Learning & Teaching | Our Lady of Fatima

Learning and Teaching

Explicit and evidence informed

We provide a safe and secure learning environment that encourages cooperation between teachers and students, and values the contribution made by each student so that they can become confident learners who feel good about themselves and good about their school.

Students are encouraged to ‘have a go’ across a wide range of learning experiences that are delivered in a meaningful context. With a focus on individual student needs the responsibility for student outcomes is shared by a dedicated staff at both individual team and whole of school level, who are committed to inspiring students through:

Interesting and engaging classroom environments
Teaching practices designed to support the individual needs of students within the class group
A rigorous curriculum that provides the opportunity for all students to reach their full potential and
A focus on the social development and wellbeing of students as key drivers of their academic success.

Through processes such as critical thinking, ethical understanding, creativity and initiative, we encourage our students to explore and consider deep questions and big ideas that help them interpret the world around them and make meaning of their lives.

Victorian Curriculum Overview
The curriculum at Our Lady of Fatima School is in line with the Victorian Curriculum 2.0. The standards are used to plan our programs, assess student progress and report to parents. Disciplines are integrated to foster critical and creative thinking, ethics, personal and social capabilities skills and make connections to aspects of sustainability. Connections to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are also made through our choice of content, resources and opportunities to engage with our local community.

Vision For Instruction
Our programs reflect MACS’ Vision For Instruction which priorities explicit teaching and the use of research-informed pedagogies, particularly in the areas of English and Mathematics . Our staff are highly trained to deliver programs that continually monitor student skills through assessment, with this analysis used to identify specific areas of need for each child. Our data-driven teaching approach enables teachers to tailor the curriculum and differentiate the curriculum to meet the needs of all learners.

English

Literacy is the foundation of all learning at Our Lady of Fatima, as it is the key skill that allows your children to participate in and enjoy their schooling.
Literacy at Our Lady of Fatima is focused on three general areas:

Speaking and Listening
Writing
Reading and Viewing.

In Prep - Year 2, we use InitiaLit, which is an evidence-based whole-class literacy program providing all children with the essential core knowledge and strong foundations to become successful readers and writers. The program incorporates a synthetic approach to the teaching of phonics alongside a rich literature component to develop children’s vocabulary, oral language and writing.

In Years 3 and 4, we use SpellEx, which is an evidence-based whole-class spelling program. By growing and consolidating their phonological, orthographic and morphological knowledge, SpellEx helps children make the right decisions when spelling words. This will benefit their writing in all curriculum areas.

In Years 3-6 we use Ochre Education’s Primary English curriculum, which is an evidence-based approach to reading comprehension and writing instruction. The resource utilises a range of knowledge-rich texts for the teaching of comprehension, grammar, handwriting, reading fluency, spelling, vocabulary and writing.

Mathematics

We believe in a balanced curriculum with a focus on mental arithmetic and number skills as well as developing our students’ problem solving and thinking skills around all mathematical concepts.

Each day students are engaged in 1-1.5 hours of explicitly planned Mathematics lessons, where students engage in focus groups and learning experiences that are targeted to their needs, whether it be individually, in small groups or as a whole class. Students are actively engaged in the learning process as they are working towards achieving their goals.

Intervention

Where literacy forms the foundation of learning at Our Lady of Fatima, we offer a range of evidence-based intervention programs. Our programs include Language Lift, MiniLit, SPELD Phonics, MacqLit and Reading Tutor. They are designed as a powerful short-term intervention for students who might have difficulty meeting the required reading and writing standards of their year level.

Numeracy interventions are founded on the Bond Blocks and bespoke tutoring programs and occur mostly within the classroom. Our approach aims to build fluency and recall of number and counting skills, address dyscalculia and improve problem solving skills of students who participate.

Integrated Learning

Through our Integrated Curriculum children explore the domains of Science, Humanities, Civics and Citizenship and Design Creativity and Technology. We seek to give students wide-ranging knowledge, skills and processes to ensure they are confident, thinking active members of our society. We have a common and structured throughline from Prep to Year 6 with each term foci.

Reporting

Reporting is the process used to communicate knowledge gained from assessing student learning. The purpose of reporting is to provide relevant information about a student’s progress to students, parents, support staff and other teachers.

Our Lady of Fatima provides both formal and informal reporting channels. As well as written documentation and formal parent / carer teacher interviews, there are a number of ways that parents/carers can be involved in their child’s learning such as open days curriculum information sessions newsletters displays concerts plays and special events including Book Week, sporting events and class Liturgies.

At the end of Term Two and Four you will receive a report of your child’s progress. This report reflects the guidelines which are set by the Department of Education and Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (MACS) and Victorian Assessment Authority. The report provides opportunities for parents/carers and students to review the year whilst reading the report and also to set and discuss future learning goals.

We use Seesaw which is an online platform / app for sharing student learning, celebrating successes and engaging with our parents and families as partners in student learning.

Religious Education

Our schools invite and support students to discover God’s presence in their daily lives. Students are invited and supported to understand themselves and the world in which they live through a world view founded in Scripture and in Catholic traditions - stories, worship and teachings. Religious Education is at the centre of the Catholic school curriculum, and is reflected in a visible Catholic symbolic culture and active sacramental and liturgical practice. Religious education explores students’ life experiences in the context of Church teachings and tradition. Participation in Religious Education is compulsory for all students in MACS schools.

