hillcrest primary school 2018 annual report · collaboration with the staff and administration...

Hillcrest Primary School

2018

Annual Report

Photographer: David Baylis – Community News

Principal’s Report 3

School Council Chair Report 4

P&C President Report 4

School Profile 5

Vision Statement 5

Enrolment Summary 5

Attendance 6

Destination Schools 6

PBS STARR / Behaviour 7

School Priorities 8

Priority One – Success for all Students 9

Priority Two – High Performing Educators 9

Priority Three – Visible Leadership 10

Priority Four – Safe and Inclusive School Environment 10

Priority Five – Powerful and Positive Partnerships 11

Surveys 12

2018 highlights 14

Staff Summary 16

Physical Education 17

Music 18

Art 19

Japanese 20

Sustainability 21

Technology 22

Student Performance 23

Financial Documents 25

Top 5 Reasons 26

Endorsement and Signatures 27

Principal’s report Dear Parents and School Community, Welcome to the 2018 Annual report. This is designed as a snapshot of the 2018 year, outlining our strategic direction, celebrations and results. At Hillcrest, we are very proud of our students, their learning and achievements; and our collaboration with all involved in their education. Our continued success is the direct result of the people involved in the school; the staff, parents and wider community. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the staff and parents who work together as partners in the education of students at Hillcrest Primary School. Your efforts are always appreciated and I thank you all. Hillcrest is committed to providing the students in our community with quality education, and this has been evident in the growth of the class numbers in the Early Years. 2018 was a rewarding year that saw many accomplishments and achievements celebrating our school, the most notable being the 2018 Waste Wise School of the Year! Our sustainability efforts were showcased to a wider community at a presentation to the Waste Authority, recognising our school for the exemplary work the school is doing, particularly Ms Roberts. We were successful in obtaining the grant for the conversion of a Science room, which will transform an existing classroom into a purpose built room for Science lessons in 2020, along with $25000 for the fitout. As part of the positive promotion of our school, our Facebook page was revamped to include regular updates, ‘meet the staff’ and exciting happenings. We featured in several local Community News articles for our welcome sign, sustainable fashion show and school of the year award. We continued our community communication with our new termly ‘Talk About Hillcrest’ publication, in addition to Connect updates. Our electronic sign was also used to convey information to the thousands of cars that access Coode Street each week. I was fortunate to be able to showcase the school at the international conference for Jolly Phonics and Grammar in July in England. It was a privilege for me to address the presenters from more than 30 countries to tell them about the school and the successes we have experienced. It was a very proud moment for me to look out at all the delegates and tell them how wonderful Hillcrest is. 2018 was a year that saw a complete change of leadership positions, and I am proud of the resilience of the community and the support we have shown each other during this period of transition. I look forward to working with the school community in 2019 and thank everyone who helped make 2018 a successful year. It is with great pleasure that I present the 2018 Hillcrest Primary School Annual report. Yours sincerely, Liz Ford Principal

School Council Chair report 2018 was a year our relatively new Council was able to establish itself within the leadership team in the school and reinforce procedures and policies. Our collaboration with the staff and administration assisted to set the strategic direction of the school, moving forward. The School Council facilitated and led several key events. These included the Welcome to Hillcrest event at the start of 2018 and the Wanju festival for

Harmony Week. Both of these events were highly successful in building strong community ties and establishing a culture of inclusivity. Our council has seen a change in membership over 2018. Our Principal position on the Council is now filled by Liz Ford. One of our parent representatives was no longer able to continue, and our Manager Corporate Services was successfully nominated for the role. She is able to provide us with effective financial advice on the direction of the school. Nadia and Liz attended School Council training. In 2019, we hope to have more councillors attend for extra knowledge around governance, to be a more effective council. As part of our strategic direction, one of our main focusses was to increase enrolments. The increase on social media, the school sign and our 2018 Waste Wise School of the Year success should help contribute to this. Moving forward, we are committed to the shared strategic vision and will strive to continue to improve the learning environment where everyone is valued and students will achieve their maximum potential. Warm regards, Nadia Wittkowsky School Council Chair

