St Therese School opened in 1986 with 29 students and as we celebrate 35 years, the current enrolment is 275 students with 32 staff members. The life of St Therese of Lisieux, who believed that what matters in life most, is great love and that we must approach all that we do with love, is evident in all that we do.
The Catholic nature of the school is evident in the daily lives of the children, teachers and community. St Therese lives its school vision through all interactions with staff, students and the wider community by developing deep understandings about self, others and the world. Leaders aim to be Christ Centered in all aspects of their leadership.
A well coordinated Religious Education program that is connected to faith development and social justice, and a caring community-based approach provides the students with many opportunities to connect their life and faith.
The learning spaces and improvements to all buildings and grounds support a contemporary approach, with an emphasis on valuing external as well as internal learning.
Staff
We aim for a personal commitment on the part of staff to be change agents, to have highly developed skills of communication, team and problem-solving skills, and to participate and co-operate with other people in all human activities. We expect that staff will have high expectations that every student has the ability to learn and an understanding of the importance of having appropriate measures of accountability in place. All staff members are continually working towards a deeper knowledge of how children learn best and then to match the strategies to the learning styles and the needs of their students.
Learning and Teaching
Our school is focused on providing a contemporary learning environment and continues to evaluate programs for their relevance to living in the twenty-first century. The use of research and data to inform decisions about learning and teaching, have contributed to a change in culture in this area.
The learning and teaching in the early years builds a strong foundation that supports our beliefs and understandings that children who engage in complex forms of socio-dramatic investigations have greater language skills and better developed social skills, empathy and imagination.
Student Well-being
All staff promote a positive wellbeing philosophy based on high expectations for all students within a nurturing environment. It is the basis upon which student learning is developed and extended.
Sustainability
Staff and students at St Therese are committed to looking after the environment and living sustainably. This is reflected in the learning focused on in classrooms, our efforts in recycling, planting native trees and vegetation around our school and the activities and links we have made with the broader community.