News From Mr Smith

Dear School Community Members,

Promoting Positive Behaviour:

Student wellbeing is of the highest priority at Manifold Heights Primary School. Our school improvement agenda clearly highlights the significance and importance we place on the health and wellbeing of every student. Like all aspects of a child’s development, the partnership between home and school is vital in the growth of a child’s wellbeing. Recently, I heard a podcast called School Yard Bullying on Radio 774. It was an open and frank discussion about bullying by Dr Karyn Healy from the Parenting and Family Support Centre at the University of Queensland, and Dr Barbara Spears, Associate Professor at the University of South Australia. Several key points were raised during the discussion, which include:

Bullying is defined as: an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause harm.
Whilst needing to be addressed and corrected, an isolated incident of unwanted verbal, physical and/or social behaviour is not ‘bullying’.
As children get older and develop, they explore ways they can get something or get their way. Some children learn they can do it in a way that is sometimes disrespectful to others.
At the age of 3, 4, 5 and 6, some children learn they can be achieved this by aggression. It is a critical age for families to teach conflict resolution and how to behave in an appropriate (respectful) way to others.
There are two critical transition points for children. These are Year 2 to 3 and Year 6 to 7. During this time, relationships break up and reform in shifting alliances.
Bullying is a learnt behaviour, schools are microcosms of what is happening in their community - from home, peers and media and older siblings. Sibling aggression greatly increases the likelihood of bullying behaviour.
Most kids never bully, some start and stop with an intervention and some start at a higher level and reduce it as they learn a different behaviour. There is also a small percentage of children that don’t stop bullying.
Kids who bully will identify a point of difference in other children. It may be that their peer is too quiet or bossy.
Bullying reduces when the person being bullied talks back assertively, demonstrates strong body language, doesn’t react emotionally and demonstrates confidence.
85% of bullying stops when a peer from within the group defends the person being bullied. A whole peer group standing up for their ‘bullied’ peer is the most effective response to bullying.

For families who are interested in the podcast, follow the link:

http://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/nightlife/schoolyard-bullying/9463056

Later in the year we will recognise and promote the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. This is a wonderful opportunity to continue to educate our students and community on a culture of kindness – more about this in the coming months!

Mano Family Picnic:

It was wonderful to see the Mano community come together on Tuesday afternoon for our annual Mano Family Picnic. The event provided another meaningful opportunity for us to strengthen our community spirit and celebrate all that makes Mano special. It was especially heartwarming to see our families spending quality time together and enjoying the afternoon. Thank you to the families and our staff who attended this event.

Lunch with School Captains:

On Monday, Mrs Forsyth, Mrs Geary and I had the privilege to have lunch with our school captains at Mano Deli in Shannon Ave. Our school captains shared their aspirations and goals for 2026 as the student leaders of the school. This included being a part of the process to redesign the ‘wooden playground’ and nature play space. We look forward to their leadership through this important process. Our 2026 School Captains are and will continue to be wonderful ambassadors for our school.

School Grounds:

Many families have noticed and commented on the continued improvements to our school grounds, including the playground spaces, gardens, and outdoor learning areas. These spaces are an important part of our school environment, providing students with safe, engaging, and welcoming areas to play, explore, and connect with nature.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our Groundskeeper, Dave Hunt, for his dedication, hard work, and expertise. Dave takes great pride in ensuring that our grounds are not only well maintained, but constantly evolving and improving. From caring for the gardens and maintaining equipment to enhancing the overall presentation of our outdoor spaces, his attention to detail and commitment to excellence are evident in everything he does. Thank you, Dave!

Harmony Week – week of Monday, March 16th:

Harmony Week is a special time where we come together to celebrate and recognise the rich diversity within our community and across Australia. It is a week dedicated to inclusiveness, respect and ensuring that everyone feels a strong sense of belonging.

At Mano, we are excited to celebrate Harmony Week with a number of activities, including:

A whole-school collaborative orange chain-link creation to celebrate Harmony Week, which will be proudly showcased at assembly.
Students are invited to wear a touch of orange on Wednesday, 18th March (this could be a wristband, socks, a hair tie or another small accessory).
A whole-school Harmony Day photo.
Students participating in Social and Emotional Learning lessons that focus on and celebrate diversity, inclusion and respect for all.

Orange is the colour of Harmony Week and symbolises social communication, meaningful conversations and mutual respect.

We look forward to sharing more about Mano’s Harmony Week celebrations in the coming days. Let’s come together to celebrate the wonderful diversity that makes our school community so special!

Safety and Parking:

Whilst we acknowledge the large numbers of vehicles accessing our school each morning and afternoon and the associated congestion it causes, I urge and plead with all families to exercise patience, care and vigilance when driving around our school. I also remind families to obey all parking time limits to allow other families to ‘drop and go’. The Local Law Enforcement Officers have attended our school recently where infringements have been issued. Let’s all work together to maximise the safety of our community.

Thank you for supporting our school and have a great week.

Christian Smith