MARANATHA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Principal/CEO’s Message Dr Roderick Crouch Welcome to Maranatha Christian School - the oldest Christian school in Victoria, with campuses at Doveton, Endeavour Hills and Officer. Through a model of Christ centered education and constant encouragement, we seek to inspire children to develop and use their God given talents to be the best they can be, both for themselves and others, as this gives honour to God. We do this by employing talented and capable Christian teachers who are not only highly qualified and well regarded educators, but also have the ability to build quality relationships with students. Through both the academic and co-curricular program, children are encouraged to pursue excellence in all they do. To be a

student at Maranatha means to access opportunity - the opportunity to learn, the opportunity to develop, the opportunity to serve, the opportunity to grow and the opportunity to excel. These opportunities are accessed by participation in a rigorous, challenging and engaging curriculum, as well as a wide range of co-curricular programs. These opportunities help children develop their personal faith and so build the necessary skills to be successful in life, no matter what pathway God may lead them. In a secular and diverse world, it is essential that Christians are able to defend the gospel intellectually (1 Peter 3:15), and have the wisdom and ability to discern right from wrong. At Maranatha we believe that, to do this, all students need to know how to think critically and become good decision-makers, both for themselves and others. Completing a quality education at Maranatha means that boys and girls will have the skills to achieve success in their professional and personal lives, and so make a positive contribution to society, no matter where in the world they might lead. What better goal for your child than a life of Christian service. A life that makes a real difference!

History The vision for, and roots of, the School extend back to our Dutch migrants in the early 1950s. From small beginnings we have grown into a multi-campus school. We are a Christian community of people, from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds, with common values and beliefs.

Vision "Maranatha is a Christian learning community in partnership with home and church where students are inspired to discover and develop their God-given gifts, abilities and character for a life of service to the Lord in contemporary society". School Values and Student Attributes

The school's values, which stem from our Christian foundation are: Christ Centeredness Integrity Discipleship Excellence Accountability Learning Community Service These underpin everything we do in our desire to give our utmost for His glory

The attributes of a Maranatha student are: Reflect Christ Enduring Self-Controlled Passionate Empathetic Committed Thoughtful Living these attributes will always engender respect in our desire to give our utmost for His glory.

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

What is Christian education? Many people have heard of Christian schools, but what does it mean to have Christian education and a Christian school? Is the education any different? Whether it is learning how to run a 400m race, learning how to spell “rendezvous”, or learning to factorise a polynomial, all knowing has its ultimate meaning and purpose when framed by God’s big picture story anchored in Jesus. All forms of education will have a particular perspective on life. It may not always be obvious or overtly stated, but it will shape how things are understood and spoken about, how things are done, and what is chosen to be taught. This might be in the form of assumptions about the nature and origins of the world, or it might be evident through suggestions about the purpose of life and indeed what it means to be fulfilled as a human. No form of education is neutral as it will always be providing a particular lens through which the student sees the world and their place in it. A different perspective

Christian education invites young people to see and understand the world through the perspective of God’s truth. The Bible becomes the lens in which students view what they are learning. The lens focuses their thinking on ultimate truth - a biblical vision for life where the world is created and sustained by God; where God has acted in history to deal with the distortions of creation caused by human rebellion; and where history is advancing towards a new creation in which all things are reconciled to God through Jesus who is not only the

climax of the biblical story but is also the focal point of the lens.

A way of living Christian education is not just about a Christian way of

understanding. It is also about a Christian way of living. When

Jesus said “Follow me”, he was expecting people to dedicate their

whole lives to serving God. Christian education informs, invites,

and inspires young people to live this way. The Christian school

offering Christian education seeks to teach this way of life every

day through all that is done and taught.

Partnership with parents

Parents have the ultimate responsibility to educate

their children towards a biblical way of knowing and

a Christian way of living. The Christian school

community is a partnership with parents and the

school sharing in this vision. Parental involvement is

not only something that will be welcomed but is

crucial in the life of the school.