P&C President report I would like to start by thanking everyone in our school community for their generous support over 2018. It is only with your support that our P&C can continue to grow and be successful. This past year has been an eventful one, both for the P&C and the school. We had a number of inaugural events that I look forward to seeing continued in years to come. We had a mixture of both social and fundraising events in 2018 including the Easter Raffle; Bunnings Sausage Sizzles; Cake stall for Bi Election; Edudance Raffle; School Carnival; Mother’s Day Grazing Table; Spellathon; Father’s Day Breakfast; Halloween Disco and the Quiz Night. Collectively, these events raised $10,346.73! The money the P&C raised was able to put back into the school in the form of numerous donations for various items and improvements throughout the year. These included, but are not limited to: Donation to the Welcome Day; Donation to the Wanju Festival; Chicken hatching, iPad microscopes; classroom budget top ups; Year Six camp; giant chess set; PA for social events; Loose Parts Play; Edudance subsidy. Collectively over 2018, the P&C donated or pledged $15,410.59 back to the school! I am particularly looking forward to welcoming new members to the P&C in 2019 and wish the incoming executive team the best of luck. I know the P&C will continue to work with the school to improve our children’s educational experience. Kind regards, Clinton Edwards P&C President 2018

School Profile Hillcrest was founded in 1950 and is prominently situated on the crest of a hill overlooking the City of Bayswater. Tracing its history to before establishment, the local Wadjuk people used the distinctive bush setting and sweeping views as a gathering place to share food and impart the wisdom and knowledge of crafting tools, spears and cooking implements. This relationship with Noongar Land is recognised in the naming of several key buildings. Hillcrest Primary School, together with the wider community, creates a positive learning environment where diversity is celebrated, excellence is encouraged and all children strive to reach their academic, social, physical and creative potential. Our experienced, caring and dedicated staff are passionate and share our vision. We believe that we can make a difference. We work closely in partnership with parents to create a learning environment that encourages your child to meet and extend their potential. Community partnerships with a number of local organisations and personalities generously enhance the success of our school. These include our sustainability initiatives; curriculum development; Loose Parts Play; Breakfast Club; before, after and vacation school care; music extension; remediation, health and fitness groups; and after school community sports.

Vision Statement Hillcrest Primary School, together with our wider community, creates a positive learning environment where diversity is celebrated, excellence is encouraged and all students strive to reach their academic, social, physical and creative potential.

Enrolment Summary

In 2018, Hillcrest PS had an enrolment that sat around 380 (including Kindergarten). This student profile includes 14% of Indigenous Students, 32% of non-English speaking background and 3% with a diagnosed Special Educational Need. Student enrolment has risen steading over the last couple of years, since Year Seven students moved to high school.

Attendance

Our attendance rates have improved in recent years, due to the concerted effort by the Learning Support Co-ordinator and classroom teachers in following up unexplained absences. Hillcrest also implemented an SMS system for students not attending school in 2018, to ensure parents are aware of absences. Our every student, every day initiative continued to grow. Parents were informed of the importance of students attending every day, on time, with the inclusion of a leaflet in the “Talk About Hillcrest” publication.

Attendance Overall Primary

Non-Aboriginal Aboriginal Total

School Like

Schools

WA Public

Schools School

Like Schools

WA Public

Schools School

Like Schools

WA Public

Schools

2016 94.4% 93.9% 93.7% 84.6% 87.8% 80.7% 93.4% 93.7% 92.6%

2017 94.5% 94% 93.8% 86.3% 89.6% 81.2% 93.5% 93.8% 92.7%

2018 94.8% 93.4% 93.7% 87.6% 86.3% 80.8% 93.8% 93% 92.6%

Attendance Category

Regular

At Risk

Indicated

Moderate

Severe

2016 78.4% 13.6% 6.1% 1.7%

2017 77.1% 14.9% 6.4% 1.5%

2018 79.6% 13.3% 6.8% 0.3%

Like Schools 2018 77.7% 16.3% 4.8% 1.3%

WA Public Schools 77.0% 15.0% 6.0% 2.0%

Destination Schools

Students from Hillcrest attend a variety of high schools, with the local school being John Forest Secondary College. The 2018 students are moving to these schools:

John Forest SC 27 Chisholm 5 Mt Lawley SHS 3

Hampton SHS 2 Willetton SHS 1

Aquinas 1 La Salle College 1 Shenton College 1 JSR 1 Overseas 1

PBS STARR / Behaviour Hillcrest Primary School staff and community collaborated together to develop a whole school approach to behaviour where expectations are consistent and taught throughout the school. The Positive Behaviour in Schools Program provides the platform to support the students’ development and empowers them to take responsibility for their own behaviour and engagement. Through co-operation and participation we create an environment in which children acquire the skills necessary to prepare them for future endeavours. The expected behaviours fall under the headings of Safety, Teamwork, Achievement, Respect and Responsibility (STARR). The students are referred to as “Hillcrest STARRs.” Behaviours are taught weekly across the school. Whole school reward systems reinforce appropriate behaviours using STARR cards. Students receive ‘club’ milestones. These occur every 25 stamps. Special celebrations occur for the 100 and 200 clubs. At the end of each year, the culminated efforts of the number of STARR stamps are rewarded with a whole school activity. In 2018, the number of office referrals and documented behaviour issues continued to reduce, with students taking responsibility for their actions. Students are councelled to correct behaviours, with the opportunity to reflect on their behaviours. The program is now accepted and implemented school wide, and the students know the expectations of the school. Hillcrest has presented our exemplary model to other schools, in recognition of Best Practice.

School Priorities The Hillcrest Primary School Strategic Plan 2017-2020; Focus on a Bright Future has five key priority areas.

Success for all Students High Performing Educators Visible Leadership Safe and Inclusive School Environment Powerful, Positive Partnerships

Hillcrest PS maintains a strong focus on academic areas through the teaching and learning program. Our staff are committed to achieving excellence both with academic achievement as well as social and emotional development. In 2018, our strategic direction was captured in a strategic picture, after consultation with staff, students, parents and the wider community. We agreed that as the “School on the Hill”, we are working towards a common goal, where we equip students to leave Year Six prepared in every way possible for their future. Our priority of sustainability and integrated learning is demonstrated by the tree, with our focus areas at the top. The words in the roots show how dynamic our learning is at Hillcrest. The lighter green of the grass is the five priority areas of our Strategic Plan to ensure we are all working towards a common goal. At the end of Year Six, our student is looking out, beyond the hill, to their bright future. In 2018, several new initiatives commenced, as well as the continuation of existing programs with the view of improving student development. In addition to the strategies outlined in the 2020 strategic plan, Hillcrest also further explored and developed new ideas. These are outlined in the following pages.

Priority One – Success for all Students

Our priority at Hillcrest is ensuring that all students reach their full potential. We believe that students should strive to reach their academic, social, emotional, physical and creative potential. Our culture of continuous improvement allows for success. New initiatives included the creation of a compulsory Year Three Four choir. Research has shown that children benefit in numerous ways by participating in musical activities. Students in Year Six have

the opportunity to participate in the School of Instrumental Music Program, and by giving students in Year Three and Four to develop their love of music, we hope they will continue to learn music and participate in more programs such as these as they move to upper primary and secondary schooling. The gradual release model of Digital Technologies from a collaborative specialist area into the classroom gives the teachers to opportunity to use technology on a regular basis so students see it as a tool for learning. The scheduling of Protective Behaviours in Term One for all classes ensures consistency across the school and empowers students to know what their rights are. The inquiry based model by specialist teachers was implemented as a new model that gave classroom teachers their Duties Other Than Teaching (DOTT) time. This was an opportunity to focus on the natural curiosity of the students. Breakfast Club was reintroduced by Mrs Mohr, Mrs Williams and Mrs Roob on the days the canteen doesn’t open. Students learn best when they are not hungry, and the Breakfast Club is seen as a way to settle students into a routine, fill their stomachs and socialise at the same time. The assistance of several local businesses and the P&C made this a cost neutral exercise for the school.

