The Aims of Djarragun College Djarragun College aims to prepare students for the challenge of life in a rapidly changing world. It aims to provide students with the knowledge and understanding to shape and influence for good, their own future and the future of the society in which they live. The school seeks to develop a sense of family and community and through this, the development of self worth and the ability to create and maintain healthy relationships with others. We aim to encourage the notion of good citizenship and to develop in our students a sense of social and environmental responsibility. We strive to motivate each student to achieve their full potential in all aspects of school life: academic, creative, physical and spiritual. The College is committed to providing an environment, which is conducive to the establishment of Christian faith and the adoption of sound moral and ethical values. In order to achieve our aims, we have implemented the following:

OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS

The objectives of Djarragun College are:

• Values and Virtues Education
• A Responsive and Relevant Curriculum
• Respect for Tradition, Promotion of Dignity and Skills to Teach Independence
• A Holistic Curriculum That is underpinned by the Teaching of Environmental and Social Responsibility
• Enhanced Accessibility to Life Experiences, Job Opportunities and Social Interaction

OBJECTIVE 1: Values and Virtues Education

Djarragun College aims to teach values and virtues that will instil in students a deep sense of ethical and moral behaviour. In an ecumenical Christian environment our aim is to teach students the way of truth. We will do this firstly by example and action and then through the curriculum.

In Primary school the focus is on the teaching of core Christian values and virtues and these will be linked with examples from Biblical stories. As always, all lessons are relevant to students’ lives and experiences. The core of the Values Education curriculum is based on the book “The Virtues Project” and the Bible. The Christian Education programme “Connect” will supplement teaching.

In Secondary school, the focus is on gaining life skills and developing an understanding of what it means to live in relationship with God and with each other. Concepts are built progressively with the amount of conceptual detail increasing with the students’ ages. The Christian Education programme “Under Construction” along with the Virtues Project will form the basis of the curriculum. The school has embraced the You Can Do It programme and has integrated it across the curriculum. This programme, along with programmes like Mind Matters and Community Matters will be integrated to support the Values Education programme.

Rock and Water This programme is integral to our Values Education and supports and enhances the concepts taught from every other programme. This programme offers teachers a new way to interact with students through physical /social teaching. Physical exercises are constantly linked with mental and social skills. The programme leads from simple self defence, boundary and communication exercises to a strong notion of self confidence. This programme offers a framework of exercises and ideas about young people and adulthood to assist students to become aware of purpose and motivation in their life. Topics include intuition, body language, mental strength, empathetic feeling, positive feeling, positive thinking and positive visualising. Discussion topics include bullying, sexual harassment, homophobia, life goals, desires and following an inner compass. Rock and Water classes are taught across the whole school and all staff are inserviced in the concepts and delivery of these lessons.

Strategies
To achieve our objectives, we will employ the following strategies:

• Foster the teaching of Values Education;
• Implement behaviour management strategies based on the You Can Do It programme;
• Incorporate and model the Christian values of love, care for one another, tolerance, cooperation, peace and hope;
• Implement the Rock and Water programme across the whole school;
• Become a centre for Rock and Water in the region.

Actions
The actions we will take to achieve our mission are as follows:

• Teach Christian values and ethics;
• Develop a structured, balanced Values education programme from year 1 to year 12;
• Encourage boarders to become actively involved in the Anglican community of Gordonvale and St Luke’s in Cairns;
• Explore the use of contemporary liturgical forms of art, music, dance and drama;
• Encourage all staff to foster love, hope, tolerance, cooperation and peace in their meetings, classes and throughout the school;
• Implement programmes such as Rock and Water, You Can Do It, Mind Matters and Community Matters to promote survival skills in students and to enhance self esteem and self respect.