School program
Mary inspires all aspects of school life, with her gentle invitation to encounter God throughout our experiences at Our Lady of Fatima School. Students explore the catholic faith by learning about Catholic Social Teachings and finding ways to turn words into actions in their lives at school, home and in the wider community.

Students participate in daily prayer in classrooms and as a whole school at assemblies and whole school events. Classes attend Mass at least once a term and our parents and families are warmly invited to celebrate too.

Sacraments

The Sacramental program is conducted for Years 3, 4 and 6. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is conducted for children in Year 3, the Sacrament of Communion for children in Year 4 and the Sacrament of Confirmation for children in Year 6. All Sacraments place in the Our Lady of Fatima Church.

Performing Arts - Dance, Drama and Music

Building Creativity through Drama, Music & Performance. We have a strong Performing Arts Culture in the school and students can elect to be part of the choir and participate in lunch time activities around the performance. Students also participate in weekly Performing Arts lessons that encompasses Dance, Music, Drama and performance based activities. Prep to Year 2 students have 40 minutes of Music per week and our Year 3-6 students have 40 minutes of Performing Arts per week.

The Arts enable students to develop their creative and expressive capacities by learning about the different practices, disciplines and traditions that have shaped the expression of culture locally, nationally and globally. Students are both artist and audience in the Arts. They make and respond and learn to appreciate the specific ways this occurs in different disciplines.

Every two years our school has a School Production and each year we have Christmas Carols.

Visual Arts

Every class recieves one hour of Visual Arts specilaist per week. The Visual Arts program at Our Lady of Fatima is unique, creative and sustainable. It caters for the different needs and interests of our students, with activities designed to cater for all skill levels. It is an open ended program which encourages students use their imagination and creative ideas and to be supportive of their peers who are exploring new concepts, techniques or styles of Art.

Imagination and the creation of new ideas comes by being exposed to a range of cultural and historical skills, patterns, colour combinations and materials. At Our Lady of Fatima units of work are supported by the unique and exciting ‘hands on’ experience of themed, cultural or historical items, artworks and textiles.

An artistic adventure needs to be supported by a range of materials, tools and equipment. To maximise students’ knowledge and understanding of how to manipulate, join and be creative in their use of shape, colour and texture the program supplements traditionally purchased materials with a wide range of recycled materials. We are proudly sustainable with materials not only being sourced from the community but they are also upcycled or reconfigured to make new shapes, textures or sizes for students to explore. T

The program is based on the Victorian Curriculum and covers all skill requirements in themed, cultural or historical units of study. Whilst a range of cultures are investigated and explored there is a strong focus on art from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. We look at their varied art forms from a range of regions in Australia and explore traditional and modern interpretations of colour, pattern, symbols and stories.

Physical Education

Every class receives one hour of PE specialist per week. Students engage in a range of physical and sporting activities throughout the year, these may include:

movement challenges and games
Athletics: District and regional sports day for the whole school
Swimming
Beach days (Years 5 and 6)
Interschool sports (Years 5 and 6)
Summer and Winter ‘Lightning Premierships’ (Years 5 and 6)
Cross country running
District Sports
Participation in sport during lunch breaks
House team sports carnivals
Class fitness, brain breaks and skill lessons run by class teachers
Sporting clinics run by community organisations, allowing students to experience a range of activities that they can then go out and participate in the community.

Swimming lessons
Students in Prep to Year 6 participate in a water familiarisation program of eight 45 minute lessons, held over two weeks during Term 4. The program is conducted at Yawa swimming centre in Rosebud, a short walking distance from the school. Year 5 and 6 students also attend a beach program which includes water safety, swimming and beach activities.

STEM

Our Lady of Fatima has a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) space led by a specialist teacher who delivers a hands–on program using the design / inquiry process. With a focus on the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and maths, students are taught to work through the design thinking / inquiry process as a way of problem solving. STEM draws on the natural curiosity of students and keeps them interested and engaged in problem solving and rich tasks. Year 3-6 students recieve one hour of STEM specilaist per week and Prep to Year 2 students 40 minutes.

In 2025, construction of our purpose built STEM learning classroom is set to commence.

Library

Our library is a bright and colourful learning enviromment and a resource centre which supports learning and teaching. It supports and encourages students’ reading experiences, with an extensive collection.. Students attend the library with their teacher to borrow regularly.

Language - Italian

The Italian language is taught at Our Lady of Fatima School. All students are taught the Italian language once a week for a 40 minute session. The language is taught where all students are immersed in the Italian Program through a variety of resources and tactile activities including technology.

The Italian language program at our school is a highly engaging and popular curriculum area in our school curriculum.

Through processes such as critical thinking, ethical understanding, creativity and initiative, we encourage our students to explore and consider deep questions and big ideas that help them interpret the world around them and make meaning of their lives.​

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We believe in a balanced curriculum with a focus on mental arithmetic and number skills as well as developing our students’ problem solving and thinking skills around all mathematical concepts.

Through processes such as critical thinking, ethical understanding, creativity and initiative, we encourage our students to explore and consider deep questions and big ideas that help them interpret the world around them and make meaning of their lives.