History:
St Paul’s Kealba Catholic School is situated on the grounds of St Paul’s Church, Kealba, and was established in 1978. In 2007 the parishes of St Paul’s, Kealba and Blessed Mary MacKillop, Keilor Downs, amalgamated to become the parish of St Mary of the Assumption, Kealba–Keilor Downs.
Description:
St Paul’s Kealba Catholic School is located on approximately two hectares of well-manicured and maintained land, providing children with spacious and varied areas in which to interact and play; areas include passive and recreational play spaces, as well as adequate shaded areas.
Basketball and netball courts, as well as an artificially turfed soccer pitch, provide spaces for sporting and Physical Education programs to take place.
The school comprises fourteen regular classrooms, as well as a Visual Arts Room, a Languages – Italian Room, a Multipurpose Centre (Food Technology & Performing Arts – Music), a Discovery Centre (Library) and a well-appointed school hall. At present, three one-hour F–6 Specialist Program sessions are provided in Physical Education, Languages – Italian and Visual Arts.
The facility is well secured, with external boundary fencing and gates, as well as internal fencing and gates; internal gates are locked at the commencement of the school day.
CCTV cameras are strategically located throughout the school grounds and car parks, and internal school access is via a locked, camera-monitored and electronically-operated pedestrian gate.
Features:
St Paul’s Kealba Catholic School prides itself on being a welcoming community; a community where parents are respected as the initial educators of their children and key stakeholders in their children’s education and future.
The community works together to ensure all students strive to attain their personal best. The staff are dedicated to ensuring they know the students and guide them as lifelong learners, through the collection of data and the imparting of knowledge to inform learning and teaching programs and practices.
St Paul’s Kealba Catholic School has a strong emphasis on the teaching of Religious Education, as well as on student attainment of Literacy, Numeracy and Inquiry skills. There is also a strong emphasis on the students’ access to and use of a wide range of information and communication technologies, in a virtual private network and intranet; online safety (cybersafety) is a major focus in the use of all digital devices and online interactions.
Students are encouraged to grow and develop as reflective, critical and creative thinkers for the 21st century. Students perform consistently well in the areas of Literacy (English) and Numeracy (Mathematics), which is reflected in internal and external results and assessment data.
The Religious Education program is well supported by a strong relationship with the parish; the school actively develops a culture of prayer and students are regular attendees at parish weekday masses and significant church celebrations throughout the Liturgical Year.
The school’s Catholic identity is clearly evident in the strategic placement of religious iconography and imagery throughout the school (allowing active involvement in focused prayer and liturgy), in the strategic planning and teaching of Religious Education lessons, and in the relationships fostered and encouraged amongst all community and parish members.
St Paul’s Kealba Catholic School has a strong emphasis on promoting positive behavior and consideration for all community members; great pride is taken in the engagement of students in their learning, as well as in the general life of the school.