Learning at OLMC

Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s educational philosophy is based on a belief that quality education takes place in a collaborative community of reflective and cooperative learners.

At Our Lady of Mount Carmel each learner is nurtured and challenged to explore, investigate and problem solve through explicit learning and teaching.

The key elements of our educational philosophy are:

a foundation based on the teachings of Christ
a partnership with home, parish and school
a collaborative learning community of parents, staff and students
teaching and learning that is based on intellectual quality, quality learning environments and significance (Quality Teaching Framework Model)

the explicit teaching of skills in cooperative learning
problem solving, investigative and critical thinking experiences that promote personal responsibility and an inner delight in life and learning
the implementation of quality teaching based on the NSW Quality Teaching Model

The teaching and learning at Our Lady of Mount Carmel is based on a belief that learning takes place in a reflective and collaborative community where each person is nurtured and challenged to explore, investigate and problem solve through explicit teaching and rich learning and assessment tasks.

Our Lady of Mt Carmel School is organised into sixteen aged learning groups that reflect the Stages of Learning from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Key Learning Area curriculum documents.

3 Girls

The stages of learning are:

Early Stage One	Kindergarten
Stage One	Years 1-2
Stage Two	Years 3-4
Stage Three	Years 5-6

Learning groups are organised into the following:

Kindergarten	2 class groups
Year 1	2 class groups
Year 2	2 class groups
Year 3	2 class groups
Year 4	2 class groups
Year 5	2 class groups
Year 6	2 class groups

A co-operative learning approach

Co-operative Learning Groups is a strategy used for learning at Our Lady of Mt Carmel whereby all students engage in group activities with each student undertaking a role.

Co-operative learning happens within the context of community. This reflects the population at large allowing the students to learn the attitudes, knowledge and skills that benefit all in the community.

Co-operative or collaborative education is much more than an effective instructional methodology—it is an enabler of learning, relationships, values, education and importantly, building a faith community (Phil Billington).

Co-operative learning is the instructional use of small groups so that students work together to maximise their own and each other’s learning (Johnson, Johnson & Holubec).

When children feel that they are among friends in their schools and classrooms, they make the school community their own. And in committing to the school community’s values, they become more engaged in learning and more thoughtful and caring in their behaviour. Friendly classrooms don’t just happen, of course. They take considerable effort on the part of both teachers and students. But increasingly, this new emphasis on building community is being recognised as valid and important (Dalton and Watson).

Some of the strategies for teaching the skills of co-operative and reflective learning at Our Lady of Mount Carmel are:

G.E.M. Groups
The Quiet Sign
Team Roles (Co-operative Learning Groups)
KWL Charts and Y Charts
K.I.S.S.E.S
Think Pair Share
Three Stars and a Wish

Hands Up Pair Up
Give One, Get One
Sharing Circle
Reflective Learning Journal
Self Assessment
Rubrics

Roles for Co-operative Learning Groups:

Manager	Organises group. Keeps group focused on task.
Encourager	Positive feedback to the group enables all group members to join in.
Reporter	Communicates group’s findings to the class. Clarifies responses.
Recorder	Scribes the ideas offered. Defines and clarifies answers.

Our Catholic faith lights the way as we guide your child’s learning journey. We are led by love, compassion and respect for all.
We walk with Jesus and with those in need, both at school and in the community. Together in Christ, we will change the world.
We see the good in each child. Every child deserves to be safe, known and cared for. Every child can learn lots, grow as a person and be happy.

Here’s what we think about learning

Let’s work together

Every child’s learning journey begins at home. We’ll work with you to make sure that your child is on track at school too. This means getting to know your child well, especially what gets them excited about learning.

Like you, we understand that great teachers make a real difference in a child’s life. That’s why we’ll make sure that your child’s teachers are skilled up and supported by an effective Principal with a passion for learning and caring.

Our teaching is up-to-date

Our children’s adult lives will be very different from our own. Technology is changing everything including the way they will work. To prepare them for whatever that future holds, our school has had to change and will need to keep changing.

Learning today is so much more than facts and figures. Information will be coming at them from everywhere so they need to learn to make sense of it all and the world around them. We’re focused on developing strengths that students need now and in the future - communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and so much more.

We’ll work with your child to find out what interests them and show them ways to learn more.
We’ll use real world problems to show how the skills we learn at school are relevant for life.
We’ll work closely with your child as they learn to take responsibility for learning too.

It’s a great start to a lifelong learning journey. And our teachers are lifelong learners too!

This is how we do it

So much more is being asked of teachers today. Not only will teachers get to know your child’s needs, they’ll change their teaching approaches to meet them where they’re at. This means teachers need to be ready to share skills with students, help students plan their learning, track how each student is progressing, and respond with extra support as needed. After all, learning how to learn is even more important than what we learn.

We’re supporting your child’s learning

Our school is a place where curiosity, imagination and love of learning are treasured. We know schools should be places of wonder, exploration and endless possibilities. Our school is full of great teachers working together to meet your child’s needs in spaces that are designed for up-to-date learning. There are places for students to work together and for working independently. They are places where the latest technology supports your child’s learning.

We’ll make this work for you and your child

Every child is different and so is their learning journey. Teamwork between our school and families, expert staff, state-of-the-art technology, well-designed facilities, and a can-do attitude help us to meet your child’s needs better. Our school is a community of learners, thinkers and achievers. It is a safe place for each child to belong, make friends and be cared for.

Let’s keep talking!

We’ll take every opportunity to talk with you about your child’s learning. The best learning happens when there’s a strong partnership between home and school. We know you want to know how the learning works, and we’ll keep you updated when it’s working well for your child and when it’s not. After all, we’re all in this together.