Priority Two – High Performing Educators

To maximise success for all students, our staff are committed and highly collaborative. Our Phase of Development model gives consistency in lesson delivery across the year levels, and between classes. As part of staff Professional Learning, six mandated School Development Days were planned, in addition to our bi termly staff meetings and professional learning sessions. Some of the topics included were:

iPads

iStair explicit teaching

Morley Schools’ Network day

Attendance

Operational matters

Protective Behaviours Our staff contribute to and follow the Hillcrest Staff expectations, which are designed to assist new staff, as well as clarify expectations with existing staff. Our comprehensive book gives staff answers to everyday questions, while setting guidelines regarding curriculum delivery and operational matters. Our ISTAIR Teaching Model promotes common language between classes so students can focus on the content of lessons. Having a structure for lessons that goes from Kindergarten to Year Six means students can focus on content rather than lesson delivery.

Priority Three – Visible Leadership

The priority of Visible Leadership is prevalent in the school, across a variety of initiatives. Our Contributive Leadership model allows for Phase of Development leaders, Curriculum Leaders, a Learning Support Co-ordinator and a Positive Behaviour leader in addition to the Administrative team. Hillcrest believes that leading by example is beneficial for relationship building, developing trust, and addressing concerns, and all staff strive to achieve this. Our visible leadership helps to define strategic direction and growth and empowers the staff to build on their strengths. The strengths in the school were evident when the Administration team changed, and leaders from within the school were able to successfully step into new positions. Our connections with the Morley Schools Network was consolidated and provided staff with opportunities to share Best Practice.

Priority Four – Safe and Inclusive School Environment

One of the most visible new additions for an inclusive school environment was the addition of the welcome sign at the entrance to the school, incorporating all the current languages in the school. This was created as a way to make the school community feel welcome to come into the school and was widely celebrated. Our Welcome to Hillcrest event was a huge success, giving new and existing families the opportunity to meet each other, as well as interact with staff at the school. Our PBS program continued to show success, as outlined earlier. The Wanju festival, in conjunction with Harmony week, was an opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate diversity, as well as support one of the students in the school with the World’s Greatest Shave. The fantastic international food and entertainment was a true indication of the multicultural population in the school. Our Early Years was visited by the Early Childhood Education Directorate from the Education Department as part of the National Quality Standards Framework process that is relevant for Kindergarten to Year Two. Feedback included: “The school actively promotes connectivity with parents and builds strong communication for planning for students' needs.” “There is effective and transparent leadership and

management of the school.” “Through discussion and classroom visits, high quality relationships with the children were evident and considered paramount by all staff.” “Educators are actively engaged in children's learning and their interactions convey that they are valued and a strong sense of belonging is promoted.” The nature play area, loose parts play as well as guided play meant that we practised meaningful play, and playful learning.

Priority Five – Powerful and Positive Partnerships

The wider Hillcrest community is highly valued at the school, and we worked closely with a number of organisations who assisted us to achieve great results in 2018. We received grants from several organisations, in addition to the Science Room conversion grant through the Department of Education. Nutrition Plus provided funds towards our local bush tucker foods program and nutritious chews and shakes for the Breakfast Club. Sporting Schools gave us a grant to run after school programs that were coached by clubs and trained professionals. Our relationship with the Waste Authority continued to develop after the Waste Wise School of the Year award, with a $2176 grant for the Waste Wise Schools program for our Rubbish to Resource project. Our P&C continued their support of the school through fundraising, positive promotion and as a representative body for the parents. Their management of the Canteen and Uniform Shop was appreciated. Our Council provided a supportive group to help with the leadership of the school. The P&C and Council were able to work effectively together throughout the year to ensure events ran smoothly, the most notable being the Wanju festival.

