Lisieux Catholic Primary School, Torquay VIC
Gender
Co-Ed
Years
Prep-6
Established: 2018
Principal: Susan Ryan
Address: 90 South Beach Road, Torquay 3228
Key Information
Staff
N/A
Fees
See Website (Primary)
Languages
French
About our school
There are many reasons why Lisieux Catholic Primary School is such a nurturing and joyful learning community. We provide a rich and innovative curriculum; we celebrate our faith and value our relationships; and, our new buildings will feature excellent equipment and facilities.
At Lisieux, the spiritual development of our students is a central part of our mission. We strive to educate the whole person and to provide opportunities for students to flourish in all areas. Daily prayer and meditation takes place for all children and we link with the local St Therese parish to participate in liturgies.
Our approach in the Lisieux Junior School is built upon the natural curiosity of children and inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, which recognises the child as rich with wonder and potential. This approach utilises the environment as the third teacher, and encourages communication and exploration.
In the foundation years, we have an explicit focus on literacy and numeracy. Very consciously, we also focus on outdoor learning as a means for students to construct learning, collaborate socially and explore. Complementing this philosophy is our Outdoor Discovery Program which runs weekly and encourages an appreciation of and connection with the local environment. Specialist lessons take place in Mind and Body; and, 100 Languages, which is centred on the understanding that there are ‘one hundred different ways’ of discovering and learning, through dance, movement, painting, play and hands-on creation.
Lisieux provides students with ICT resources which support their learning journey. New technology is integrated with our teaching and learning.
The single most important factor in our learning community, however, is our dedicated staff team. Research tells us that effective teachers are the most important factor contributing to student achievement. Our staff members have been carefully selected for their skills and character strengths such as positive and caring attitude, respect for students, reflective practice, enthusiasm and dedication.
Our teaching staff constantly reflect on the needs of each child and explore the best possible ways of challenging each individual. As a learning community, we recognise that every child can learn, but some children require different opportunities and supports to do this. We commit to setting high expectations for learning and development, and to working with families to support this outcome.
One of the benefits of being a smaller community is that we provide an environment where young people feel safe and experience a sense of connectedness. Positive relationships, an inclusive approach and a sense of belonging are vital for success at school and for wellbeing.
Open Days/School Tours
Please see our website for more details www.lisieux.catholic.edu.au
Principal's Message
It is with great pride and excitement that I welcome you to Lisieux Catholic Primary School, a learning community which began its journey in 2018 on a magnificent bush block near the sea in Torquay. On behalf of this wonderful community, I thank you for seeking to find out more about what our school has to offer your child.
At Lisieux, our motto is “known and loved” and these words are infused into our daily practice. Our mission, working in partnership with parents, is to support our students’ educational journey, inspiring them to flourish, to celebrate their many talents and to become young people of faith who will strive to make a difference in the world. We value strong relationships with God and one another.
Lisieux’s beautiful setting and outstanding facilities provide an inspiring environment for all students. Children have a natural curiosity and our programs have been designed to nurture that sense of wonder and foster growth in resilience, critical thinking and independence, as well as encouraging an understanding of our responsibility to care for the environment.
As a staff team, we invest in a ‘blue sky dreaming’ approach because we want to re-imagine what 21st Century education can look and feel like. We work collaboratively to plan and resource our learning opportunities, and when you wander through our school, what we hope what you see and feel is evidence of authentic learning taking place, lots of laughter and dialogue, and a strong feel of community connection.
What makes our school unique is our community of people, our dedication to excellence and our focus on student wellbeing. Our commitment as educators is to walk with our students on their learning and faith journey, encouraging the students in our care to achieve their full potential.
Please feel free to contact me for a personal tour of our learning community, and to hear more about how we can support your child’s growth.
Susan Ryan – Principal
Quick Facts
- Community – Our beautiful coastal setting provides an inspiring environment for all students. What makes our school unique is our community of people, our dedication to excellence and our focus on student wellbeing.
- Sense of belonging – Fundamental to our philosophy is the belief that student success is built upon a framework of connection and belonging. An understanding and appreciation of each person’s unique gifts and strengths and a focus on building close relationship with others is central to our mission.
- We build confident learners – Our students are encouraged to identify and pursue academic excellence and to actively partake in sporting endeavours, cultural pursuits and social justice initiatives. Our teachers understand that students achieve when they are encouraged to do their best, take ownership for their learning, and when their achievements are recognised.
- Faith development – Our commitment to fostering the faith development of our students is paramount to our role as educators at Lisieux. We aim to build a community that is Christ-centred and based on values of openness, equality, respect, trust and a sense of belonging. Within the pace of our school life, we offer students moments of silence and reflection where they are encouraged to still their minds, to slow down and experience prayer.
- Personalised learning – The pedagogy of Lisieux has its basis in personalised learning where teachers are invited to make individualised responses to learning needs and encourage students to be creative and reflective thinkers who take risks and are confident in their own learning. We recognise that every student is a learner and our aim is to maximise learning outcomes for all students.
- Best practice –We are fortunate, as a new school, to be in a positon to draw on elements of many approaches – the best approaches, the approaches shown through research to enhance learning outcomes, build resilience and foster independence. Our staff is committed to a culture of rigorous, ongoing professional development in order to ensure that our teaching is of the highest standard. The core aim of Lisieux is to transform the quality of teaching and learning by strengthening relationships within the learning spaces, within the school, and between the school and the community.
- Social development and wellbeing – The school utilises a Restorative Practice Framework which underpins student welfare across all ages. This approach assists members of the community to build, maintain and restore relationships. A Restorative Practice framework helps students build capacity to self-regulate behaviour and it contributes to the improvement of learning outcomes. Teachers and non-teaching support staff at Lisieux undertake professional learning in this area. Lisieux adopts a Positive Education approach, which essentially refers to the combination of best practice teaching with a study of wellbeing. This approach emphasises the importance of training the heart as well as the mind in education.
- We make learning fun – We want members of our community to love learning and love coming to school. For that reason, we are dedicated to designing activities that engage the senses, incorporate our natural world, and involve the students in an authentic and relevant way.
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