Does the Christian school shelter children from

the real world?

All education, and good parenting, will have an

age appropriate gradual exposure to aspects and

ideas in this world. Christian education is no

different. However, it seeks to guide the students into a full view of the world and to the

development of a discernment about the distortions to God’s good design. A school can’t do this

if it shelters.

Can you have academic rigour and Christian education?

Isn’t there a compromise required?

The school embracing Christian education may, in fact, have

greater academic rigour. The same state curriculum, with its

secular, humanistic and naturalistic framework, is taught in

all schools. The Christian school will seek to equip the

student with a critical discernment of the worldview

assumptions of this curriculum; a discernment that critiques

all that is at odds with a biblically informed view of life and

the world. This has a greater academic rigour than

accepting uncritically what is taught and learnt.

LIFE AT JUNIOR SCHOOL

General Information

Our aim at Maranatha Christian School is for children to acquire essential knowledge and skills

for learning, as well as to become an active, caring participant in Christian community and

contemporary society.

Our Junior School program is delivered by Christian teachers who focus on nurturing individual

excellence and effectively teach an extensive curriculum in a stimulating environment.

Preparing children to have an excellent disposition for learning starts at home a long time before their first day at school. Yours is a God-given task of nurturing your children, guiding and directing them in the way of righteousness. Christian schooling sets the foundations for a child’s life (for now and also for eternity). Biblical values and attributes are taught and caught as are all the educational concepts developed from ELC – Grade 4. Maranatha is a Christian Learning Community. It is a place of safety and discipleship, where passionate, committed teachers partner with parents in the nurture of the Lord’s children. Home-and-school partnership succeeds when the parties communicate; regularly, authentically and constructively.

Junior School is a place to continue the development that has begun at home; intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical. Junior School is a place to become thoughtful and reflective, to learn principles and values, to become flexible and adaptive, and to develop a strong yet realistic sense of self. Junior School is a place to learn the capacity for rich feelings and their control, for generosity and its rewards, for the balance of selflessness and self-determination.

Strive (Academic)

The school Motto is “My Utmost For His Glory” which means that every child is challenged and

encouraged to do their best, in all things at all times, reaching their full potential and discovering their

God given gifts in a safe and secure learning environment. In the Junior School, foundational patterns of

learning and behaviour are established and children develop ‘habits of the mind’ and organisational skills

that enable them to experience success over their earliest years of school.

Support (Pastoral Care)

Class teachers provide daily support and care for each child’s individual needs.

The teachers’ dedication, care and compassion for the children develop trust,

integrity and honesty. This also helps in developing positive relationships with other adults over their

life’s journey.

We have a Welfare team, made up of trained teachers, Chaplains, Counsellors and Education Support

Staff who positively feed into the lives of children.

Children are also encouraged to ‘Reflect Christ’ in their relationship and attitude to one another and care

appropriately for each other. Our Grade 3s and 4s participate in a buddy program that provides extra

support for our ELC and Prep students.

Service (Spiritual)

From the earliest years at Junior School, Biblical truths are taught and a personal relationship with Jesus is

encouraged. Students are provided with

opportunities to pray, take part in Bible lessons, sing

at assembly and participate in faith discussions. As

students develop in confidence and knowledge, they

apply their faith in speaking at assemblies or at

special occasions in class or at outside venues.

General Junior School Information

Biblical Studies and Christian Living

At Maranatha, we believe that the Bible is the inspired

Word of God and is the most important resource we

can use to learn about Him.

Each morning, every class begins with a time of

Devotion and a prayer while every subject is taught

from a Christian Perspective.

Every class has formal Bible lessons where students

equipped with a useful working knowledge of the

Bible. Assemblies are held regularly with different grades involved, usually reflecting a biblical theme,

Bible verse and/or prayer.