Hillcrest played hosts to several after school music and sport programs, as well as providing a home for Helping Hands. Our relationship with Central TAFE, Curtin University and Edith Cowan University continued with practicum placements for Education Assistants and Teachers. Our local high school, John Forest SC gave us curriculum opportunities for our senior students through Masterclasses. Our local politicians worked with us, including inviting us to Lisa Baker’s Seniors Forum to perform and attending important school events, including ANZAC day and graduation.

Our Sustainability initiatives had many groups that assisted us, including: Environment House, Trillion Trees, Tucker Bush, City of Bayswater, Bunnings Bayswater and our recycling programs partners. Our school partnerships have enabled us to provide extra opportunities for students. We are very appreciative of everyone who has assisted us with time, resources and funding.

Surveys Students, staff and parents were involved in a survey to determine the level of satisfaction in the school. Knowing our school culture and the feel of the school is important for us to work together to improve. These results were the beginning process of the Independent Public Schools process, which we chose not to pursue in 2019. Student Survey Students were surveyed across the school about how they felt about school. Some of the results were:

These results were discussed by the student council, and recommendations were put in place for future improvement, with a particular focus on playground ideas. As a result of these discussions, and in collaboration with staff, Loose Parts Play was established.

Parent and Community Survey The results were as follows:

Staff Survey The staff completed the below survey at a staff meeting, so we could identify areas for improvement and strengths within the school.

Our highlights of 2018…

Celebrations

Waste Wise School of the year Rise in attendance rates of some students Support for extra curriculum activities POD collaboration iPads Girls cultural group Sustainability focus Vegetable gardens Healthy Food policy Christmas appeal for Orana Science grant for laboratory to be built Bendigo bank calendar Wheelchairs for kids Recycling City of Bayswater art awards Best School Garden award Eco Canteen Parent support Incursions and Excursions

Events

Social events Faction Carnival Outdoor classroom day Quiz night Day for Daniel Appreciation morning tea and Arts Showcase Father’s Day Breakfast Mother’s Day High Tea Swimming Carnival Athletics and Interschool carnival Welcome to Hillcrest Wanju Festival Bookweek Edudance Concert Year Six Camp and Graduation ANZAC assembly Sustainable Fashion Show in Room 20

New Initiatives

Loose Parts Play Chickens in class McLaren visit Welcome sign STARR pencils Choir and performances Retimetabling to 50 minute sessions #schoolonthehill and Facebook Electronic sign Digital reports Breakfast club Staff and community bond Teacher dance at edudance concert Pianos in playgrounds Talk About Hillcrest publication My Courtyard Rules at Bunnings Parent workshops - Sustainability

Staff Summary All staff met the professional requirements to teach in Western Australian public schools and can be found on the public register on the Teachers Registration Board of Western Australia. The Hillcrest PS staffing profile included a Principal, an Associate Principal, 20 full time equivalent teachers and nine full time equivalent non-teaching staff. Staff Profile

Staff Celebrations We welcomed Mrs Emina Keighran, Mrs Natasha Law-Davis and Mrs Fiona Jennings to the school on transfer. Mrs Narelle Collins, Miss Emily Costley, Mrs Kate McNamara and Mrs Ai Waghorn were all merit selected as permanent staff members. Permanency was awarded to Ms Siobhan Duggan (0.8), Mrs Ann McGill (0.6) and Mrs Linda Morris (0.1) at the end of 2018, following on from a directive from the Premier. Miss Liz Ford was appointed as the permanent principal at the end of 2018, after three terms in an acting role. We farewelled Mr Kenneth Spencer, Mrs Melanie Haines and Mrs Yvonne Jones, all long serving staff members who retired after countless years with the Department of Education. We would like to thank all the staff that came to Hillcrest as relief or on contract for helping us maintain the high level of education for all students.

