Food for thought
‘Chance favours the prepared mind only’ Louis Pasteur
Dear Parents and Guardians,
EVERY CHILD NEEDS TO MAKE THEIR BED EVERYDAY.
At the last assembly, I spoke to the children about the importance of making your bed each day. I am encouraging every child in our school to make their bed every day, if they are in the early years they need to do it with the help of a parent. If you make your bed first thing every day regardless of how your day goes from then on you know that you have successfully achieved something and know that you will climb into a bed made by you at night. It sets the stage for a positive and successful day.
The students will have something similar to do when they start their day at school to have the same positive feeling of accomplishment.
Thank you for your support as a community on this.
‘Make Your Bed’ written by Admiral William H. Mc Raven. The essence of the book is a focus on the ‘Little things that can change your life. We will be implementing a range of strategies to teach our students some positive beliefs about personal discipline and beliefs.
The importance of personal leadership and discipline cannot in my opinion be underestimated. I also believe that it is not something that is naturally innate to us, it must be taught implicitly and explicitly. Implicitly by the role modelling and environment and explicitly through expectation and direct teaching.
Students who are successful in year 12 are not the most intelligent students they are the ones who can stick at it for longer, have the grit to do the work, they realise they can’t do it alone, and have the commitment to have a schedule/routine that doesn’t alter.
These characteristics don’t just happen, they are the result of two things; personal choice to learn to do the work on a personal and academic level and having parents, peers and schools that provide support, encouragement, and direction for these traits to become habits. It is habits that lead to continued effort and the results then follow.
We have achieved a great deal in this area, with the morning greetings, reinforcing the use of manners, care and nurture of all students and the importance of effort over achievement (control the controllable).
Positive Behaviour Process
| Active scan | Constantly glance around the room to identify potentially off-task behaviour and address early |
| Proximity | Actively walk past students throughout lesson and pause close to off-task students as an indicator to activity |
| The look | If student off task, make eye-contact until student returns to activity |
| The pause | If students off task, deliberately pause the lesson to indicate it cannot continue until everyone ready to learn |
| Non-verbal cues | Use appropriate body language including hand gestures, nod/shakes of head |
| Planned Ignore | The intentional ignoring of low level unproductive behaviour, particularly when behaviour is attention seeking |
| Responding to appropriate behaviour | Public praising of specific behaviour to reinforce that behaviour for that student OR for a nearby off-task student |
| Student name | If other strategies do not work, use student name. Be aware of tone and intonation to avoid escalation |
1. Reminder of the expected behaviour
Alert the student to inappropriate behaviour and remind them of expected behaviour.
2. Reduce unexpected behaviour
If unexpected behaviour continues, ask student to move to quieter area (where they may not be distracted or distracting, to calm and/or focus more). This is followed up with a teacher-student conversation as to the impact the behaviour is having to the orderly running of the classroom and problem solving as to ways the student can be supported to develop more productive learning behaviours. A logical consequence may be given.
3. Informal dialogue/Private contract
If unexpected behaviour is repeated, speak privately with the student to further understand why the behaviour is occurring. Work with the student to agree strategies, including logical consequences, to reduce/prevent the behaviour in the future, providing supports (such as reminders, visual cues) to achieve. Involve parent as necessary. Ensure that improvement in behaviour is acknowledged.
4. Referral for support and collect data
Further repeats of unexpected behaviour may warrant further investigation and/or individual behaviour plans, and these students should be referred to the SAER Coordinator for support. Discrete data collection by the teacher assists in recognising patterns of behaviour, understanding the purpose of the behaviour, and responding appropriately. This should be used where disruptive behaviour persists after low-key skills and informal contracts have been implemented.
Tier 3: Targeted and Individual Responsive Strategies
As part of our focus ‘Changing Culture and Supporting People’, we are introducing a unified community approach to positive behaviour learning in our school. I am reaching out to you for your feedback.
