Principal's 2020 Reflection

Support Your School to Support Your Child

I started my teaching career in 1986....years before the internet was invented and before computers were commonplace. I wrote reports by hand on lined pieces of paper. Since then, I have met and taught tens of thousands of students, parents and staff. I have taught in large city schools, small country schools, international schools, secondary schools, primary schools, young classes, older classes - the whole shebang!  I have gained much knowledge and experience over the years. Some things repeat themselves. I can look at a student in their first term at Prep and project an easy or hard road ahead. It scares me a little, to be honest. Patterns repeat themselves, even though every human is different and special. 

In my time as a Secondary School Principal, I sat with a parent whose son had run through the school, kicking doors and hurting other students and teachers. The boy was 16, very strong and impossible to control. It wasn't until the police came to arrest him and place him in detention that the situation calmed. The damage was done. 

The mother of this boy was in tears in my office. I will never forget her face. It was one of desperation and hopelessness. In a way, she had lost her son and I was sitting there to witness the separation. Heartbreaking. 

I asked the mother when she first noticed things were going wrong. She said, "In Prep, the teachers tried to tell me that he could not sit still, could not listen, could not keep his hands and feet to himself. They told me he was behind with his reading and he could not make friends because the other kids were afraid of his aggression. I did not listen. I fought the school. They tried to get me extra help, but I refused. I told them he was fine and that they were idiots and to leave me and my child alone. I told them his learning would take care of itself. I blamed the other kids for not being nice so that's why he hit them."

The mother then went to to tell me that she kept making excuses for her son. She was at war with the school almost every year and ignored the warning signs of low grades and the social problems that school reports clearly tried to convey. She put her head in the sand - and now it was too late. The chickens were coming home to roost and his age meant there was no turning back. 

A few weeks later, in the street, he pulled a knife on another boy and was again arrested - this time on a more serious charge. I imagined the pain for the family. It was a nightmare playing out in front of our eyes and there was nothing more the school could do to help because he refused to attend. The work was too hard and his behaviour too tough to handle in a classroom.....and the signs were there in Prep.

Not every child who has trouble reading or has trouble sitting still will pull a knife at 16 and get arrested. But, as a Primary School, we have to work closely with parents when warning signs appear - and they generally appear early. For years, the State of Iowa calculated their future prison cell numbers on the low literacy data from Grade 3. The more kids who 'failed' Grade 3, the more prison cells they planned to build in 15 years time. Many studies back this up as behavioural problems at an early age (especially in boys), have a huge correlation with teenage delinquency. It is there in black and white in study after study.

What patterns have I seen in my 34 years as a teacher? The big one is the parents who deny problems in learning and behaviour and choose to go to war with their child's school - they lose out big time. Well, their child does, at least. More heat than light is created in these exchanges. It is often the parents NOT reading this iNewsletter that fall into this trap, though. Parents who can comprehend this message and work alongside their child's school win out. Even if their child has some difficulties, the ones who work alongside the school can win in the long run. I have seen many students with learning and behavioural difficulties do really well when the parents jump on board the school's approach and support the program. They talk the school up, they work hard with their child on agreed programs, they sanction their child at home when wrongdoing and harm occurs in the school. These kids do OK even if they have been tricky early on. Low grades and poor behaviour can turn around with effort and support between parent/school. Partnerships win most battles.

As parents receive their reports next week, don't panic if some grades are low or some of the behavioural marks are concerning. We can get this right. But, please pay close attention to the signs and work closely with your child's school in 2021 to support the change we need to see. I have seen first hand (in Secondary School) the absolute damage low literacy and numeracy causes - now is the time to act! 

Year 2020 has been the most challenging in my career. Students were learning from home for large periods of time and that took its toll on some. Your child's reports are a window into their development. Explanations of these reports are contained in this iNewsletter. I truly hope you read the explanations and your child's report closely and choose to celebrate what has worked well and take positive action where it is required. 

The dramatic story of the 16 year old boy and his mother is not meant to scare you. It is meant to inform. Maintain the relationship with your new classroom teacher in 2021. Be aware of the signs and act in partnership with your school. It is a complex world that the children will inherit. I remain eternally hopeful that things will work out well. But, we will need to pay attention because the children we bring into the world will need all of our help as they navigate the path. It is not easy, but it can be done with love, care and connection.

Enjoy this last iNewsletter. For those leaving us, I wish you well. For those staying, I appreciate your trust and loyalty. We are a great school, getting even better. For those who celebrate the festive season coming up - Merry Christmas. Take care of yourself and those you love.

Noel Creece

December 2020