Hillcrest Primary school’s PE program prides itself on being inclusive and comprehensive. Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are the core of the PE program, while older students are extended through sport specific skills and opportunities to play modified games and sport matches. Hillcrest has a proud history of successfully competing against other schools in sport and students are provided many opportunities to represent their school. School Based Programs

PE Lessons: Every student participated in lessons with the specialist PE Teacher. FMS were practised in all year levels. Some sport specific skills, team work and simple attack and defence strategies were taught through modified team sports: Volleyball, Basketball, Lacrosse, Wall-a-Tag Rugby, Athletics, Ultimate Frisbee and Tennis.

Morning Fitness: All classes from Year One to Year Six engaged in two twenty-minute Morning Fitness sessions each week. Students rotated through activities within their POD.

Friday afternoon sport: All students in Year Four to Year Six were engaged in playing a sport with a classroom teacher for fifty minutes every Friday.

Lunch time AFL Faction Footy Competition Term Three: Twenty minute matches were played between factions, for students in Year Four to Six, twice a week.

Sporting Schools after-school-sport: Programs were conducted during Term Two and Term Three with coaches from Rugby WA, Basketball WA and Bayswater Lacrosse.

Faction Carnivals

Faction Swimming Carnival: All students in Year Four to Six competed at Belmont Oasis. All levels were catered for, with an even spread of races and novelty events. Red faction was the winner.

Faction Cross Country: All students from Pre-Primary to Year Six participated in long distance running with results contributing to the faction shield.

Jumps and Throws Day: Students in Year One to Six competed in jumps and throws competitions.

Faction Athletics Carnival: All students in Pre-Primary to Year Six competed in team events and age races. The focus for the carnival was on participation and enjoyment. Black Faction were announced as the over-all champion faction.

Interschool Sport

Winter Sports Competition: Students from Year Four to Six competed over six weeks in AFL, Netball and Soccer against students from Inglewood PS, Mt Lawley PS and Hampton Park PS.

Winter Lightning Carnival: Students from Year Four to Six attended an all-day carnival, representing Hillcrest PS in matches of Lacrosse, AFL, Soccer and Netball against students from Hampton Park PS, West Beechboro PS and Anzac Terrace PS.

Interschool Cross Country: Representatives from Year Three to Year Six competed in a long distance running carnival held at Coolbinia Reserve.

Interschool Jumps & Throws and Track & Team Games Day: Representatives from Year One to Six competed in jumps and, and age races and team games in Week Two, Term Four at Noranda Sports Complex. Hillcrest Primary School performed exceptionally well and finished third overall out of six competing schools.

The music program at Hillcrest catered for all students from Pre-Primary to Year Six. In 2018, students showed great improvement in their knowledge, skills, enthusiasm for, and general achievement in music. Students were able to use a variety of instruments during lessons, as well as develop their singing talents. The formation of the Year 3/4 choir meant all students are able to develop a love of music before being given the opportunity to participate in the School of Instrumental Music program. The choir performed at assembly, the parent appreciation morning tea and Year Six graduation and were very highly rated. It was a pleasure to hear and see the performances and the pride on all the students’ faces as they sang. In 2018, students learned about instruments of the orchestra, beat, rhythm, pitch, writing and responding to music, composition, and performances, in addition to lots of new songs. They were able to build on previous knowledge and consolidate their understanding. The addition of a piano in the undercover area for students to experiment with as part of our “Pianos in Playgrounds” initiative has meant that students can showcase their skills to their friends and experiment with the sounds, for those who haven’t had the opportunity. Music and Visual Arts were able to work successfully in 2018 to present an Arts showcase, demonstrating the impact the Arts can have on student learning and achievement. We look forward to showing the Hillcrest community more examples of our musical ability in 2019!

2018 was a busy year with the creation of a variety of amazing art works. Below are some examples of our great artistic achievements.

