THE VILLAGE
The Village: Supporting Students to Focus and Thrive
This week students have been completing our annual Students Attitudes to School Survey (AToSS). Year 7 and 10 students will complete their survey’s next week but so far we have been really impressed with how our students have really taken their time to focus and provide insights to their school experience. The concept of focus is a skill that we work on with many of our students.
Focus: Skill Development
We know that every young person learns differently. During this week’s professional learning, sections of our staff spent time exploring ways to better support students who may experience challenges with focus, attention, and self-regulation within the classroom.
A key part of this learning involved building staff understanding around the signs and impacts of conditions such as ADHD, while also focusing on practical strategies that help students develop the skills needed to succeed at school. Rather than viewing focus and attention as simply a behaviour issue, the professional learning highlighted the importance of understanding the “why” behind student behaviour and creating supportive learning environments that help students build confidence and capability over time.
Some of the areas explored included:
Creating predictable classroom routines
Breaking learning into manageable steps
Supporting organisation and emotional regulation
Using positive reinforcement and encouragement
Helping students develop strategies for independence and persistence
Importantly, the focus was not on “fixing” students, but on recognising strengths, understanding challenges, and helping young people develop skills in a supportive and consistent way.
For families wanting to learn more, we would recommend the Pop Culture Parenting podcast, which regularly shares evidence-based discussions around child development, behaviour, ADHD, and supporting young people. We will include a link to the relevant episode below for families who may be interested in exploring the topic further.
🎧 Episode Link – Finding Nemo + kids who can’t focus
https://open.spotify.com/episode/22JTlESpiyr7rEGO5E2k1W?si=7d9ba7c42c1d4d49
As always, we value the partnership between school and home and appreciate the ongoing support of our community as we continue working together to support all of our students.
Tyson Biffin Assistant Principal
Tyson Biffin Assistant Principal
Tyson Biffin
Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Inclusion