Motto	Multis Coniunctis Magna Perfecta 'Through the work of many, united as one, great things are done'
Address	135 Robert Road, BENTLEY PARK QLD 4869
Postal Address	P O Box 529 Edmonton QLD 4869
Phone Number	(07) 4055 4514
Fax Number	(07) 4055 5864
Email Address	secretary.bentleypk@cns.catholic.edu.au
Web Site	http://www.stthereses.qld.edu.au
Total Enrolments	618
Year Levels Offered	P-6
Student Population	Co-Educational
Principal	David Adams-Jones
Parish Priest	Fr John McGrath PP
Parish Number	(07) 4055 4315

About our School

St Therese's Parish School is an integral part of the Cairns Diocese and the Edmonton Parish. Located just 20 minutes south of Cairns City, St Therese's provides Catholic Education to an area that is currently referred to as the 'growth corridor' of Cairns.

The first Catholic school in Edmonton, Edmonton Convent School, was established by the Sisters of Mercy on the 29th April, 1929, with an enrolment of just 30 students. Its original location was on the Bruce Highway in the small township of Edmonton - an area that had been originally established as a sugar-milling town to serve the many surrounding sugarcane farms. Since those early days, the school has undergone many changes in its history and was renamed in 1965 to that of St Therese's School.

In 1995, the school was relocated to its current position where it has continued to grow in order to meet the growing enrolment numbers that have resulted from the development of residential areas south of the city. Today, it has an enrolment of approximately 618 students, Prep to Year 6. The school is proud of its rich historical story as well as the modern facilities that are now available to students, enabling a holistic and quality educational learning environment. The school has completed a master plan following $5.5 million in combined capital projects undertaken as part of the Building the Education Revolution and planned facilities expansion.

Today, St Therese's School continues to have a very welcoming feel. It has a group of highly dedicated and motivated parents and carers who genuinely assist with the provision of the best educational environment possible for their children, through their hard work and commitment. St Therese's is also fortunate to be staffed by a strong group of dedicated teachers and school officers who continue the mission of Catholic Education begun so many years ago. It is a school which openly reflects through its practices, the philosophy and values of its foundational partners - the Sisters of Mercy and the priests of the Cairns Diocese - who have over the years helped shape our school community to be what it is today.

St Therese's School strives to be a faith and learning community which celebrates God's presence through our Mercy tradition, excellence in teaching and learning, and a strong partnership between family, staff and parish.

Characteristics of Student Body

Over the last five years with the movement of Year 7 going into secondary schooling the enrolment trend has steadily grown from 602 students in 2017 to 618 students in 2018.

School Annual Improvement

Major Focus

A Lived and Celebrated Identity

• RLOS -Religious Identity and Culture - Ethos & Charism, Authentic Christian Community & Sense of the Sacred,

Culture that Promotes Learning

• A: 1-11

Secondary Focus for 2018

• Reading
• Number -place Value
• Differentiated Learning and Teaching- High Potential Learners
• School Community Partnerships"¦.Parents Engagement and Preschool Visits

Future Targets for 2019

• Catholic Identity
• Reading
• Number and Algebra

Distinctive Curriculum Offerings

St Therese's School offers nine Learning Area (LA's)

•   Religious Education
•   Mathematics
•   English
•   Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)
•   Science
•   Technology
•   The Arts -All Year Two students participate in the Violin Program
•   Specialist Visual Arts Teacher Employed
•   Health & Physical Education (HPE)
•   Languages Other Than English (Chinese) teacher employed 3 days a week
•   Wellbeing Teacher employed five days a week

St Therese's is fully engaged in the Australian Curriculum

Specialist Teachers are contracted to provide instruction in The Arts, LOTE and HPE.

The learning across all Learning Areas is enhanced and enriched through the integration of key events throughout the school year. This includes various visiting school performances, involvement in activities such as ANZAC Day March, Clean-Up Australia, Under 8s Day, Book Week, Catholic Education Week, NAIDOC Week and various feast days in the church calendar.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is taught and integrated across all year levels and instrumental music is offered as an en extra-curricula activity. As part of the Arts curriculum, the school participates in a dance program in which the students receive dance lessons for one term per year. Excursions and camps are also a part of the school curriculum. Students participate in Gymnastics and a Swimming program. All students are expected to participate in any class excursions / camps.

