Assistant Principal

Building Positive Behavior in Primary Schools - Consequences Vs Rewards

As we come to the end of the term teachers often notice a rise in low-level behaviours. Students are tired, parents are tired, the weather is cooling down and things can start to go wrong.

In primary education, fostering a positive learning environment is ESSENTIAL to nurturing young minds. One effective way to achieve this is through a balanced system of consequences and rewards. And while sometimes it can be difficult for us as parents to see this, it can be so much more dangerous for us not to see this.

Consequences are essential for teaching students accountability and helping them understand the impact of their actions. Effective consequences should always be clear, fair and predictable. Students need to know what is going to happen next if behaviours do not change. It is also important that they make sense and allow for time to reflect on the behaviour. Examples of consequences in the primary setting often  include verbal warnings, loss of privileges, or restorative practices like reflection time.

There can also be Rewards to Encourage Excellence. These rewards can be immediate and tangible - like stickers or certificates. They may be social such as praise or special privileges that others see and recognise or they may simply be motivating to the student intrinsically. 

However, the most important part of any behaviour system is support between school and home. This ensures that our students know that we are working together FOR and WITH them.

Holy Week

This week at St Margaret Mary, we have journeyed through Holy Week. This has been a special time for reflection and gratitude. Every day we have been  invited to pause and remember the profound events leading up to Easter Sunday.

The Significance of Holy Week Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We then remember the Washing of the Feet and the Last Supper where Jesus modelled to us the act of service and what is the source and summit of our faith through the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Holy Week is a time for unity and reminds us of the importance of kindness, compassion, and supporting one another, especially in challenging times. Holy Week encourages us to renew ourselves and ponder the hope for the future and it is ‘Hope’ that is the message of the Easter Season. I would like to take this opportunity to wish each of you a very, happy, safe and hopeful Easter Season.