Partnering for Safe Play
At St John's, the safety, well-being, and inclusion of every child are our highest priorities. In alignment with the Child Safe Standards, we are dedicated to creating an environment where children feel secure, respected, and empowered to speak up.
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) explicitly teaches respectful behaviour through its system-wide Vision for Engagement framework. This approach treats behaviour as a teachable skill and a reflection of our calling to love one another as Jesus taught us. It uses explicit instruction routines, clear shared expectations, and positive reinforcement to build calm, safe, and inclusive learning environments.
The playground is a wonderful space for our students to connect, explore, and build lasting friendships. Guided by the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) Vision for Engagement, we believe that positive social behaviour is a skill that can be actively taught and nurtured. To ensure our breaks remain safe and fun for everyone, our staff are explicitly teaching and reinforcing positive playground routines. Just like in the classroom, we use consistent language to prompt respectful play, fair turn-taking, and safe choices.
When students show these positive behaviours, our staff out on duty recognise and celebrate them. We invite our families to partner with us by discussing how your child practices kindness, cooperation, and respect during their games at recess and lunch.
Playground Safety: Keeping Our School Safe
At St John’s, student and staff safety is our absolute priority. We love seeing our students play, grow, and build friendships in a happy environment. To keep our school a safe and happy space, we want to share how we guide and support students if serious conflict arises, specifically regarding physical aggression. The ‘Red Rule’
To instil these values, we explicitly teach and encourage students to follow our ‘Red Rule’, which states: keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself. Physical contact is never a helpful way to solve a problem, and absolutely no physical aggression is acceptable at St John's. We remind students that retaliation is not self-defence, as shouting or hitting back only escalates danger. Instead, we encourage them to recognise that walking away prevents minor disagreements from growing into serious conflicts.
What We Expect From Students
If an unsafe situation or physical aggression occurs, students must:
- Walk away: Remove themselves from the tension immediately.
- Report right away: Tell the nearest yard duty teacher exactly what is happening.
How Our Staff Respond
Our team is trained to handle playground incidents with care and fairness by:
- Intervening promptly to stop aggression.
- Listening fully to ensure both sides are heard during reviews.
- Guiding students through conversations to evaluate the impact of their actions, the consequences of conduct and establish safe proactive coping strategies for future challenges.
- Informing parents whenever an incident occurs.
How You Can Help At Home
We value our partnership with parents. Please help us reinforce these safety habits by:
- Discussing expectations: Remind your child that walking away and reporting to a teacher is the safest, most responsible action.
- Reframing reporting: Help your child understand that telling a teacher is not 'snitching'—it is keeping their school community safe.
- Practising phrases and strategies to prevent conflict: E.g. rehearse saying firmly, "Stop, I don't like that," followed by walking directly to an adult.
Thank you for your continued partnership in upholding the Child Safe Standards and ensuring our community remains a welcoming space for every child.
Additional Support Resources
If you feel your child is currently struggling with self-regulation, managing big emotions, or reacting with aggression, you are not alone. The following professional resources provide practical strategies to help you support your child at home:
Kids Helpline for ideas Helping Kids Handle Conflict
Triple P Positive Parenting Program- Aggressive behaviour in children: 5 parenting tips April 8, 2024 | Triple P Articles
Your GP or Pediatrician: A vital first point of contact for a referral to a child psychologist or counselor if behavioral challenges persist.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership in keeping St John’s a safe, supportive place for every child to play and learn.