Education Learning Support _______________________Page

“I don’t know. Sometimes I can’t really get what I’m supposed to do. Here, I can get help to understand. It’s at my pace and the aides make it make sense.”

This, from student in Year 11, sums up the aim of education support at St Joseph’s. In what has become the fastest growing department at the school, 111 students are funded through the Catholic Education Office for education support. As well as those funded, approximately 200 students fall just outside the funding criteria but still benefit from having an extra person in the classroom. Our Edmund Rice philosophy centres around inclusiveness and respect for all students, regardless of their background, ability or disability. From the youngest to the most senior, each student contributes to make SJC a richer, more accepting place. The education support team, which includes 27 part-time and full-time education support officers and four specialist teachers, aims to foster a safe, supportive and respectful environment where each student can develop his potential and learn skills to take beyond school. 2016 has been an exciting year of firsts. It was the first year in our new home as part of the newly opened Paul Tobias Centre and students and staff are loving the purpose-built rooms, and the light, airy space is a hive of activity each recess and lunchtime. It was also the first year of the VITA Program, a life-skills based certificate course which delivers individual support for senior students outside the general VCE and VCAL programs. The new program focuses on providing realworld opportunities for learning aimed at helping students transition into life after school. Among the many highlights for the VITA crew, led by teachers Pete Adams, Hannah Smith, and ESO Ange Wilson, were the Bike Ed program, mentoring St Thomas Aquinas primary school students at the Gordon, visits to the RSPCA and the Amazing Race in Melbourne. Congratulations to Year 12 student Joey Giacomazzo, who is the first student to graduate from the program – and celebrated with the cohort by organising and starring in a memorable soccer match. This year also saw the launch of the small reading groups designed to provide extra literacy support for Year 7 students. Seventy-seven boys and seven ESOs took part, meeting three times a week. In 2016 we have continued with the popular horse-riding program through RDA Barwon Centre, at Wallington, and the breakfast clubs offering literacy and numeracy support for the Year 7s. Special thanks to the

VITA in action VITA in action teachers involved for their early starts each week. In another first, Year 8 student Caleb Neyenhuis, spent three weeks in America at Space Camp. Below is a reflection of his experience. Over the September school holidays I was fortunate to attend Space Camp in Huntsville Alabama. Space camp is a camp for the vision impaired and the blind to experience what it is like to do missions and to operate simulators that they use to train astronauts. Around 200 vision impaired students from around the

VITA in action VITA in action world attended the camp. We were divided into teams which meant we were able to meet new friends. Over the week we did some cool activities, including space missions, and space simulators. My favourite thing was a hover chair that you can control yourself, you can go side to side, forwards and backwards and left and right.

- Caleb Neyenhuis, 8C

This life-changing experience for Caleb would not have been possible without the generosity of the wider school community, particularly the P&F. Thank you. Our sincere thanks, again, goes to the Josephines for their unfailing support of our area and interest in our programs. Funds from the Josephines have allowed for the purchase of essential resources and educational games to support a number of Caleb at Space learning areas, particularly literacy, numeracy and Camp life skills. And to our boys who graduate with the Class of 2016, we say thank you. We have so many wonderful memories of your time here and wish you every success as you take your place in the world.

Mark Turner - Coordinator Education Support Services

Break time in the Break time in the Wellness Centre Wellness Centre Joey’s farewell soccer match Joey’s farewell soccer match Senior students hard at work hard at work