St. Joseph’s Primary School, Mernda is committed to providing a comprehensive and meaningful education through our Discovery Based Learning (DBL) approach, where learning is connected, purposeful, and designed to have a meaningful impact for every student. DBL integrates a range of subject areas, enabling students to make meaningful links across the Victorian Curriculum through rich, inquiry-driven experiences.
As part of our curriculum, students engage with key learning areas including Science, Geography, and History, with Civics and Citizenship and Economics and Business introduced in the upper primary years. These areas are thoughtfully integrated to deepen understanding and support students to make connections across disciplines. DBL also incorporates the Victorian Curriculum capabilities, including Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding, and Intercultural Understanding. In addition, cross-curriculum priorities such as Sustainability, Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures are thoughtfully integrated within DBL units where appropriate, enabling students to develop a broad, inclusive, and globally aware perspective.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is embedded across our curriculum through a cross-curricular approach that connects learning in authentic and engaging ways. By integrating STEM within DBL, students apply their knowledge and skills in real-world contexts, strengthening their critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities.
A key feature of our approach is the St. Joseph’s Engineering Design Process, which guides students through the stages of Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test, Improve, and Share. This process supports students to think like designers and innovators, encouraging them to explore ideas, develop solutions, reflect on their learning, and continuously improve their work.
Through hands-on and inquiry-driven learning experiences, students are empowered to take ownership of their learning, collaborate with others, and engage deeply with meaningful challenges. To further enhance engagement, we host whole-school STEM Gala Days throughout the year, where students across all year levels participate in collaborative STEM challenges and celebrate their learning as a community.
At St. Joseph’s, we are proud to offer a dynamic and student-centred approach that fosters curiosity, innovation, and a lifelong love of learning, equipping our students with the skills and confidence to thrive in an ever-changing world.