Principal News
Thought for the week:
Children don’t say, “I had a hard day. Can we talk?”
They say, “Will you play with me?”
Laurence Cohen (Positive Parenting Solutions)
Dear Parents, Staff and Students,
Recently, I have been reading several articles about student motivation and behaviour. Particularly focusing on positive education, how ending behaviour rewards (extrinsic prizes, awards etc) and instead focusing on student motivation and character is the way to helping students regulate their emotions.
Handing out ‘champion cards’ and prizes from the prize box when students behave well seems like an effective strategy for encouraging civility. Little prizes and public praise would seem to encourage honesty, generosity and other marks of good character, and for years schools and parents have relied on such rewards to elicit the behaviour they desire in their students and children.
Rewards can be seductive, according to Marvin Berkowitz, a professor of education at University of Missouri-St Louis and author of You Can’t Teach Through a Rat. They’re easy, they seem to work – particularly with the hard-to-reach children – and many teachers are taught according to the behaviourist model, which posits that people repeat conduct that’s reinforced and avoid what’s punished. Berkowitz writes: We are breeding a new generation of kids who are well trained to be reward and recognition torpedoes. Certainly, food for thought.
Daniel Pink author of the book: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us, identifies seven drawbacks to extrinsic rewards. These being, they cripple intrinsic motivation, limit performance, squash creativity, stifle good conduct, promote cheating, can become habit-forming, and spur a short-term mindset. Giving prizes for routine and mindless tasks can be moderately effective. He went on to write that offering rewards for those tasks that are “inherently interesting, creative, or noble…. Is a very dangerous game."
As a school this year, we are committed to working with staff around the proven approach of Positive Education. Focusing on students’ strengths and supporting them to flourish in their social interactions and learning. This will take some time to implement and bring change to the way we all interact with each other (staff to staff; staff to student, staff to parent, student to student, parent to parent, parent to staff). Anne Wood-croft Brown (School Counsellor) and myself in the past two weeks have met with the teachers and school officers introducing the Positive Education approach. Over this upcoming year we will work with staff on incorporating the Positive Education approach across the curriculum and in the daily life of our school. We plan to then hold parent sessions to support parents as well in this area.
LAWRENCE STREET PICK UP
Last week I met with Ms Sharon Collins regarding the traffic situation around our school at pick up times. We discussed the possibility of creating a 'STOP, DROP and GO' zone utilising the boarding school driveway. Over the next few weeks we will be consulting with Boarding school staff, Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office and Council Traffic control to find a safer solution for all students in this area.
I have been asked to notify parents and students to not wait in the boarding school driveways or undercroft area after school. This is due to boarding school staff trying to get students from the boarding school to sport and medical appointments. Thank you for your support in keeping our students safe.
NEW PHONE SYSTEM
Recently the school has invested a considerable amount of money in a new phone system after our last phone system was failing quite oftern throughout Term 4. I am pleased to announce that we have a new system installed. This has resulted in a new phone number for our school.
NEW SCHOOL PHONE NUMBER: 07 4637 1700
We have a diversion setup with the old number for the next 6 months. However, I advise you to save the new number in your phone to avoid any issues.
STAFF UPDATE
Best wishes Mrs Harkins on your long service leave for the remainder of the term. We hope you enjoy your time away. Mrs Kelly Maher will be taking Year 3H in Mrs Harkins' absence.
Thank you for reading,
Madonna