Principal's Report

Living our Values - Being the best learner and person you can be 

Earlier this term we recognised nearly 140 students who were nominated by their teachers for demonstrating our school values for learning and community. Our purpose at Brentwood is to ensure our students develop into the best learner and person they can be, and these students who were recognised are demonstrating that they are doing their best to achieve this in a variety of ways. 

As we head into the remainder of the year we wanted to highlight the importance of our Values for Community which articulate how everyone is able to create the best possible learning environment that is inclusive, safe and where all members are valued. Our values for community are: 

Compassion 

We demonstrate compassion by: 

• being kind to each other 
• caring about the wellbeing of others

Empathy 

We demonstrate empathy by: 

• appreciating that we are all different 
• acknowledging the thoughts and feelings of others 

Integrity 

We demonstrate integrity by: 

• being honest, fair and just 
• being trustworthy in what we say and what we do 

Respect 

We demonstrate respect by: 

• caring for ourselves, for others and for our environment 
• being courteous and valuing the dignity of ourselves and others 

Responsibility 

We demonstrate responsibility by: 

• contributing to a safe, caring and sustainable environment 
• being personally accountable and making the most of our opportunities 

Whilst we have high expectations that everyone will do their best to follow these values at all times, we also recognise that nobody is perfect and at times we may act in a way that is inconsistent with our values. When this happens, it is an opportunity to reflect, learn and make adjustments for the future. 

We teach students to think about the impact their actions and words have on others. At times what we say and do can cause those around us to feel unsafe. This was evidenced in student forums and conversations earlier in the year when students reported they sometimes hear inappropriate comments in class and in the school yard. Discriminatory and offensive comments that are said in a casual manner, even those not directed at any individual, can still cause harm to others. For example, some students have reported hearing comments that are derogatory towards people based on their racial background, religious beliefs, gender or sexuality. These sorts of comments reinforce views that are not consistent with our values and are not acceptable at Brentwood as they don't contribute to a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.  

In upcoming assemblies during ASPIRE students will learn more about the impact of comments and behaviours that impact negatively on their peers. Any sort of discriminatory language is not acceptable at Brentwood and we ask that students be mindful of the words they use so that they can do their part in making our school the best place possible for every single student and staff member.  

We recognise that the vast majority of conversations and interactions between members of our community are positive; our aim is to ensure everyone feels safe at all times and in all situations. I would like to thank students in advance for recognising their impact on others and doing their best to ensure Brentwood is inclusive for everyone. 

John Ballagh 

Principal