period of rapid change at our school. Her ability to combine a myriad of jobs, often over and above those of which are in her job description, is a testament to her professionalism and value to the school. She is always available and visible in the school which is rare in many schools as the Principal’s role has become increasingly administrative. Janet has worked hard and is continuing to attend to the criteria for our school to attain re-registration later this year. This includes putting in place processes and policies, school plans, meeting educational standards, showing the financial viability of the school and meeting student numbers are some of the tasks along with Council and Finance that she has overseen. It is a long and arduous set of tasks that has consumed much of Janet’s time without her losing touch with the day to day life at BGMS. The NAPLAN testing and subsequent posting of these results on the MySchool website has certainly been a keen topic of debate throughout the community. It is important that parents keep the use of both in perspective as neither should be used alone to judge the merit of a particular school or student. Whilst BGMS results appear to be favourable at this point in time I am confident that parents, current and prospective, will continue to choose our school for the provision of quality educational regardless of subjective rankings.

15

Linda Knox, our Business Manager, has left after two years of service at BGMS which has included overseeing the transition of our financial operations from a fundamental accounting system to a point where the school is in a position to plan and map its financial future. We wish Linda all the best in the next phase of her life. Paul Williamson (Treasurer) and Finance Committee members Stefan Mischke, Rod Jarman and Johan Weisner have worked extremely hard in organising our finances and putting in place forward estimates, budgets and processes that will hold the school in good stead for our future. Paul and the committee have often gone over and above the call of duty in order for this to happen and I can not thank them enough for that contribution. On behalf of the whole school can I thank Sally Mischke for her contribution to Council, both as Parent Coordinator and this year as Secretary, her presence will be sorely missed. Outgoing members Amber Janowicz (Parent Coordinator), Ian Wilcox (Parent Representative) and Vanessa August (Parent Coordinator) are also stepping down from Council and their contribution has been much appreciated. When reading this please keep in mind that we always need people to engage with our Blue Gum community and that we rely on many volunteer positions at our school. These include Class Liaison, Council member or assisting at school functions, open days and information evenings. Your assistance and input is encouraged and more importantly will always be welcomed. It is crucial that you continue to voice opinions and concerns but even more important is that we have people who will roll up their sleeves and give up their time for the benefit of our children and the school. In 2010 and beyond our school will face many challenges throughout this period of continued growth and evolution of the school. We will need to work hard as changes to the 3 – 5 year old education system are implemented throughout the country which is in direct competition to our market potentially impacting on our ability to attract and retain students. Maintaining our Montessori Values and Methodology in a far different environment than we were just a few years ago will continue to challenge both Council and Staff. Can I reinforce that it isn’t the “school” or the “council” but it is us, the parent body, that are charged with making and continuing to make this a wonderful school for our children to attend, learn and grow within.

.16.

Principal’s Report 2009 2009 was an exciting year with many developments in various areas. Blue Gum continued to grow, with enrolments increasing and student and staff retention rates high. Plans for more infrastructure were brought to fruition as a result of the Economic Stimulus Package. Sincere thanks must go to the Council chaired by Bill Monaghan for the regular volunteering of their time and expertise in the best interest and promotion of the school through their governance roles. Many parents have given time and their skills in a variety of areas from clearing to gardening and carpentry. On behalf of the children and staff - thank you for your support, commitment and trust. Due to the strong demand for places a decision was made in 2008 to open a fourth junior primary at the beginning of 2009 followed by the recommissioning of a middle primary at the beginning of 2010. The Economic Stimulus Programme allowed the school to realise dreams that had been tabled for the distant future. The package enabled the school to build a decent sized resource room (library) and multipurpose room with a large outdoor area that will serve as an assembly area and play area under cover. The teachers continued to openly demonstrate and impart knowledge and understanding of the quality Montessori education the school offers, working tirelessly to ensure that all the children have the chance to develop their individual potential. The consistent, strong and clear values of the school continue to be pursued in all areas of the curriculum and management of the school. The administration staff, Kathie and Melanie provided much appreciated strong support , building up the procedures and systems and front of office contact I echo the gratitude of Bill Monaghan to Jenny Moyles and Sally Wimbridge who devoted many years of service to Blue Gum. I also thank Linda Knox as Business Manager who helped to steer the school through the next stage of development. Neisha Mills, Junior Primary teacher has taken parental leave and will be re joining the school later in 2010. The school has been privileged to have the services of Deborah Dwyer and Gurmayll Kaur, both highly qualified Montessori teachers, to take the places of the retired teachers. Maren Speckels and Vinita Desa have joined the team as the Middle Primary teachers. Both ladies are WACOT registered and currently undertaking Montessori training. Lauder Coomber has taken the position of Business Manager and with the Finance Committee, is continuing to consolidate the business affairs of the school. Lauder has come to the school with many years of experience in banking and local government.

