Learning and Teaching in the College community embraces the school's vision and mission statements, the Brisbane Catholic Education Learning Framework, Queensland Statutory Authority documents, the Australian Curriculum (ACARA), and in accordance with relevant regulatory bodies and the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Declaration goals of (1) promoting excellence and equity and (2) developing confident and creative individuals, successful lifelong learners, and active and informed members of the community - The Johnnies Way.
The Johnnies Way (whilst incorporating the above) also strives for all students to establish and sustain a sense of belonging and connection within the SJC community. We are called to be neighbour to all and we promote behaviours that are based on the Good News of the Gospel and Good Samaritan values. We meet our students at their level of readiness and stage of development. The Johnnies Way focuses on RELATIONSHIPS, PEOPLE and LEARNING.
RELATIONSHIPS
- Provide high-quality pastoral care that is proactive in offering effective support provisions.
- Encourage respectful, honest and open communication with students, staff and parents.
- Foster positive engagement by knowing our students as young people and learners.
- Maintain high expectations connected to learning progress, achievement and wellbeing.
- Establish and retain professional, positive relationships with students, and show respect, courtesy and consideration to all within the St John’s College community.
- Promote resilience, say ‘NO’ to bullying, and promote safe and effective use of technology.
- Provide and support multiple extracurricular activities – academic, spiritual, sporting, cultural and emotional.
- Encourage a positive presence and participation at College events.
- Listen to and actively respond to student voice.
PEOPLE
- Empower students to give witness to Christ’s love and the values of Benedictine/Good Samaritan spirituality by modelling and celebrating a contemporary worldview.
- Promote the dignity of the human person by being inclusive and actively reaching out to others, particularly the marginalised, disadvantaged and those considered minorities.
- Actively and positively participate in the Religious Life of the School and the Religious Education curriculum.
- Promote a collegial and collaborative school environment that is underpinned by ongoing support and feedback.
- Provide intellectual rigour and encourage each student to ‘take risks’, ‘have a go’ and ‘be creative’, in order to develop as self-directed, future-focused learners.
- Actively promote restorative and positive behaviour support processes for learning that are underpinned by the Catholic values of peacemaking and forgiveness.
- Commit to developing respectful, responsible and resilient learners by working together to consistently implement College processes.
- Enact processes that ensure a safe school environment that is responsive to student needs.
- Cultivate a growth mindset, develop curiosity and risk-taking, and acknowledge making mistakes as part of lifelong learning.
- Demonstrate persistence and remain authentic in the face of adversity, seeking different ways to positively solve problems.
LEARNING
- Promote a culture of learning that focuses on holistic improvement – wellbeing and academic.
- Positively acknowledge our role as part of a wider expert teaching team that analyses, discusses and responds to individual student data.
- Provide differentiated learning and teaching through implementing whole-of-college, high-impact and evidence-based pedagogical practices.
- Provide transformative, innovative and connected opportunities to support learners as global citizens in an ever-changing world.
- Offer and implement a broad range of curriculum offerings that are explicitly linked to the real world.
- Focus on positive attainment and the promotion of multiple learning opportunities and pathways.
- Sustainably and strategically plan for effective use of school resources by demonstrating sound financial stewardship.
- Maintain a good balance between technology and tradition-based education.
- Encourage students to ‘give their best’ to create a future filled with great potential, hope and triumph.
- Celebrate success and positively acknowledge holistic growth and individual achievement.
Learners are TRANSFORMED through their learning, moving from dependent to independent learners who are actively involved in setting goals to achieve their desired outcome. As lifelong learners they will confidently go on to transform their world with compassion and thoughtfulness through example, service and leadership.
Learning creates independent, critical thinkers who practice deep REFLECTIVE thinking, who respond positively to all challenges, who set high standards for themselves and who reflect critically on learning and living as reflective spiritual beings.
Through all learning and teaching activities, our community seeks INCLUSIVE ways to actively accept all members of our community, being welcoming of others, embracing differentiation, supporting others, being flexible and accepting of change, showing empathy and valuing effort and achievement.
Teachers and students are COLLABORATIVELY supported by our community members as they continue to challenge themselves to broaden their own learning. Collaborative input is valued from all community members as best practice is shared throughout the community to develop strong partnerships among parents, teachers and students and technology is used to reinforce our connections with our parish and local and global communities.
Our community designs active, creative and dynamic learning environments to ENGAGE our students and adapt to their ever-changing needs using a multitude of strategies and ICLTs.
Brisbane Catholic Education Learning Framework and Education Model of Pedagogy
© Brisbane Catholic Education, Learning & Teaching (2023)