Wellbeing 

Encouraging Persistence and Celebrating Effort

As we approach Semester 1 Reports

As we near the end of Semester 1 and prepare to share student reports with families, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect not only on what children have achieved, but also on how they’ve approached their learning.

At Ballan Primary School, we strongly value the importance of persistence — the ability to keep trying, even when things feel challenging — and we believe that celebrating effort is just as important as celebrating results.

Reports this semester will highlight your child’s progress, but behind every grade or comment is a story of persistence: the student who kept practising their writing even when it felt tricky, the one who tackled a challenging maths concept with determination, or the child who worked hard on building friendships and social skills.

Here are some simple ways you can support persistence and celebrate effort at home:

✅Notice the process — Praise the strategies your child uses, such as "I noticed you didn’t give up when it got hard."

✅Value mistakes — Remind children that mistakes help us learn and are a normal part of the learning journey.

✅Set small goals — Help your child break larger tasks into smaller, achievable steps.

✅Celebrate progress — Take time to reflect with your child on how far they’ve come, not just where they are now.

When reports come home, we encourage families to take time to talk with your child about their effort, persistence, and growth, as well as the achievements. This builds confidence and fosters a love of learning that goes beyond any one report.

When reading your child’s report, try asking:

👉 “What are you most proud of this semester?”

👉“Can you tell me about something you worked really hard at?”

👉“Was there something tricky that you didn’t give up on? How did you keep going?”

👉“What would you like to keep improving next term?”

Focusing on these kinds of questions helps children recognise their own persistence, effort, and growth — and reminds them that learning is about progress, not perfection.

We are so proud of the effort and determination all of our Ballan Primary School students have shown in their learning this semester, and we look forward to celebrating their growth and achievements through their reports that will be uploaded to Xuno i Week 11.

Róisín Mauriks

Learning Specialist - Inclusion