Dot painting - Pre-Primary students

Collage Boab trees Year Three & Four students

Tjampi inspired creatures Year Five & Six students

Therapy Focus story book

illustration competition winner

Boab Trees Year Three & Four students

Ceramic Wagarl sushi dishes Year Five & Six students

Aboriginal Patterns

Year One & Two

Coffee cup critters Year Four students

Ceramic Wagarl wind chime Year Five & Six students

Printmaking puppies

Year Two

Patterns from curves lines Year Three & Four

Our hands Clay Club

Students in Years Three to Six participated in weekly Japanese classes in preparation for higher level Japanese studies at John Forrest Secondary College. Students built upon the general language skills acquired from previous studies and continued to expand their vocabulary and conversational skills for a variety of situations including general greetings, ordering in a restaurant and simple exchanges. Year 3/4 students identified similarities and differences to their own language and culture and became more familiar with some non-verbal forms of expression that are used within the Japanese language. Year 5/6 students used Word and/or PowerPoint to create booklets about Japan and its cities, cultures and traditions. They also focused on sharing simple responses to events and ideas in imaginative texts and making simple connections with their own experience and feelings. Hillcrest Primary School students are provided with opportunities to use Japanese language that is both real-life applicable and culturally sensitive. Students are encouraged to speak Japanese to each other as well as the teacher, Mrs Waghorn, as much as possible.

Japanese

@ Hillcrest Primary School

Sustainability has been a focus at Hillcrest for several years now, with a growing momentum as students, staff and community members have joined in. 2018 was a fantastic year for Hillcrest PS, led by our Sustainability teacher, Ms Roberts. Her knowledge and commitment to the education of our community and dedication to the school was highlighted in November when we were awarded the Waste Wise School of the Year by the Infinity Awards. Further to this recognition, the City of Bayswater also awarded us “Best School Garden” for 2018. Our Sustainability initiatives include:

Promoting healthy eating across the school with our Waste Free lunches and

Eco Canteen

Student education on bushfoods with the planting of bushfood plants and

students being named ambassadors for the 2019 project with Tucker Bush

Parent and community workshops for the making of Beeswax wraps as well as

composting.

Continued partnerships with Trillion Trees and the planting of 500 native plants

Festival of Perth support by participating in the Boodja Djena: Ground Beneath

Our Feet with ABC TV visit in December

Reducing of paper, batteries, mobile phones, soft plastics and stationary

Composting of Food waste, creating our own fertiliser

Vegetable gardens for our canteen

Cleanaway incursion and excursions to Red Hill landfill site

Worm farms

Selling of school produce to show students economic reward

Gardening club to motivate students

Establishment of Loose Parts Play, using recycled materials

School wide waste audit

Student council waste responsibility

“Totally loving ALL the initiatives being undertaken at #schoolonthehill promoting sustainability. Special shout out to Mel in the canteen who works tirelessly to reduce waste and use recycle products. Loving the gardens, compost and recycling inititives and REALLY LOVE the new ‘spare parts’ play equipment for the kids. SO PROUD TO BE A PART OF HILLCREST!” Renna, a parent from the school, via Facebook

“I LOVE that our school is being more sustainable, especially with the growing of foods used in the canteen and the canteen’s switch to paper straws, and how they are removing the plastic from the juice box straws.” Elaine, a parent from the school

“We attended the free composting workshop and my daughter loves her sustainability classes. She's now our family's recycling expert! We try to do waste free lunches every day and on Monday we dropped off 6 months' worth of used batteries. It's great to have Hillcrest supporting waste reduction as it gives kids a bit of ownership over shaping their own future world!” Bronwyn, a parent at the school via Facebook