OBJECTIVE 2: A Responsive and Relevant Curriculum

Literacy and Numeracy
Djarragun College will embrace and follow the National Indigenous Literacy and Numeracy Plan endorsed by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Education Ministers in March 1997. We will initiate a coordinated approach to improve literacy and numeracy standards, which will consist of the following key elements:

• Comprehensive assessment of all students as early as possible, to identify those students at risk of not making adequate progress towards the national literacy and numeracy goals;
• Intervene as early as possible to address the needs of students identified as at risk;
• Use national bench marks to measure Djarragun College students against;
• Use state based assessment procedures to measure students against national benchmarks;
• Work towards national reporting on student achievement against the benchmarks;
• Ongoing professional development of teachers and assistant teachers to support the key elements of this plan;
• Work at lifting school attendance rates of students to national levels;
• Effectively address health and nutrition problems that undermine learning for many of our students.

Strategies
To achieve our objectives, we will employ the following strategies:

Test all students in literacy and numeracy twice each year; Structure literacy and numeracy classes on ability grouping rather than chronological grouping; Develop a whole school approach to behaviour management; Support behaviour management strategies to give guidance and counselling to students in need; Employ a whole school approach to planning, programming and assessment; Use teaching methods that have proved to be effective; In-service and train teachers to be effective educators with indigenous students; Upgrade the skills of indigenous Assistant Teachers; Employ Teachers and Assistant Teachers to plan and teach as a team; Provide a Learning Support programme at the College; Develop closer links with parents and guardians and involve them in their children’s education; Provide healthy food only in school tuckshop; Work with ASSPA on a healthy breakfast programme; Employ a Health Officer to deal with minor health issues on a daily basis: Employ Guidance Officers/Counsellors; Liaise and form partnerships with government service industries such as Qld Health, Wu Chopperan Medical Centre and the Doll’s House.

Actions
The actions we will take to achieve our mission are as follows:

• Adopt a programming, planning and assessment format that is compulsory for each teacher to follow;
• Have daily planning together sessions with teachers and assistant teachers;
• Have monthly moderation meetings for both literacy and numeracy teachers;
• Have monthly moderation meetings for English and Maths teachers;
• Identify models of best practice in teaching and assessing which deliver tangible outcomes;
• Remain continually responsive to the needs of students;
• Encourage and form partnerships with parents and guardians through recreation, as co-educators and as advisers in cultural activities.
• Ban processed foods and foods containing sugar and polyunsaturated fat from the tuckshop;
• Be pro active about encouraging parents who are known to have the welfare of students at heart to get involved in the ASSPA committee.
• Encourage staff to keep their knowledge updated and their skills vibrant through offering relevant P.D.

Vocational Education
Djarragun College believes that individual success and achievement leads to enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence. For this reason we aim to provide opportunities for students to reach their full potential.  The focus in the senior years will be on Vocational Education programmes where students will gain practical skills and knowledge that will equip them to enrol in VET certificate courses, which will lead to apprenticeships.

Strategies To achieve our objectives in this area, we will employ the following strategies: Deliver subjects that will give students the knowledge and skills that are prerequisites for undertaking certificate courses through TAFE; All year 11 and 12 students will undertake 2 x certificate courses as part of their programme; Provide a year 13 class for post school students to undertake various certificate courses full time; Provide students with opportunities to experience real life working situations through work placement and work experience; Seek opportunities for students to gain traineeships; Support students attempting to find part time holiday jobs; Teach students acceptable behaviours for interaction and acceptance across the wider community. Actions The actions we will take to achieve our mission are as follows: Form partnerships with organizations such as Vocational Partnerships Group; Employ a Vocational Education co-ordinator; Extend our RTO status to include a variety of certificate courses; Apply for funding to construct purpose built skill centres to cater for subjects like Performance Art, Hospitality and Retail. Implement an intensive Pastoral Care programme that will support students attain their goals.

