School-Wide Positive Behaviours

School-Wide Positive Behaviours – a great start to the year!

Hats off to our wonderful students and staff for one of the best starts to a school year that we can remember. Classes have been settled, calm and productive with a focus on our core business of learning.

In the first two days back, we welcomed students with year level assemblies that focused on setting high expectations for learning, behaviour, and attendance. We explained to them why we, their teachers, were going to be initially focused on positive behaviours in the classroom, in the yard, in the community and online and how important a calm and ordered learning environment is in supporting students to thrive in their learning.

We introduced the School Wide Positive Behaviours Matrix that parents, staff and students helped create in term four last year and talked through the positive behaviours that we expect in all learning spaces, all of the time. We know that not every student is going to always demonstrate these behaviours all the time, but we wanted to be clear about what are our expectations and ‘where the goalposts are.’

To support students in demonstrating these positive behaviours, our teachers have spent the last two weeks of meeting time engaging in professional learning focused on explicit teaching strategies to promote positive behaviours in the classroom.

A leading educational expert in managing student behaviour, Glen Pearsall, has been upskilling us in using rallying calls to gather student attention (we encourage you to ask your child which rally calls they love the most) and teaching us the explicit nuanced strategies to establish calm and productive classrooms.

Teachers are collectively using evidence-based strategies to sustain active listening and to reengage students in their learning when they drift off task. On our 48 learning walks conducted in the past two weeks, we are delighted with how calm the classrooms are and how focused students are on learning.

Below is a graphic that we have in all classrooms displaying our entry, exit and transition routines which have been formulated based on research evidence and we can already see them working in shaping the positive behaviours we expect.

Uniform Reminders

We have made two changes to our current Uniform Process:

1. Students can CHOOSE to wear the Sport Uniform OR the Formal Uniform, regardless of whether they have PE/Dance/Drama. They can’t wear a hybrid of the two uniforms – it’s one or the other.

Please note: Students who have a Technology subject or Science prac will need to wear leather lace up shoes for safety reasons. If they don't wear appropriate footwear, they may not be able to participate in the practical work.

2. Students who don’t bring a note, will be given a Community Service detention on their THIRD infringement.

Clarification regarding certain uniform items:

Scarves and gloves must be plain navy, maroon or cream coloured.
Hats – college cap, school beanie, wide brimmed navy college hat (not inside). All other hats/beanies are not permitted.
College Navy sport shorts or College Navy tracksuit pants or, College Navy leggings or Navy leggings (no-logos).
Jewellery: Visible body piercings, such as eyebrow and nose rings and nose studs etc. are actively discouraged and students with multiple or large piercings will be asked to remove or cover them.
Additional layers of clothing may be worn underneath the uniform for added warmth, provided these undergarments are completely hidden.
Students who wear incorrect uniform (such as jackets and hoodies) will be required to remove the item and can borrow a clean replacement uniform such as rugby top or jacket.
Sports Excellence Uniform to be worn in Year 10 only.

Students requiring support to purchase/ acquire School Uniform:

Wellbeing will organised uniform items for students who need support. Please contact an Assistant Principal or the Wellbeing Team for assistance.

Carrie Wallis

Assistant Principal