St Albans Primary School

1
St Albans Primary School

• Engaging CALD
• families and developing community connectedness

2
St Albans Primary School

• Situated in the western suburbs of Melbourne
• Socio economically disadvantaged school with a
  large and diverse multicultural community
• Western English Language School Outpost
• Large number of refugees

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Refugees

• In years past these refugees have included
  Bosnian, Serbian, East Timorese, Vietnamese
  families.
• At present the majority of our refugee students
  are from Africa, in particular Sudan

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Germany
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia


United States of America
Switzerland
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Egypt
Turkey
China
Sudan
Philippines
Burundi
Vietnam
India
Ghana
Congo
Thailand
El Salvador
Indonesia
Fiji
East Timor
Pakistan
Iran
Tanzania
New Zealand

Chile
Kenya
Somalia
Democratic Republic of Congo
Ethiopia
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Enrolment

• Current enrolment is 373
• 17 mainstream classrooms and 5 Western English
  Language School classes
• Multicultural Aides to support school community
  Vietnamese, Dinka, Arabic, Swahili, Macedonian,
  Croatian, Serbian

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Multicultural Education Aides

• Enhance home school communication and
  relationships
• Interpret and translating
• Call families inviting them to activities
• Work with children in the classroom
• Greet families in the yard
• Assist with social welfare issues
• Take families to appointments

7
Parent Programs and Networks

• Phone parents and invite
• Simplify notes for non English speaking families
• Provide babysitting
• Afternoon and morning tea
• We offer topics of interest
• Community agencies
• Door prizes
• Give aways

8
Other Activities with CALD Families

• South Sudanese Community Project Education
  Module
• Australian Education System - MRC
• Growing Great Kids for the Sudanese families
• Parent Programs

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Other Activities with CALD Families

• African Drumming and Percussion Program
• Cultural Diversity Week activities
• Parent Networks
• Family evenings / afternoons

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What We Have Learnt in Connecting Families

• Need to look at non traditional ways of
  connecting families to school
• Personal contact phone calls and home visits
• Welcoming environment
• Flexibility
• Importance of food
• Sharing of ideas and information

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What We Have Learnt in Connecting Families

• Classroom visits allow parents to see what
  schools are like in 2006
• Interpreters are important for non English
  speaking families
• Written information needs to be appropriate for
  your community
• Sensitive of cultural issues
• Need to encourage staff to connect informally
  with families

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Further Information

• Joanne Richmond
• Denise Barr
• St Albans Primary School - 9366 2832