Principal's Page

Principal's Message

This week we have had many students absent from school for various reasons and mostly due to the weather or COVID-19 requirements to isolate. This includes staff with many affected by flood or isolation requirements. However, learning remains our priority and I thank teachers who have supported other classes to ensure students remain settled, focussed and engaged in quality teaching and learning.

A Prayer for Our Lenten Journey

Blessed are you, God of loving mercy, who give us life and all things.

In this holy season, help us to turn our minds and hearts back to you.

Lead us into sincere repentance and renew our lives with your grace. 

As we live through the Lenten journey, 

may the crosses of ashes that mark our foreheads 

be a reminder to us and to those that we meet 

that we belong to your son Jesus. 

May our prayer and worship and penitence 

be sustained throughout these 40 days of Lent. 

Bring us refreshed and renewed 

to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at Easter.

The Classroom Redirection Chart: 

What is it? 

How do teachers use it? 

How can you support your child and their teacher?

At St Joseph's, the Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L) framework is used to guide and support student behaviour. This framework involves clear, consistent and specifically defined rules and expectations for classroom and non-classroom settings.

The School Rules are: Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Safe.

PB4L:

• uses positive, values-based approaches to teach and reinforce behaviour. 
• is a whole school approach that acknowledges that just as individual students need different support in their learning, they need different interventions to support and teach what is acceptable behaviour. 
• has clearly defined behaviour expectations that are explicitly taught at the beginning of each school year and booster lessons provided when needed.

One aspect of the Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L) support is the Classroom Correction Sequence or 'Redirection Chart'.  When a teacher observes a problem behaviour, the student is redirected back into learning in the following way. 

First Redirection

The teacher will usually say, " Sara, you are out of your seat" or give a rule reminder such as, "Sam, that's unsafe, remember to walk in class." The student will move their peg to the first redirection on the chart and the teacher will assist the student to get back into their learning.

Second Redirection

If the student is non-compliant, the teacher will ask questions to redirect the student back to the learning task. This might sound like, "Where are you up to? What do you need help with?" or the teacher may state the expectation or even ask the student if they would prefer to work somewhere else so they can focus. The teacher will then assist the student by giving help, adjusting the work or clearly stating what the student needs to do next in their learning and when they will come back to check.

On the third redirection

If again non-compliant the teacher will restate the expectation or consequences and put a yellow card on the student's table as a further visual reminder for the child. 

On the final redirection, the student will be given an orange card and timeout in another classroom. On re-entry into their own classroom, the student should apologise and the teacher will have work ready that the student can be successful with.  Parents will be contacted by the teacher.

If the student still remains non-compliant, they are given an Office Discipline Referral and a member of the school leadership team will become involved. Parents will be contacted.

Throughout the process, the student is acknowledged by the teacher for effort and change of behaviour.

How Can Parents Support

• Talk with your child about the redirection chart and let them know that the teacher is helping them to get back into their work and reminding them to change their behaviour if needed. 
• Reinforce with your child that school rules are important for them to be successful at school.
• Tell them that it is OK to make a mistake sometimes but only if we learn from them and refocus on learning.
• Let them know that most children at some time may need to be redirected back into learning and if they then follow the rules they have done well.
• Avoid asking your child if they got a redirection. Teachers will contact parents once the behaviour becomes a problem, that is, on the redirection that requires a timeout. 
• Don't be too concerned if your child says they were given a redirection. Ask them if they got back into their work and did the right thing afterwards. If the answer is yes, then let them know they did a good job of fixing their behaviour.

Of course, if you are contacted by the teacher because your child has been given multiple redirections that day, please follow up with your child and let them know that breaking the rules is not acceptable and that they are at school to learn. It is important that parents work with the teacher to support the child. 

Children are young and learning the expected behaviours in the world of school. Our aim is always to support students with explicit teaching and high expectations.

For all things at St Joseph's, give thanks!

Jen Charadia

Principal

Principal Awards and Merit Awards

The following students will receive their Principal Awards on Friday 4 March 2022 (Week 6).

How does my child receive a Principal's Award?

Class teachers nominate students for Blue Merit Awards and are presented at the weekly assembly.  When five Blue Merit Awards have been received, students are eligible for a Principal’s Award. When students attain their 4th Principal Award, they are awarded a Principal’s Medallion at an assembly.  End of Term awards can be included as part of the 5 awards.

Acknowledgement to Country

St Joseph's Bulli acknowledges and pays respect to the Dharawal people past and present, the traditional custodians of the land on which our school is built.