Learning Support – Penola Centre
The Penola Centre is the college’s dedicated area for Learning Support which provides a space for students to seek assistance with their classwork or assessment tasks, a calm and quiet space for students requiring a ‘time out’ area, delivers various literacy and numeracy programs and is available for Disability Provisions for examinations. Furthermore, Learning Support Aides are in mainstream classes for further support for students with learning needs.
The Learning Support Faculty implement a wide variety of strategies to support students with their learning, as well as any barriers to their learning, encouraging them to achieve their potential. Collaborating with families, staff members and outside agencies is critical to the effectiveness of the support provided by the Learning Support staff to the students.
Personalised Plans are developed for all students by adopting a collaborative approach. Furthermore, students requiring additional assistance with their transition to the College are catered for by arranging additional transition visits, meetings with families and communication with previous schools.
Students receiving Learning Support assistance may be studying a Life Skills program, have a disability or generalised learning difficulty, have difficulties with maintaining attention and/or may have mental health concerns such as anxiety. These students are integrated into mainstream classes with the necessary support.
Aboriginal Education – Yalawa Centre
St Joseph’s College is committed to providing the highest standard of education for all students and welcomes people from a diversity of cultures and nations. In particular, we are committed to supporting a connection to our First people and as such have established the Yalawa Centre.
Yalawa is a cultural hub that brings together Aboriginal & Torres Strait students from all year groups and differing Aboriginal nations from across Australia. Yalawa, meaning ‘stay and rest’ provides a dedicated space, where students can gather, seek support for their academic studies and wellbeing, discuss career pathway options, engage in cultural awareness activities and deepen their understanding of country and identity.
The Yalawa Centre is a place where students can continue to build their capacity; a place where they can gather as one and gain the confidence to be people of strength, faith and hope Originally part of the Tenison Education Centre which was founded by the Sisters of St Joseph, the Yalawa Centre draws our contemporary Josephite community together. The building and concept evokes the legacy of care for Indigenous people and country that the Sisters of St Joseph Lochinvar have nurtured and lived. This is a legacy that we, the students and staff of St Joseph’s College will strive to uphold and deepen as we meet the needs of 21st Century learners and families.