.17.

Significant events and milestones In Term 1 the School celebrated the diversity of the cultures of Australian citizens on Harmony Day with a whole school breakfast on the north verandas followed by the children sharing some of their classroom activities with their parents. Term 2 began with a moving Anzac ceremony. This was followed in Week 2 with a Mums’ High Tea in Week 2. The children prepared gifts for their mums and with great anticipation, sent out the invitations. With barely contained excitement the children shared their class room activities with their mums before serving them high tea made by themselves, on the school lawns. World Environment Day on June 5 was a double celebration of planting the new school gardens around the front of Boab classroom and a muffin morning to raise funds for the Orangu - tang programme run by the Roots and Shoots organisation to which Boab class belong. The children were able to raise a tidy sum towards the saving of the orangu - tangs. Term 3 was packed with activities that ranged from a whole school incursion of Team Beat with the children drumming out rhythms in unison to a camp for Boab and a Dads’ Big Night Out run on the same lines as the mums’ night. The term finished with the opening of the building housing Boab and administration by Mr Mark Brown of the Department of Education. The Remembrance Day commemoration in Term 4 was a poignant ceremony with the children keeping the minute silence. The children of Junior Primary ran as fast as they could in their sports morning in egg and spoon races and relay races. The Middle and Upper primary sports day was a wonderful example of team work. The oldest children in the school were the team leaders of groups of children ranging from six years old to eleven years old. They managed their groups, who did not all have the same understanding or commitment to the race, with patience and humour. The year ended with a celebration assembly when the community marked the graduation of four boys who had completed three cycles at the school.

Professional Engagement Staff Qualifications Blue Gum Montessori School continues to employ staff who are highly committed to their vocation and to the school. Staff are handpicked and they are selected on the basis of their qualifications, excellence in teaching skills, love of children and strong commitment to the Montessori Method of Education. All the teaching staff meet the professional requirements for teaching in Western Australian schools. Highest qualifications Numbers of teachers % teachers Masters 2 22% Honours/post graduates 3 33.3% Bachelor degree 2 22% Diploma 2 22.7% Total number of teachers

9 100%

.18.

.19.

Staff attendance Staff attendance rates across the School in 2009 were very good. At all times the school seeks to provide credible relief teachers who support our vision, mission and values. For administration and academic staff the total staff sick leave amounted to 22% of total staff sick leave entitlement. Staff retention rate Blue Gum Montessori School enjoys a high staff retention rate. Two members of staff retired after 25 and 10 years of service respectively. The staff retention rate for the year was 75%. Expenditure on and teacher participation in professional development All staff participate in a diverse range of professional learning experiences. These include seminars, workshops, small group discussions, in house training and observations at other schools. During 2009 staff attended professional development activities conducted by the school, Association of Independent Schools in Western Australia, the Montessori Teachers Association, Montessori Australia Foundation, Montessori World Education Institute, and other relevant professional organisations. To support ,develop and sustain the school’s Montessori ethos, in-house training covered the topics – Child Protection, Asthma Management, Practical Life – threading, Skills we need to be good teachers, The Montessori spelling programme, Teaching for meaning: connecting ideas rather than learning content in isolation, Updating Montessori Mathematics and Planning and recording in a Montessori setting. Overall school professional development expenditure was $2893.64

Key student outcomes Student annual attendance: 97% National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy Blue Gum Montessori provides the opportunity for all students to be involved in these tests regardless of identified learning difficulties. As a Montessori school the individual academic progress of each child is facilitated and valued. The children perform extremely well in comparison to national performance in these assessments despite testing not being a strategy of the Montessori Method.