OBJECTIVE 3: Respect for Tradition, Promotion of Dignity and Skills to Teach Independence

Djarragun College recognises that in the case of many indigenous Australians, a syndrome of dependency has become a crippling factor in their inability to achieve productive, fulfilling lives. Over two centuries, an unacceptably high number of Aborigines and Islanders have steadily moved from total social and cultural independence to a high level of dependency.

The educational opportunities that have been available in the past do not appear to have resolved the problem of non-acceptance or succeeded in breaking the cycle of dependency for a high proportion of youth from indigenous communities. We endorse the initiatives put in place to address these issues by both the Commonwealth and State governments and support the Federal Government’s assessment in 1989 that:

• The long expressed education aspirations of Aboriginal as yet have not been realised
• There are persisting low levels of educational participation and attainment of Aboriginal people
• There are deficiencies in the provision and quality of educational services for Aboriginal people.

The facts expressed in the above assessment in 1989 still hold true for 2003. Djarragun College’s commitment is to break the cycle of dependency among indigenous youth. We will support indigenous Australians become fully integrated in the global community, which in turn will allow them to effectively stand and live together with people of other cultures and backgrounds, with dignity and confidence. We believe that once students feel confident, competent and informed, they have a better chance of becoming independent human beings.

Strategies To achieve our objectives, we will employ the following strategies: Acknowledge, celebrate and integrate into the curriculum the rich history, traditions and appropriate knowledge of indigenous Australians; Become actively involved in the Reconciliation movement by acknowledging the past and work on building a framework for a shared future; Celebrate all indigenous times of significance such as NAIDOC, Mabo Day and Coming of the Light etc; Employ as many indigenous people as possible to work as teachers, assistant teachers and in other positions within the school; Ensure the inclusion in the overall educational programme of culturally inclusive curricula; Establish effective arrangements for the participation of Aboriginal parents and community members in decision making; Foster the development of self-confidence, self-respect, self-discipline and social responsibility; Provide an environment that is well disciplined and supportive of all students Teach the concept that every right carries with it a responsibility; Develop behaviour management policies and protocols that will set a bench mark for appropriate behaviours.

Actions
The actions we will take to achieve our mission are as follows:

• Adopt a programming, planning and assessment format that is inclusive enough for both indigenous and non indigenous teachers to follow;
• Hold daily planning together sessions with teachers and assistant teachers;
• Develop programmes that support the maintenance and continued use of indigenous languages;
• Implement ATSI courses to provide students with an understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional and contemporary cultures;
• Embrace and acknowledge the indigenous land owners of the country upon which the school is built;
• Form a behaviour management team who will set the benchmarks for appropriate behaviours and oversee the implementation of the behaviour strategies;
• Include life skills classes as part of the curriculum;
• Support organizations such as ASSPA;
• Be actively involved in all celebrations and ceremonies.

OBJECTIVE 4: A Holistic Curriculum That is underpinned by the Teaching of Environmental and Social Responsibility

Djarragun College promotes the concept of respect for God, respect for self and respect for others and for property, as a fundamental premise of the College. We acknowledge the importance of Environmental Education as a critical factor in education in the 21st century. We believe that it is the responsibility of educators to teach young people to become both socially and environmentally responsible. Ignorance is not an excuse for the continued destruction of the environment. We, therefore, believe that environmental education must form the core that underpins our curriculum. As a Christian school we acknowledge that the development of spirituality can be supported by a growing appreciation for the natural environment. An understanding and acceptance of socially responsible behaviour goes hand in hand with an appreciation for and knowledge of environmentally responsible behaviour. Our commitment to holistic education is integral with the notion of maintenance of Biodiversity in the natural environment.

While Social Responsibility and Environmental Education are woven throughout the curriculum, it is the holistic nature of the educational opportunities that we provide that is the focus for teaching. Integration is a valued and important teaching strategy and puts all learning into some form of context. In order to achieve a truly holistic curriculum we have developed the following strategies to support this objective.

