UMatter

UMatter: Living Our Values of Respect, Kindness and Safety

At our school, the wellbeing of every child matters - and that’s why we continue to build on our UMatter initiative, which helps students understand the importance of their words, actions, and choices.

UMatter encourages students to recognise that they matter - to their peers, their teachers, and their community - and that each person plays a role in making our school a respectful, kind, and safe place to learn.

UMatter encourages students to strengthen our core school values:

• Respect – Listening to others, valuing different perspectives, and showing care in how we speak and act

• Kindness – Using positive language, helping others, and choosing kindness even when it’s hard

• Safety – Looking after ourselves and others, speaking up when something’s not right, and making thoughtful decisions

Through class discussions, activities, and reflections, students are learning how to be active contributors to a supportive school culture - where everyone feels seen, heard, and safe.

UMatter at Home: Holiday Activities

The upcoming holidays are a great chance for families to continue conversations and experiences that promote kindness, respect and safety. Here are a few simple ways to support UMatter values at home:

• Read stories about empathy – Choose picture books or short stories that focus on kindness, inclusion, or friendship

• Practice gratitude – Take turns sharing three good things each day

• Write a kind note – Send a message to a friend, teacher, or neighbour to brighten their day

• Do a family kindness challenge – See how many small acts of kindness you can do in a day

• Create posters or drawings – Illustrate what respect, kindness or safety looks like in real life

• Take mindful moments together – Go for a nature walk, do some stretching, or take a few quiet minutes to breathe and reflect

These small activities help keep the message going strong: you matter, and so do your actions.

Wishing all our families a restful and connected break!

Warmest regards,  

Carole Upton