Percentage above the National average:

Key student outcomes Blue Gum Montessori School has a tradition of delivering a strong Montessori programme and maintaining an uncompromising commitment to excellence. The Montessori educational philosophy is to acknowledge the uniqueness of each child and to support the natural phases of their development. The school is an independent school that values community life and that actively fosters the partnership between children, parent/carers and professional staff. A Montessori programme is characterised by community life, with order and structure in the classrooms, routine and curriculum. The elements of reality, nature and beauty are held in high esteem in the setting up of the classroom and playground environments and planning of the activities. All the classrooms are well equipped with Montessori equipment and the teachers are all expected and trained to deliver a Montessori programme with ‘freedom with limits’ that allows the children to discover their strengths and limitations. Critical to the school’s growth is the ongoing development of teaching and learning strategies and initiatives that support the values embedded in the Montessori Method of education. The four values identified by the community are self awareness, community life, care of the environment and cultural diversity. A vital quality of the education provided at Blue Gum Montessori is the holistic nature of the method which instils in the children personal attributes such as responsibility and respect for oneself, others, the community and the environment, independence of thought and actions, resilience, leadership and strong moral values. A Blue Gum education offers a commitment to the growth and development to each child, member of staff and families. It is recognised that the success of the school is reliant on a strong partnership between the child, the parents and the staff. The aim of the partnership is to encourage the children to have a life long love of learning, to be confident, independent and community and environmentally minded. In the experience of the school these qualities are closely followed by aspirations to excellence and personal best in all areas of endeavour. The following is a sample of programmes and activities that add value to the student’s learning experiences at Blue Gum.

reading writing spelling grammar and punctuation

numeracy

Yr 3 100 100 100 100 100 Yr 5 100 100 100 100 100

.20.

Value Added – Junior Primary Perceptual motor programme Daily fitness routines Pastoral care Parent information sessions on the educational method and philosophy Orientation sessions for new parents Opportunities for parents to observe in the classrooms Opportunities for the parents to contribute to the school life Community life Incursions Outreach – recycling of batteries, aluminium cans, aluminium can tabs, paper etc

Value added – Primary The following is a sample of programmes and activities that add value to the children’s learning experiences at Blue Gum. Academic: French Fine art Non-government school psychologist services Assemblies Curriculum support teacher Sustainable practices – reduce, reuse and recycle Healthy eating practices and activities Fitness programmes Lakeside sports programme Excursions and incursions – Bibra Lake wetlands excursion Cooking activities Pastoral care Community life Gardening activities Camp for Upper Primary Buddy activities between Boab and Junior Primary On site wetlands for environment studies

.21.

Whole school special events Harmony Day Mums’ High Tea Dads’ Big Night Out Sports Carnival World Environment Day Anzac Day Remembrance Day World Teachers Day Community/Parents Fortnightly newsletters Parents information evenings on education and the Montessori philosophy: Parenting Montessori style - Montessori Primary explained

Other: Re-vegetation of the Bibra Lake Wetlands Supervising work experience of university students – Notre Dame, Curtin University Hiroshima Day Commemoration with City of Cockburn External Art Exhibitions: City of Cockburn Library, City of Cockburn Wetlands, and IKEA Work Placement experience for high school students. Lucy the large doll from Kansas Elementary School on her way around the world. Roots and Shoots – raising money to save Silvery Gibbons

Satisfaction Blue Gum continues to attract highly competent and dedicated staff who actively seeks to join the community and maintain their professional standards with regular training. With an open door policy parents are encouraged to contact the relevant Council members and staff to discuss any issues of concern that may arise. In the satisfaction survey for 2009 there was a response of 36% with a positive response of 93.9% for the sixteen questions asked . Enrolment at Blue Gum is sought after in the community as is evidenced by the growing waiting list for entry at three years. The growing student numbers together with the growing waiting list suggest a high level of student/parent satisfaction with the school. At the graduating assembly in December 2009 the four twelve year old graduating boys, who had spent nine years with the school, ten if playgroup is counted, had this to say about their educational journey at Blue Gum. Kyle: “Blue Gum is a great school and I’m glad Mum and Dad chose it for me.” Matt: “…thank you to my Mum and Dad for sending me to this amazing school.” Peter:” ‘For all those parents wondering if they’re going to keep their kids at the school I think it’s a great school so I’d advise you to.” 10 March, 2010

.22.