Faith Life Inquiry

At St Margaret Mary’s, Faith Life Inquiry nurtures independent, lifelong learners who are inspired by Gospel values and empowered with a sense of purpose and responsibility. Our approach encourages students to develop higher-order thinking skills, engage deeply with their faith, and confidently explore the world around them.

As a Catholic community, we strive to inspire students to be true disciples of Jesus, guided by Christ’s love and teachings. Religious Education at St Margaret Mary’s enriches students’ understanding of the Gospel and its relevance to their daily lives. Through meaningful experiences in prayer, liturgy, curriculum, and faith formation, we cultivate a passion for faith, helping students become engaged, responsible, and compassionate members of society. Our program also prepares students for their Sacramental initiation into the Catholic faith, supporting them on their spiritual journey.

Students explore key understandings across Community and Engagement, Health, Sustainability, Geography and the Environment, History, and Digital Technologies. These studies are woven through the liturgical seasons of the Church, such as Lent and Advent, fostering reflection and connection to their faith.

Aligned with the Victorian Curriculum, our Inquiry approach empowers students to confidently engage with others, adapt to an ever-changing world, and apply their faith to real-life experiences. By integrating technology and collaborative learning, we ensure students develop skills that reflect our Gospel values—Respect, Integrity, Compassion, and Excellence—preparing them to be thoughtful, ethical, and engaged global citizens.

Literacy

We recognise the fundamental role Literacy plays in a child’s learning. In the junior years, our Literacy program aims to develop the foundations of Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, ensuring that students are supported to develop basic skills on which to build upon in later years. At SMM, our Literacy Practices are in line with Science of Learning research and practices. “The science of learning” refers to two related concepts: the study of how the brain learns, and evidenced informed methods for teaching literacy.

In Foundation, Years 1 + 2, the five specific reading sub-skills of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension are taught explicitly and systematically so that our children become capable readers. Years 3-6 continue to build on these strong foundations of literacy. At SMM students are taught to their point of need through the use of timely student data to inform their learning plan. Classroom and learning enhancement intervention teachers meet weekly with our literacy leaders and Literacy Learning specialist to analyse student work samples to ascertain, “Where is each student now in the English progression of learning? Where to next? How can we optimise each child’s learning outcomes?”

In 2023 we launched the implementation of Spelling Mastery across our Year 1 -6 classes. Spelling Mastery provides explicit lessons to help efficiently and effectively teach the spelling skills students need to become proficient readers and writers.

At St Margaret Mary’s, our approach to literacy is guided by the expertise and dedication of our Literacy Leader, Lucy McCarthy. With recent hands-on classroom experience, Lucy brings valuable insight into the evolving needs of students and teachers.

Her strong background in change leadership, coaching, and mentoring enables her to drive both student literacy growth and ongoing staff development. Passionate about fostering a love of reading and writing, Lucy works closely with Classroom and Learning Enhancement Intervention teachers to ensure every child has access to high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction.

Through collaboration in classrooms, strategic planning, and professional learning, Lucy empowers teachers to refine their practice and create engaging literacy experiences that support all learners to thrive.

Mathematics

We engage evidenced informed science of learning and teaching strategies in Mathematics. Our Numeracy program covers the requirements of the Victorian Curriculum through the explicit teaching of skills through the evidenced informed Learning Framework in Number, (LFIN). This means that the children are taught to their individual point of need. Numeracy lessons ensure students are instructed to extend existing knowledge and skills through lessons that focus on the next stage of the LFIN learning progression. Numeracy skills are also reinforced through daily revision and application of these skills through authentic learning experiences. Mathematics learning and teaching at St. Margaret Mary’s ensures individual students learning needs are met through the nuanced and agile combination of explicit teaching and applied learning tasks.

St. Margaret Mary’s Mathematics Learning and Teaching is expertly lead by Anne Ablinger who brings to this role extensive mathematics teaching and leadership experience. Anne utilises her specialised knowledge of Learning Framework In Number, change leadership and curriculum design that is responsive to student data and aligned with evidenced informed practice. Anne, amongst her many skills, is proficient in Multi-sensory learning. Anne works “shoulder to shoulder,’ in classrooms, at planning meetings and when facilitating professional learning with our Classroom and Learning Enhancement Intervention teachers.

Specialist Subject - AUSLAN

Our St. Margaret Mary’s teacher, Grant Tasca is our AUSLAN teacher. Grant has partnered with AUSLAN Education Services to learn and teach AUSLAN to all students from Foundation to Year 6.
Learning Auslan offers numerous benefits, including:Unique neural and cognitive development through visual language

• Ability to communicate with Auslan-using peers, friends, and family

• Enhanced visual-gestural communication skills

• Intellectual stimulation and personal growth

• Cross-curricular integration, especially with ICT

• Access to diverse ways of expression and thinking

• Development of interpersonal skills and broader social networks

• Appreciation of inclusion and diversity

• Acquisition of a portable communication mode with cross-cultural applications

• Insight into language acquisition and learning processes

• Improved literacy development

• Accessibility for non-traditional learners, students with disabilities, and visual learners

Specialist Subject - S.T.E.M.

STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - are important skills for the world that our students live in as well as the future they will contribute to. The Digital Technologies Curriculum is a new but essential area of the Victorian Curriculum, with skills being developed from Foundation to year 6.

Scienceworks has partnered with St. Margaret Mary’s program that gives our students access to their latest learning experiences and the opportunity for our students to be a source of feedback and insight that assists Scienceworks in their learning designs. Our work with Scienceworks also empowers teachers to feel confident in planning and facilitating multi-disciplinary project based learning. The projects focus on Science Technology Engineering and Maths in real world contexts.

At St Margaret Mary’s, our STEM program is led by Lucy O’Dea, a passionate and experienced educator who inspires curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in every student.

With expertise in Walker Learning and a deep commitment to multi-sensory education, Lucy designs hands-on, engaging learning experiences that develop students' scientific inquiry, design, and engineering skills. Through purposeful investigations and stimulating challenges, she fosters problem-solving, collaboration, and resilience—essential skills for lifelong learning.

Every student from Foundation to Year 6 enjoys a dedicated STEM lesson each week, where they explore, experiment, and innovate in a dynamic and supportive environment. Lucy’s enthusiasm for STEM ensures that all students feel encouraged to question, create, and discover.

Art

At St Margaret Mary’s, we believe that Art is a vital part of a well-rounded education, fostering creativity, imagination, and self-expression in every student. Our dedicated Art program encourages students to explore their ideas, experiment with different techniques, and develop confidence in their artistic abilities.

Leading our program is our experienced and passionate Art teacher, Emma McGuirk, who has been inspiring young artists at our school for over 20 years. Emma brings a wealth of knowledge and creativity to the classroom, providing students with engaging lessons that introduce them to a variety of artistic styles, mediums, and cultural influences.

Through painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, and mixed media, students learn to think critically, solve problems creatively, and appreciate the power of visual storytelling. Art lessons are designed to be hands-on and exploratory, allowing students to express themselves while developing technical skills.

Our school values of Respect, Integrity, Compassion, and Excellence are woven into our Art program, encouraging students to appreciate their own work and that of others. Whether creating a collaborative mural or an individual masterpiece, our students develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts and the confidence to express their unique perspectives.

Physical Education

At St Margaret Mary’s, we believe that Physical Education plays a crucial role in developing healthy, active, and confident students. Our program is designed to promote teamwork, resilience, and a lifelong love of movement, helping students build essential motor skills while encouraging a positive attitude towards health and fitness.

Led by our dedicated PE teacher, Chelsea Magill, our program offers a diverse range of activities that cater to all abilities and interests. From fundamental movement skills in the early years to structured sports, fitness challenges, and team-based games, students are encouraged to challenge themselves, set goals, and support one another in a fun and inclusive environment.

We place a strong emphasis on sportsmanship, cooperation, and perseverance, aligning with our school values of Respect, Integrity, Compassion, and Excellence. Through weekly lessons, interschool sports, and special events such as athletics carnivals and cross-country competitions, students develop their physical skills while also learning the importance of teamwork and fair play.

At St Margaret Mary’s, we are committed to nurturing confident and active learners who enjoy staying fit, trying new challenges, and understanding the benefits of an active lifestyle both inside and outside the classroom.

Learning Enhancement Intervention Teachers

At St Margaret Mary’s, we recognise that every child’s learning journey is unique. Learning is a developmental process, and we celebrate the growth of each student, ensuring they receive the right support and challenges to thrive.

We welcome students of all abilities and are committed to providing personalised learning experiences. For students who require additional support to access learning, we implement Personal Learning Plans in collaboration with our Learning Diversity Leader, Paul Smith, Well being Leader, Kath Novak, teachers, and parents. These plans prioritise each child’s individual needs, helping them reach their full potential.

Our Learning Enhancement Intervention Teachers (LEIT), Narelle Monteleone (Junior) and Chelsea McGill (Middle/Senior), work closely with classroom teachers to enhance student learning. Using a data-informed approach, they provide targeted support through scaffolded learning, intervention for those needing extra assistance, and enrichment for students ready to be extended.

Intervention takes place through small group and one-on-one lessons, using evidence-based programs such as Learning Framework in Number (Junior / Middle) MiniLit Sage (Junior) and MacqLit (Middle/Senior). Additionally, support is provided within the classroom through focus groups, daily reviews, and explicit teaching.

Collaboration is at the heart of our approach. Our LEIT team works alongside classroom teachers and curriculum leaders, analysing student data and work samples to develop rich, high-impact teaching strategies. This ensures that learning enhancement and intervention are structured, transparent, and trackable, allowing both parents and the school to monitor each child’s progress.

At St Margaret Mary’s, we are dedicated to nurturing confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning, ensuring that every student is supported to succeed.