Culture of Peace

At Maranatha our commitment is to build a culture of peace among the community of children, teachers and parents. Understandably it is inevitable that conflict occurs in any setting where people are doing life together, whether children or adults. We teach children to see conflict as being an opportunity to glorify God, serve others and to grow to be more like Christ. We teach children to resolve conflict through use of programs like Young Peacemakers as well as circle time and restorative practice. Effective communication between parents and teachers is indispensable for student success. Junior School staff value partnership with parents, because partnership creates support and accountability for students.

Fortnightly Assemblies Because Maranatha’s Junior School is a Christian Learning Community, school assemblies are seen as a celebratory communal event. Assemblies are our chance to acknowledge student achievements, as well as share and celebrate successes that have occurred that fortnight. Often classes are invited to present a song, or Bible-story, and there is always a chance to pray together.

Student Leadership: Teaching that Leadership is Service In a Christian school Leadership is service and we must actively

confront assumptions about privilege in leadership that are modelled in our secularist society. Junior Schooling actually provides wonderful opportunities to teach Discipleship. In a school where Biblical principles underpin all systems and structures, Discipleship training is a must. Leadership opportunities in Junior School include:

Prep buddies with Grade 4

Grade 3 and ELC buddies o Roles and responsibilities at higher grades to cater for

Campus wide activities eg Library assistants o Assembly assistants: o Sports equipment distribution o Flag raising o Bus deliveries between Campus

Education Support and Enhancement All teachers endeavour to cater to the full spectrum of ability with a ‘differential program’ – a program that recognises that students learn differently, at different rates and with differing abilities. Children who excelled in different areas are challenged with extension activities, in areas of interest and areas of strength. Education Support can assist students, making the mainstream program manageable for those having difficulty in class as well as to extend the high achievers. Our Education Support team, work alongside our classroom teachers and students to achieve success. Support may be provided in a range of ways including:

withdrawing students from class for intensive assistance

staying in class to assist students

connecting with parents to devise optimal ways to enable learning Communication: Home & School in Partnership Formal opportunities for connection with teachers are frequent and include:

Parent Partnership meetings near the start of the academic year

Parent-Teacher interviews through the year

Information evenings and sessions

Celebration of Work Nights

Assessment

Ongoing assessment is a hallmark of Junior

School. There is pre-testing before a unit and post-testing at the end of a unit.

Children are observed, assisted and continuously assessed via final assessments, anecdotal

observation notes, assignments, book work, and regular weekly or end of unit tests.

The various assessment tools help cater for the different learning styles and expressions found

amongst our students

Homework and Take-home readers

All children are expected to do some homework- beginning with ‘reading’ at Preps through to a regular

Maths/English/Project work in the higher grades.

Grade Time allocation for homework each night Prep 10 minutes

Grade 1 10-15 minutes

Grade 2 15-20 minutes

Grade 3 20 -30 minutes

Grade 4 30 minutes

Camps, Excursions and Incursions

Throughout the Primary school, intellectually stimulating excursions enhance the Junior School curriculum. Details change yearly, but past excursions have included; Scienceworks, Melbourne Museum, Arts Centre. Our camps program begins when the

children in Prep, ‘stay late’ after school,

sharing an afternoon of fun activities

and dinner with their teachers. In

subsequent years the children stay

longer, gaining confidence and

independence. In Grade Two and Three children sleep over at school. Grade 4 camp – 3 days off

site. E.g. Forest Edge.

Programs

Pre School Programs (Casey-Doveton)

We have two programs that Pre

School aged children can attend:

The Art Place and Little Fish Tales.

The Art Place (Doveton)

The Art Place is a wonderful

program for children between the

ages of 2 and 5 on one morning

per week from 9.30am to

10.30am. Each session begins

with a story time which is

followed by a variety of creative

activities like craft, painting and

play dough, as well as skill based

activities like weaving and

threading.

Little Fish Tales (Doveton)

Little Fish Tales is our story time which is held on Tuesday mornings from 9.15am to 10.15am in the

library. Families with children aged from birth to 5 years old are welcome. We spend time singing songs

and rhymes, listening to stories and making craft activities.

