From the APA desk

It has been a pleasure learning about our school community over the last two weeks.  Visiting classrooms, interacting with students in the playground and trying hard to learn names has been high on my priority list.  Seeing the learner qualities on display in classrooms across all levels of the school reveals the culture of high expectations around student learning that exist within our school. 

Another way to gain a grasp of our school context is to look at the school rules that define the boundaries of our community.  The four school rules, be safe, be responsible, be a learner, be respectful help students to focus on positive actions that guide their behaviour. 

Teachers will be unpacking with students the school rules and what that looks like in real day to day terms. Behaviours that would typify being respectful in the playground include students:

• Keeping hands and feet to themselves rather than lashing out.
• Speaking using appropriate school language, rather than using words that may hurt or offend.
• Calling each other by their names, rather than names that hurt or harm.

Being respectful means that fundamentally we see the value in ourselves, others and our relationships. Like any developmental area, the ability to understand how our actions impact and are perceived by others is at varying levels for students across the school.  Using the restorative approach where we focus on repairing harm through a compassionate lens, students are guided  to listen to perspectives,  take ownership of their behaviour, have a voice in  how to solve their problem  and accept the natural consequences that will come from their actions.  

Katie Hauser