Last week I spoke of the philosophy. The focus on positive environment and positive mind set. The importance that all students need to have clear expectations and boundaries. Students want to belong, and it is up to us as significant adults in their life to be the role models and the support for positive behaviour. However, it is equally important to have processes to help learning about appropriate behaviour.
All children test boundaries and have slip ups in behaviour. When they do it is important to not be punitive because we know that simply pushes behaviour down only to come out somewhere else. This does not mean that should not be consequences for poor choices, there should be however they need to be in line which the behaviour where the child can see the connection.
Importantly in the process is the restoration of the positive connection between child and teacher, where there is a clear path for the child to move forward positively and retain good standing. The child needs to know that they are still held in positive esteem, it was their behaviour that needs to change not them.
MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT
Tier 1: Proactive Preventative strategies
Proactive Strategies: Whole school strategies to create positive interactions
- Provide a safe and supportive learning environment
- Be a positive role model.
- Use a quiet, controlled voice and use discretion to minimise audience.
- Work with parents, colleagues, and support staff.
- Understand individual student needs.
- Develop social skills in curriculum, resilience and empathy programs.
- Define and teach school-wide expectations for all.
- Establish whole school values that are visibly promoted across the school.
- Develop consistent school-wide processes to identify at risk students.
Tier 2: Low Key Responsive Strategies to students exhibiting unexpected behaviours
| Winning over | Build a rapport that means the students strive for your respect and acknowledgement |
Individualised Behaviour Support Plans
Some students require individualised plans to support them with achieving behavioural goals. These plans are developed collaboratively with the student, their family, leadership team and class teacher, and involve the input of the external agencies, as appropriate. Regular review meetings are held to assess the effectiveness of plans, progress made by the student and to update goals.
The SAER coordinator will ensure relevant staff are made aware of individual plans and risk management processes, as appropriate.
Students on Behaviour Support Plans will have individualised expectations, within their capacity, to maintain Good Standing.
Serious breaches of expectations
The following behaviours are referred to the leadership team for support and decision about
| Processes to follow |
| Assess the behaviour and its functions, influences, and triggers (include students, parents, and school wellbeing staff as appropriate). |
| Develop Behaviour Support Plan and/or Individual Learning Plan (ILP) |
| Consider if any environmental changes need to be made. |
| Engage Student Support Services and/or community services to provide assessments or specialist support. |
| Establish peer groups that allow students to feel supported. |
| Implement appropriate consequences that are proportional to behaviours (see below). |
| Assist students to understand classroom rights and responsibilities. |
Inappropriate ICT/internet use
Intentional damage of equipment/property
Causing harm to self or others
Bullying*/intimidation
Discrimination (including racism, sexism)
Weapons in school or at school activity
* The national definition of bullying for Australian schools is as follows:
Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm… Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying.
Restorative Practice
Where relationships have been damaged, as a result of negative behaviour, students will be guided through a restorative process to repair those relationships. This is done when all parties are calm. It is an opportunity for students to learn how to repair relationships in a safe and supported environment.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
We are in the process of confirming the student leadership structure for year 6 students. There are four options that we are seeking your feedback on. I will email you separately with the options and a survey, I would be very grateful for your support in providing your thoughts and feedback. The same survey will be given to the students in year 4 -6.
POINTS OF NOTE
School Development Day – Friday 18 August
This is a Pupil Free Day.
Athletics Carnivals (School Tuesday 29 August; Interschool Wednesday 13 September)
This term is an exciting term for the students. Please look out for messages from Kate Scott and Jenny Carruthers, who will provide comprehensive information on how the carnivals will run this year.
Year 6 Fair – Tuesday 12 September
Library – Story Time
Story Time will begin this term. This is an opportunity for Year 1’s at lunchtime on Friday to come to the Library where our Year 6 students will play host and involve them in games and reading stories. All Year 1 children are welcome.
Japanese Students
In Week 2 we welcome students from Japan to have an Australian Experience. It will be exciting to have visitors in our school for our children to interact with and learn from. Thank you to our families who are hosting our Japanese students.
See you next week!
Simon Reid
Relieving Principal