ELC General Information With the inclusion of Early Learning, Maranatha now offers seamless integration from Early Years through to Year 12. Our Early Learning Centres provide a holistic, biblically faithful kindergarten experience for 16 hours per week – 2 full days and 1 half day. In partnership with parents, the ELC nurtures the education, wellbeing

and development of every child. We delight in opportunities to foster each child's life-long journey of acquiring skills, concepts, values and dispositions for life, learning and service to our Lord within a secure and loving environment. At Maranatha we believe in the significance of Belonging, Discipleship and Excellence. We further reflect on the Victorian Early Learning Framework which characterises early childhood as a time of Belonging, Being and Becoming. Our rich and responsive programs are designed to build an excellent disposition toward learning and to provide children with meaningful opportunities to explore, discover and develop their God-given gifts and interests.

Programs & Activities Objectives Outcomes

Art Equipment play Experimenting Language based activities Library Math exploratory activities Mud play Music Physical Education Sandpit play Skill development Socialising Story time

An atmosphere of

Belonging

Being

Becoming. Supporting each child’s individual needs Modelling appropriate behaviour from a biblical perspective Encourage collaboration Learning through meaningful play Educating children about sustainable practices

A positive disposition towards learning A safe, secure and connected environment Meaningful, authentic relationships Partnering with parents Rejoicing in God’s goodness

Specialist Classes

Children attending our Early Learning program will enjoy the benefits of weekly Music and Physical Education classes as well as visiting the school library each week.

Primary Curriculum

The core curriculum is mostly taught by the class teacher and consists of:

English

Mathematics

Biblical studies and Christian living

Information Technology

History

Geography

Science

Specialist Areas:

EAL (English as an Additional Language) Library Mandarin (Casey) / Indonesian (Cardinia) Performing Arts (Music) Physical Education Visual Art

Our extensive Pre-

Prep orientation

program is held

during the last

semester of the students’ kinder year. They attend school with their parents participating in fun

activities. This familiarises themselves with their new school and classmates.

Prep

Prep is an important year where children are transitioned into formal learning. Students

participate in an investigative

approach to new concepts which

are explored further in more

formal, structured teaching

experiences. This gives them the

opportunity to explore what is

learned in formal lessons through

guided and structured play.

Children are individuals in their

styles of learning. Individuals thrive

when in a community that creates

a sense of belonging. The

community of Junior School

embraces all children, there is no

sense of exclusion but rather there are systems like the ‘buddy’ program where older students

formally assist younger ones.

Grade One

Grade One is a year where

students experience exponential

growth both physically and

intellectually. They build on the

foundational concepts taught in

Prep in both Mathematics and

Language. Their growth in

reading is evident by the number

of reading levels they advance

through during the year.

Students still participate in

developmental learning

(investigative approach); however the time spent on formal learning experiences, using concrete

materials, is increased.

The Perceptual Motor Program teaches and gives opportunities to further develop gross motor

skills which in turn assist the development of fine motor skills required for learning.

The students thoroughly enjoy staying late one afternoon after school to participate in fun

activities and share a meal with their teachers and peers.

Grade Two

In Grade Two, learning builds on concepts, skills and processes developed in Lower Primary.

Concrete materials are still an integral part of learning experiences. A collaborative learning

environment is a key component of the classroom experience which enables each student to

extend their capacity intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

The Grade Two sleepover is held at the school. While the students are still in the familiar

environment of school, they gain some independence from home. This is the initial step toward

the camping program offered in Middle and Upper Primary.

Grade Three

In Grade Three students are encouraged to

develop greater responsibility for their

learning. The students consolidate their

foundational knowledge and lessons move

progressively more from the concrete to more

abstract skills and concepts.

Students’ sporting ability is enriched through

participation in a weekly Middle Primary

Sports Program and an involvement in formal

sporting carnivals.

Our annual sleepover, held at school, allows

students to develop further independence in preparation for future camps.

Grade Four

Grade Four aims to help students become self-motivated, confident learners through inquiry and active

participation in challenging and engaging experiences. As students consolidate more abstract concepts;

their reliability on concrete materials decreases.

