Student Wellbeing

Engaging the Heart and the Mind…

Our student wellbeing program provides a comprehensive school approach to ensuring the development of a positive, productive environment that authentically promotes social and emotional connectedness for all students.

It is based on the strong belief that for children to fully engage in their learning they need to feel sage and secure in their school community, a sense of connectedness with their peers and their teachers, and the ongoing valuing of their importance as a member of our school community.

The complexity of the human spirit, the beliefs, values, attitudes and previous experiences a child brings to school, the unique culture of each school and each classroom all impact on the ability of the child to experience learning and social success and to exhibit positive behaviours within the school setting.

There are two parts to the Student Wellbeing program:
Primary Prevention led by Karen Brunskill, Student Wellbeing Coordinator
Early Intervention led by Judy Wall, Assistant Principal.

Primary Prevention
Student Wellbeing Prevention provides a range of programs that specifically teach and foster:

  • Positive Habits of the Mind (Self Talk)
  • Shared Community Values
  • Social Competencies and
  • Cooperative Learning Strategies
Program Achieve: You Can Do It
The ‘You Can Do It’ program identifies the four key foundations and the eleven habits of the mind that underpin success.

Value Education
Karen Brunskill’s “Healthy Relationships” program teaches human values, sets boundaries for behaviour and creates a learning environment whereby full participation of the child is optimized.

Friends
The Friends program teaches a thinking process which can assist in dealing with situations that can cause anxiety.

Friendly Kids, Friendly Classrooms
The Friendly Kids, Friendly Classrooms program identities twenty-one skills which support and scaffold successful classroom and playground interactions, which can be incorporated into individual learning plans.

Early Intervention

A successful behaviour management approach is far more than a single program or product. It is an ongoing process involving every member of the school community.

Glendal’s Student Code of Conduct highlights the values of the school community and the behaviours it expects will be demonstrated. It links very closely to our preventative approach through empowering children to recognize and accept responsibility for how they choose to behave.
The school community values:
  • A safe and secure work and play environment;
  • Treating one another in a courteous, trustworthy and respectful way
  • Learning in an atmosphere of order and cooperation
  • Accepting responsibility for personal behaviour and choosing to behave in an appropriate manner.
Our focus is on expectations rather that rules, consequences rather than punishments and problem solving rather that conflict. Our dialogue with children is characterised by expressions such as getting along, cooperation and respect.

At the beginning of the year, as part of our “Creating Our Learning Community” project, each class will establish their class values and expectations of each other within the context of the Student Code of Conduct and the principles of Assertive Discipline. While developing their class values, a class management plan will also be developed in which consequences will be discussed. There is a focus on identifying and acknowledging appropriate behaviour, regarding it in a variety of ways including stickers, tickets, reward points and whole class rewards such as a special activity at the end of the term. The foundation of identifying and acknowledging appropriate behaviour is verbal praise and recognition. In addition to on-going praise and acknowledgement at an individual level, within the classroom and playground, each week teachers select students to receive ‘Student of the Week’ awards. These awards are presented at our school assembly and are a source of great pride and celebration.

While our focus is on promoting appropriate behaviour, consequences may be provided when children choose to behave in inappropriate ways. In most circumstances, this will usually involve the inappropriate behaviour being identified and the child given an opportunity to modify their behaviour. If a child chooses not to respond to this warning, further consequences will be imposed such as withdrawal to a quiet area within the classroom or into another nearby classroom. In more serious circumstances, a child will be required to participate in Re-Think Time with the Assistant Principal or the Student Well-Being coordinator during half of lunchtime. Parents will be advised if their child is to attend Re-Think Time.

During Re-Think Time, the child is given the opportunity to discuss:
  • the reason they are attending Re-Think
  • ways to solve a similar problem in the future
  • the values that they need to practice.
Our approach to student management in the playground is similar to that in the classroom, with the same expectations and values being promoted. Teachers supervising in the playground acknowledge appropriate behaviour verbally and with tickets. At our school assembly, two tickets will be selected and the children will receive a prize. If a child chooses to behave inappropriately in the playground a similar process to the classroom will be followed. The inappropriate behaviour will be identified and the child given the opportunity to modify the behaviour. If the child chooses not to respond to this warning, the child may be required to walk with the supervising teacher for a period of time. In more serious circumstances, the child may be required to attend Re-Think Time.

Student Management is most effective when parents, children and teachers work together to establish the values and expectations of the school community and appropriate behaviour in the classroom and the playground. In some circumstances, parents will be invited to join with their child’s teacher to develop an individual learning plan to assist their child develop appropriate behaviour patterns in the classroom or the playground. An individual learning plan will identify the skills to be developed and will outline strategies to be used at school and, if appropriate, at home. We place great importance on this partnership and value the support of parents and children.

At Glendal, we have an active commitment to promoting children’s personal well being and feeling of safety and security as vital precursors to successful learning.
 

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