PARENT ENGAGEMENT
"At Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School we understand that families are the primary focus and nurturing centre of children and young people and therefore work in partnership with parents towards the development of each child.”
Sharers of the Vision
We trust Parents and Carers of Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School will be engaged and show great interest and commitment to the life of the school and in the education of their children. We encourage our parents/guardians to actively support the Principal and staff in strategic planning for the school, building community, fundraising, as well as assisting in classrooms and on excursions
Family-school partnerships are collaborative relationships, supporting students, parents and teachers. Effective partnerships are based on mutual trust and respect, and the shared responsibility for the education of the students.
Click here to download the Parent Charter for 2021
Research demonstrates that effective schools have high levels of parental and community involvement. This involvement is strongly related to improved student learning, attendance and behaviour. Family involvement can have a major impact on student learning.
The Pastoral Leader, Parents and Friends Association, Parents, families, students, local elders in Larrakeyah and wider community members are paramount to developing and strengthening positive partnerships between home and school environments.
PARENTS & FRIENDS ASSOCIATION
Role of P & F Committee
All Parents and Carers whose students are enrolled at the school are automatically members of the P&F. The P&F is an integral part of a Catholic school. It provides a formal structure and support network for parents to participate in the activities and decision making processes at the school and to work for the benefit of the school and their students.
The main purpose of the association is to:
- Raise funds for the benefit of the school
- Create an avenue for Social Gatherings to build the school community
- Organise and promote fundraising opportunities within the school
- Promote and assist with school working
The P&F has an active social calendar, holding a social event each term. Events will include fundraising events such as: Harmony Day events, Easter Raffle, Mother’s Day Stalls, Father’s Day Stalls and more.
For further information about the P&F please contact the front office.
Phone 0879 695 600 or email admin.mtcps@nt.catholic.edu.au
MOTHER TERESA SCHOOL BOARD
Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School participates in the mission of the Church. The work of the School Board takes place within the context of the work of the Catholic Church educating its young people in the Christian faith and for full participation in society. The School Board lies at the heart of a Christian community where all share in rights, dignities and responsibilities. The Board works towards this vison of community, striving to build a place where all people feel supported and valued. The School Board is responsible to the Bishop through the Director of Catholic Education. Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School Board meets once a month, usually on a Thursday. The School Board AGM is held in March each year. Nominations are called prior to the meeting. Prospective members are required to meet with the principal and Parish Priest to discuss the role, function and responsibilities of School Board members.
Role of the School Board
Each diocesan School Board has responsibility for the overall wellbeing of its school. Boards act in an advisory capacity to the Principal to:
- develop policies that nurture the religious dimension and guide the direction of the school
- develop the relationship between the school and the local church
- work with the principal to ensure that the academic standards of the school are at least as distinguished as those achieved in other schools in the region
- support the administration of the school
- offer pastoral care to the school community
- protect children
- monitor building and grounds
- development and maintenance
- exercise financial oversight of the school
- and ensure compliance with legal obligations. – Manual for School Board Member
EMERGENCIES AND CRITICAL INCIDENTS
In the event of a major and/or critical incident which impacts Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School, regularly updated information will be posted on the Home page of this site and our Facebook Page.
Should it be necessary to close the school in the event of an emergency, such as a cyclone, information will also be sent out via local media.
The school community should listen to Local Radio after 2.00 pm and between 6.30 am and 7.30 am for these advices.
In the event of an emergency, we will communicate with parents via text and email alerts as to the course of action we are taking to ensure the safety of our students.
Weather warnings for the NT can be found at the following link:
STUDENT PROGRESS
Guidelines for Parent and School Communication
Good communication between home and school is a dual responsibility shared by parents and staff. The school’s main form of communication is via the Skoolbag App.
The school also provides fortnightly newsletters via Skoolbag and class notes via a See-Saw App, along with our Facebook page. Parents are invited to communicate with the school if and when it is necessary to do so. To assist parents in knowing who and how best to communicate, we provide the following guidelines.
If you have concerns in regard to your child/children’s learning or welfare at school, it is important that your first point of contact is the classroom teacher. If after discussions you are not happy with the outcome you may wish to talk further with a member of the Leadership Team, particularly if it is related to their area of responsibility.
Matters of serious concern should of course be discussed with the Principal or a member of the leadership Team. It can be disconcerting for a teacher if the Principal alerts them to an issue in their class on which they have no knowledge nor have been given the opportunity to resolve in the first instance.
VOLUNTEERS
Parents and members of the community are always welcome to volunteer in the school. Volunteers must have a current Working with Children’s Card or Ochre Card which can be applied for online through SAFE NT at a cost of $7.00. School volunteers assist staff in the following ways:
- School library-covering new books, processing new resources
- Classroom assistance
- Class excursions
- School camps
- Parent Reading Army
- Cultural Events
- Fundraising events
Volunteer Application Form
Thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer with Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School. Our volunteers are integral to the Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School experience for our students and they provide an important link to the community. We welcome your inquiry about volunteering and hope you will find the experience rewarding.
Application Process
1. Application form
The Child Safe Standards require schools to gather, verify and record a person’s history of work involving children. Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School takes child safety very seriously and for this reason, potential volunteers are required to list their entire work history, including any volunteer work, involving children.
If you would like to submit your interest for a volunteer role within our school, please complete the application form. The form can be found on Safe NT’s website; https://forms.pfes.nt.gov.au/safent/
2. Interview
It is school practice for all potential volunteers to be interviewed prior to commencing any voluntary work. The interview is an informal discussion aimed at assessing the suitability of the person for the volunteer position, particularly child-connected work, It is also an opportunity for the potential volunteer to ask questions about the position and the school in general.
Potential volunteers should bring proof of personal identity to the interview.
3. Referee checks
Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School takes child safety very seriously and for that reason we make it a practice to conduct referee checks for potential volunteers to assess their suitability to work with children. The referee check is a discussion between the school and the nominated referee for the purpose of addressing the person’s suitability for volunteer work and for engaging in child-connected work.
4. Pre-engagement Checks
All volunteers at Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School are required to apply for an Ochre Card. If you do not already have a current Ochre Card, you will be required to obtain this prior to commencing volunteer work and present the WWCC card to the school as soon as practicable.
5. Induction
Volunteers are provided with an induction to the workplace as a supportive way of introducing them to the school. The induction process is an opportunity to communicate the school’s ethos, policies and procedures to the new volunteer while introducing them to their role and work area.