Students continue to have the opportunity to learn and develop skills in various sports, in a weekly Grade

3/4 Primary sport program.

To further develop the students’ independence and leadership skills, we offer a three day annual school

camp, along with student monitor responsibilities and the Buddy Program with Prep students.

At the end of the year, students are involved in a program to facilitate a smooth transition to the new site

Transitions 1. ELC – Prep: Children from the ELC come to the Prep-4 Campus from over the road once a

week for a variety of activities including Library, P.E. and Music for the second Semester to help in their orientation and transition to Prep.

2. Grade 4 (Junior) – Year 5 (Casey – Middle School) Again, the transition from Grade 4 (Junior School) to Grade 5 (Middle School) is effectively seamless especially since many teachers teach right through these year levels. Grade 4 have a number of transition meetings at Endeavour Hills to ensure that the students are familiar with the surroundings and expectations of the Middle section.

Specialist Programs

The Visual Arts

Young children greatly benefit from opportunities to express themselves in non-verbal forms so they are able to develop emotional health. Our Visual Arts program includes: Appreciation, Interpretation, Presentation, Courageous Expression, Two and Three-dimensional Artforms; Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Textiles, etc

Objectives of the Visual Arts

Promote life-long learning skills

Foster personal reflection on the creative process

Appreciate those in our local and global community who contribute in unique ways

Analyse historical context in our society

Develop exploration and experimentation of ideas and media

Communicate ideas through a variety of Media

Engender personal responsibility

Celebrate achievement

Recognise the Creator God as the source of creativity

Know that a personal relationship with the Creator God can be experienced and that understanding of life can be expressed through Art works

Mandarin/Indonesian

At Maranatha, we recognise the growing influence of Asia

and its importance to Australia. Thus, we seek to prepare

students with some of the communication and language skills

needed for the ‘Asian Century’.

Primary Mandarin students practise vocabulary and common

sentences

around the

tops of family,

school,

animals, travel

and

recreation.

Along the way, they explore Chinese culture and

learn to recognise several Chinese characters

(Doveton)

Primary Indonesian has a similar approach to that

of the Mandarin program.

Performing Arts (Music)

The aim of the Music program is to acknowledge God as the Creator and Giver of the gift of

music. Music theory, history and aural training is taught from a Biblical perspective. Students

are involved in a range of learning activities which develop music appreciation skills. In the early

years, students are engaged in listening, singing, movement to music and keeping the beat. In

Grade 3 and 4, students participate in a recorder program which promotes discipline in weekly

practice and increases musical notation reading skills.

Regular school productions are a feature across the school.

Primary Physical Education

All children participate in PE and

sport. It is a positive and enjoyable

experience as we offer a variety of

non-competitive activities as well as

the more traditional games, skill

enhancing opportunities and

Interschool sporting programs. This

makes the Physical Education

Program appealing to a broad

selection of children of varying

ability levels. The emphasis is placed

on the children having fun,

improving their own personal

abilities and developing them to

their fullest potential.

Children who combine a balanced diet with regular activity are often happier, healthier and more ready

to learn. Not only is it beneficial to a child’s physical well-being, physical activity also has numerous

substantial benefits in terms of social interaction, mental alertness and motor skill development.

Swimming Intensive Prep to Grade4 students take part in an intensive swimming program. Lessons assist in developing water safety strategies and enhance technique.

Information Communication Technology

Throughout the Primary school, students have

the opportunity to use technology in a variety

of ways. There is explicit teaching in the

Computer Laboratory. The use of technology

is being progressively integrated and

incorporated across most subject areas.

Students have access to laptops in

classrooms, Interactive Whiteboards and

other technology such as digital cameras and

iPads.

A variety of skills are taught, computer

competencies are developed and programs

such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft

PowerPoint are taught at specific year levels.

Our Junior School students are taught Cyber

Safety through a variety of programs such as

Hector’s World and Skooville.