Strategies To achieve our objectives, we will employ the following strategies: Incorporate Environmental Studies into the curriculum; Develop policies and protocols that maintain the integrity of our values throughout the curriculum; Provide opportunities for students to participate in a range of educational activities; Provide a curriculum to meet the needs, interests and abilities of individuals; Recognise and cater for individual learning styles and abilities of all students; Recognise that success, challenge and enjoyment are essential ingredients for successful learning to occur; Provide a curriculum that is up-to-date, challenging, motivating and that creates an expectation of success within the student; Provide a developmental continuum from year 1 to year 12; Integrate I.T. across the curriculum; Nurture a sense of social justice in all students; Build higher order and creative thinking into the curriculum; Provide appropriate policies, resources, strategies and structures to support the curriculum.

Actions
The actions we will take to achieve our mission are as follows:

• Ensure all teachers are thoroughly prepared and actively engaged in the teaching/learning process at all times;
• Ensure all students are successfully engaged in learning activities;
• Establish a Special Needs Committee to develop and use Ascertainment Procedures for the equitable provision of support services and resources based on student needs;
• Develop and promote an understanding of the different learning styles students may have;
• Develop a range of teaching strategies to meet the preferred learning styles of students;
• Support cooperative teaching and learning within the classroom;
• Appoint quality teaching staff with a probation period specified;
• Encourage the development of self-evaluation skills through training;
• Regularly evaluate and review teaching and learning practices through Performance Management, review of work programmes and through reflective practice;
• Provide opportunities for staff development and encourage research into successful teaching programmes and models;
• Establish daily planning and planning sessions between teachers and assistant teachers to ensure and promote the knowledge and skills from different cultural groups;
• Examine and evaluate current and proposed curriculum programmes to ensure appropriate breadth, depth and continuity is developed.

OBJECTIVE 5: Enhanced Accessibility to Life Experiences, Job Opportunities and Social Interaction.

The majority of students who attend Djarragun College have had limited opportunities to experience mainstream life and social interaction. This leaves them severely disadvantaged when applying for jobs, during work experience and even when leaving school and attending TAFE. It is incumbent upon us to enhance their opportunities to experience and become comfortable with mainstream life so that they are able to engage meaningfully in the global community.

With each experience, students show an increase in self-confidence, self worth and confidence in who they are and where they come from. In order to support our students engage meaningfully in the global community we will implement the following strategies:

Strategies To achieve our objectives, we will employ the following strategies: Foster the development of self-confidence, self-respect, self-discipline and leadership in all aspects of school life; Provide a range of school experiences which motivate, interest and involve all students; Provide an environment that is well disciplined and supportive of all students; Provide opportunities for students to develop a knowledge and understanding of the world outside the school; Demonstrate a commitment to an inclusive curriculum based on social justice principles; Develop a shared sense of responsibility with parents to foster student effort and participation; Celebrate student achievement in school and the workplace; Provide opportunities for students to learn about leadership, team work and management of emotions in physically, emotionally and socially challenging environments; Provide opportunities for students to meet and socialise with other young people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds; Teach students acceptable social conventions and manners in a variety of cultural and business situations; Provide opportunities for students to plan and implement their chosen activities; Allow students to make mistakes and support them to go on with enthusiasm and creativity.

• Encourage all staff and students to positively recognise the success of others;
• Foster a sense of responsibility within students by providing programmes in time management, study, organisational and social skills;
• Provide opportunities for leadership by students in all activities within the school including the Student Representative Council;
• Provide a comprehensive programme of other school activities;
• Ensure that the values, policies and protocols of the school are clearly articulated and understood;
• Offer opportunities for students to participate in the work force;
• Invite guest speakers from different occupations to speak to students on a variety of jobs;
• Promote realistic careers counselling;
• Ensure that the curriculum provides a range of views of the world;
• Actively encourage parents to become involved in school activities;
• Programme class and subject camps regularly;
• Promote Outdoor Recreation as a means of developing confidence;

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