In the recent student vacation period I had an opportunity to engage in a professional learning opportunity about our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) framework with Dr Tim Lewis.  As we reflect on our school’s unique framework it is important to remember three key messages for our parents and caregivers as this is an essential part of the framework’s success in our school and the next steps in our journey. 

The key messages are:

Adults matter

Adults matter when children are being asked to behave in a safe, consistent and respectful way. Your positive relationship with the school is an essential element of this message. Critical to the success of PB4L is having everyone on board. As parent/carer you model the behaviour you expect from the children. Do not underestimate the importance of:

• Role modelling appropriate behaviour
• Supporting, by following the systems, procedures and processes of the school eg: arriving at school on time, supporting your child to be ready for learning, following personalised plans (academic and behavioural)
• Following the appropriate communication channels of the school
• Appropriate reactions to behaviour particularly when your child might ‘get it wrong’
• Promoting a ‘growth’ mindset in your child – mistakes are an opportunity to grow and learn

Behaviour is learnt

Explicit teaching of expected behaviours is a key component of PB4L. The school has developed a range of expected behaviours in non-classroom settings. This takes the form of a matrix that indicates simple and clear context specific behaviour expectations that are aligned to the school rules. The teaching of these behaviour expectations in a positive way allows for consistency across the school environment. As parent/carer you create the conditions for appropriate behaviour. Do not underestimate the importance of:

• Asking your child questions that will elicit a positive response regarding their day at school (see below)
• Being familiar with the expectations of the school and classroom
• Teaching your child your own expectations at home eg: appropriate manners, greetings etc.

Examples of questions to ask your child about their school day:

• What was your favourite part about school today?
• Tell me one new thing you learned at school today and I'll tell you one thing I learned at work/home.
• Who or what made you laugh today?
• What's your favourite thing about your teacher?
• What project are you working on in Art/English/Mathematics?
• What skills are you working on in PE/Sport?
• What book(s) did you read today? Tell me a little bit about the characters.
• What are you looking forward to at school tomorrow?

We cannot make the students behave.  

Humans need systems to function in an orderly way. As adults, we interact and encounter many systems every day in order to function positively in society. A school environment is no different. Systems must be put in place consistently across the school environment for all students to experience success at school. So, effective and positive systems and environments matter. As parent/carer your modelling of adhering to systems and environmental expectations enables your child to interact positively within the school and classroom context. Do not underestimate the importance of following school procedures eg: adhering to parent/school communication procedure, regular reading of the school newsletter, not becoming involved in playground incidents but rather alerting a staff member to your concern.

May we once again be ever thankful for our strengths as a community and the opportunities presented to us each day. It is through our faith and strength as a community that our students can continue to learn and grow to their full potential.

Learning Update - Focus on Writing

This year our learning goal is Students will demonstrate growth in writing through the improved use of grammar and punctuation. This goal was informed by a range of learning data, teacher judgement and student feedback. 

Throughout Semester 1 and ongoing, our staff have been involved in a book study of The Writing Revolution - a guide to advancing thinking through writing in all subjects and grades. What we are learning is guiding our approach to the way we teach writing consistently across the school.

Appositives

Our students have been learning about the power of using appositives to vary their sentence structure, and to add information and complexity to their writing. So, what is an appositive?