From the Assistant Principal

What? Not my child.

“Hi {Parent Name}, it’s Mat Williamson from Newport Lakes Primary School calling. {Student Name} is fine, but do you have a couple of minutes to talk about an incident that happened today…?”

It’s a well-rehearsed line. 

I’m sure some of you reading this have heard those words through the telephone during your time at NLPS.

And for many parents, the first thought that pops into their head is something like: “What? Not my child.”

It’s a pretty natural reaction.

There’s a story teachers sometimes tell each other to (maybe) make ourselves feel better - that back in the old days parents simply listened to the teacher and backed up poor behaviour at school with swift consequences at home. No questions asked. The story usually trails off with something about “parents these days…”

The truth, of course, is a lot more complicated than that. Schools and families are on the same team - but figuring out the right response when kids make poor choices isn’t always simple.

What hasn’t changed is that no teacher wants to be known as the strict one. What we aim for instead is something better: firm but fair.

But when behaviour becomes disrespectful, disruptive, or dangerous, it creates frustration for everyone - students, teachers, parents, and school leaders too. That’s why we are continuing to lean heavily into Positive Classroom Management Strategies (PCMS) to guide how we respond when students make poor choices.

You may have heard us talk about restorative conversations, SWPBS (School Wide Positive Behaviour Support), and our school values (like… every day). These principles underpin the work we do when dealing with behaviour. They help us encourage positive behaviour when things are going well, and repair relationships when harm has been done. Our school values sit over the top of it all.

But we also need to be honest - because recently this hasn’t been enough on its own.

Teachers are reporting higher levels of disruptive behaviour, which is why we’ve introduced some clearer systems - including the behaviour flowchart Carly describes in her article, our expectations around respect, and the Make It Right Room (it’s not detention).

Behaviour is not my favourite thing to write about. They’re not my favourite conversations to have with parents - and I’m sure they’re not your favourite conversations to have with your children either. But discouraging inappropriate behaviour and supporting students to learn from mistakes is an important part of school.

Teachers don’t want students to be in trouble. Being in trouble can bring shame, affect confidence, and sometimes damage trust. But students themselves have also told us, over and over again, that when disrespectful, disruptive, or dangerous behaviour isn’t addressed fairly, it doesn’t feel right to them either.

Students want fairness.

And even if you’ve had one of those phone conversations with me - once, twice, or a dozen times - it’s okay. I often remind myself, as well as parents and teachers, that we are working with children. We expect them to make mistakes when they’re learning to read, write, and solve problems.

Learning how to manage behaviour, repair harm, and make better choices next time is part of that learning too.

Mat Williamson

Assistant Principal (and often the one who has to make those phone calls)