Extra Curricular Activities

Excursions and Camps

Readers Cup Challenge

Dance Program -External provider Years Prep to Year 6

Mary Mills Cup (Netball)

Jim Graham Cup (Rugby League)

Futsal

Tennis, Soccer and AFL Coaching

Calana Speaking Competition

School Sports - Our school sports program comprises of a number of school-based sporting opportunities including:

• School Cross Country for those students 10-12 years of age
• District Cross Country
• Years 3-6 Interhouse Athletics Carnival
• Prep-2 Sports Day
• District Interschool Athletics Carnival

Swimming Program

Gymnastics Program

ICAS Competitions (English, Maths and Science)

Teachers at St Therese's may offer students the opportunity to participate in out of school events such as the Cairns and District Eisteddfod (eg Choric Speaking), Opti-MINDS Challenge, Battle of the Bands, Science Fair, Student Leadership Program.

Social Climate

St Therese's School is a learning community which places emphasis on enabling its students to seek spiritual, academic, creative and physical excellence in order to achieve their potential with dignity, respect and responsibility towards themselves, others and the environment.

Through its Student Welfare Policy, the school endeavours to promote:

• an environment in which teachers can exercise their rights to teach and children can exercise their rights to learn without interruption and where parents' rights to expect a quality education for their children may be fulfilled
• a positive, respectful climate where children, teachers and parents can work together to help children solve their problems in a manner which will enhance self esteem and foster responsible behaviour choices
• a culture of acknowledging and celebrating positive behaviours and achievements through various awards.

Through the Student Welfare Policy, education and support is provided to the students of St Therese's School in the following areas:

• Student Protection
• Bullying Prevention Plan
• Education concerning effective and appropriate use of technologies in the 21st Century
• Behaviour Management
• Social Emotional Learning

This plan has direct links to the Leadership Team supporting teachers within the school, in conjunction with our School Counsellor who provides support for 2-3 days each week.

Parent Engagement

Parents and Friends' Association - St Therese's Parents and Friends' Association has been established to enrich the education and learning of students through active participation of parents and staff as partners.

The objective of the school's Parents and Friends' Association is to provide a forum through which parents can be supported, informed and involved in their children's education and wider school community. St Therese's P&F is a dynamic and highly supportive group that works very closely with the school in identifying and supporting projects that lend themselves to betterment of facilities and provision of experiences for all students.

Some of the more specific initiatives undertaken by the school's P&F over the last two years have included:

GRANT APPLICATIONS

• Early Years Playground equipment Successful in 2018
• School Fete
• ANZAC Day at Fuller Park
• Dance Gala Night

SPECIAL EVENTS (Trivia Night)

• Mothers Day and Fathers Day Stalls
• School Disco
• National Walk to School Day /Colour Run
• Car Rally
• Acknowledgement of World Teachers' Day

Other areas of parent involvement include:

• School Community Hub
• School Vision and Mission Steering Committee
• Participation in school celebrations including liturgies and other school-based initiatives
• Sporting events and carnivals
• Parent engagement in student learning
• Support with excursions and camps
• School musical (every 2 years)
• Information evenings
• Parent/ teacher interviews
• Feedback through surveys and forums

Parent Satisfaction

214 parents participated in the recent School Satisfaction Survey with over 83% of parents agreeing that St Therese's encourages students to achieve to the best of their ability. This is up 3% from 2017. 92% of parents agreed that St Therese's School is a welcoming and caring community where everyone is treated with respect. 97.2% of parents agreed that the grounds, buildings and outdoor facilities are well presented and well maintained. 96.3% of parents agreed that the classrooms are well presented and stimulating places for learning. General comments about the school were: I like the community spirit and also how my child's teacher regularly keeps me informed as to my child's learning journey. I love the feel of the school with very approachable staff including the principal very positive and encouraging environment. What  I like most about the school is friendly and approachable teachers, clean grounds, school ethos to be kind, caring and considerate of others.

Data Last Updated Mon 24 Jun 2019