J J Cahill Memorial High School

J. J. Cahill Memorial High School, (JJCMHS) is located in Mascot, a residential area which blends with one of Sydney's major commercial/industrial districts. JJCMHS has a solid focus on community and works closely with families to support the learning and wellbeing needs of all students. The school caters for the needs of students with a wide range of academic ability. Students come from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds and enrolments are currently at just above 300. A support unit forms part of the school. It caters for students with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities as well as students with an autism diagnosis. The school is committed to providing opportunities for students from the support unit to integrate into the mainstream classes. JJCMHS is a community that embraces difference where all students feel welcome and safe. All students are encouraged to participate in National testing and are included in statistical data. Students are supported by teachers and specialised programs to achieve strong academic results, many gaining placement at universities in such fields as law, economics and engineering. The emphasis is to provide an environment that is conducive to student engagement in learning which also challenges them to strive for success. The school offers all mandated courses at all levels, from Life Skills to Extension 2. There is a full range of electives, both academic and vocational, and our experienced highly committed staff differentiate curriculum delivery to suit individual needs. While JJCMHS has excellent technology resources and provides opportunities for to engage in using a wide range of technology, technology is seen as a tool that allows students to collaborate, communicate, create, think critically and solve problems. The focus on technology is as a tool that equips students with the skills and competencies to make a difference to their own lives and to make a significant contribution once in the workforce. The school's Learning and Wellbeing Team is a strategic support structure that effectively collects and utilises data to pinpoint students needs and implements support structures in a timely manner to enhance student wellbeing and maximise student learning and success. The team utilises a case management structure with broad representation of key staff including the school counsellor, wellbeing coordinator year advisers, English as an Additional Language of Dialect, (EAL/D) and Learning and Support Teachers, (LaST) and the Deputy Principal. The school works strategically utilising evidence to effectively target student need. Resources are aligned to student need and their effectiveness measured to ensure that students are gaining at least one year's growth for one year's learning. A homework centre is open on Mondays each week to support students with the completion of assessment tasks, homework extra tuition in understanding difficult concepts and learning effective study habits. French and Spanish languages are offered across all years. There are opportunities in public speaking, student leadership, choir, band, music tuition and representative sport. An annual music night showcases the performance talent of students developed through the school. Selected students are provided. Community volunteer work is also strongly supported. A student leadership and mentoring program exists between the school and the University of New South Wales. The JJCMHS school community upholds the values of honour, excellence, respect and opportunity, (HERO). These values are explicitly taught to promote a positive learning culture where respectful relationships are evident across the whole school. JJCMHS has established positive, productive and mutually beneficial partnerships and are currently developing a community of schools with the local primary schools, Mascot, East Lakes and Gardeners Road. The purpose of these partnerships is to improve the continuity of learning from primary to high school and improve transition of students moving from primary to high school. During 2017 the schools will begin to work collaboratively to sharing pedagogy and improve learning. As a school community we have high expectations of one another. Students at JJCMHS wear their uniform with pride and conduct themselves in a manner that shows respect to themselves and others. The school enjoys strong support from many local and global businesses and organisations. This provides unique opportunities for students including bursaries in all KLAs and cadetships.