“Spending a morning with Mrs Roberts got me interested in composting and worm farms and now thanks to that lovely lady and the workshop the school provided I have my worm farm up and running! Thank you Hillcrest- you

just keep getting better🎉🎉” Helen, a grandmother at the school

The school leased 100 extra iPads in 2018, bring our total up to about 150. This means that each Phase of Development group has access to a full class set, and they decide on how they would be used in the classrooms. After following a gradual release collaborative model for a year and a half, in the middle of the year, our Digital Technologies program was collapsed to allow teachers to take on the curriculum area. Our DT teacher, Mrs Hawkesford, was assigned to a class where she was able to lead by example and continue to guide others. Storage trolleys were leased for iPads, ensuring that iPads could be charged as a whole class set to enable maximum use. The school worked closely with Winthrop Australia with a managed support agreement that assisted with the maintenance of the infrastructure of the network. Winthrop also provided teachers with information about Apple Classroom, and the use of technology as a tool. Updates continued with interactive whiteboards, replacing globes as needed for whole class usage. The library continued to be used as a computer lab, giving the students the opportunity to access the computers as a whole class and practise their logins and research skills.

Student Performance Reporting to Parents Student achievement at Hillcrest PS is done on a formal and informal level. Twice yearly reports are distributed to parents. In Semester One, the school distributed paper copies of reports, as well as vial email and Connect. In Semester Two, 2018, the school trialled using only digital copies of reports. In addition to formal reports, teachers were able to inform parents of progress through meetings, emails, Connect and phone conversations. NAPLAN – National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy NAPLAN is delivered to students in Years Three and Five. The testing areas are Mathematics, Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation. The tests are designed to provide parents and schools with an understanding of how students are performing at the times of the tests. Students also participated in a digital trial in late 2018, in preparation for 2019. National and state testing is important, but Hillcrest PS also uses comparative data across all year levels and range of learning areas to monitor student. Teacher judgements give an overall picture of what each student achieves over a semester on a range of tasks.

The 2018 Year 3 NAPLAN results show that declining performances over the past couple of years have been arrested and improvements have been recorded in Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation, Reading and Writing. Numeracy performances have plateaued after rising out from being Below Expected in 2016.

The 2018 Year 5 NAPLAN results show a historical continuation of consistently performing at expected level, although, Reading performances have continued a slight declining trend of the past couple of years and the 2018 cohort recorded below expected results. Staff have worked on the Management Information System during the year, moving forward into 2019, to ensure that a comprehensive data collection and analysis can be carried out. This also gives classrooms consistency between and across year groups.

Financial documents

At the end of the year the staff created … The Top Five Reasons Hillcrest is the Best School Ever! #5 - Programs Specialist programs, nature play, Hillcrest STARR and our broad curriculum knowledge means that students are exposed to a wide range of opportunities. We develop “The Whole Child” at Hillcrest, and we do this through a range of learning opportunities. #4 - Environment Our state of the art facilities provide students with a learning environment that is highly effective. Outdoor areas are used as learning opportunities and specialist programs run in facilities that support their curriculum area. A new ECC and admin means that work can be carried out effectively. #3 - Sustainability Our dedication to Sustainability and teaching these values to students has us as the current Waste Wise School of the Year. Small changes throughout the school has seen big results. Some of the initiatives include composting, growing fruit and vegetables, recycling, and waste reduction. #2 - Community The sense of Community at Hillcrest is widely recognised. Through parents participation in the Council, P&C, and other areas including the canteen and classroom help, parents are valued and participative. Our school Facebook page is growing momentum and promotes the school positively. Special events throughout the year are widely attended and highly successful. #1 - People Everyone at Hillcrest builds and maintains nurturing relationships. Staff's collaboration, experience and motivation means the students are exposed to excellence with program delivery. Their highly collaborative approach ensures consistency across classes. Our students make us proud everyday. Hillcrest is the best school ever because of the people in it!

Endorsement and Signatures

The 2018 Annual Report has the endorsement of the Hillcrest Primary School Council which is

representative of the Hillcrest Primary School Community and Staff.

Liz Ford Nadia Wittkowsky Principal School Council Chair March 2019 March 2019

Hillcrest Primary School 2 Bayview Street Bayswater 6053

9370 2330 www.hillcrestps.wa.edu.au