Student welfare encompasses the mental, physical and emotional well-being of the student. The provision of student welfare policies and programmes is essential in
developing a sense of self-worth and fostering personal development.
Rationale
St Madeleine's is a community made up of teachers, other staff, students, parents and members of the parish living and sharing the Gospel message, and/or Christian
values.
We aim to work in partnership with the home and school, supported by the community, to challenge and encourage each child to achieve their best within this
positive Christian environment where we value the message of the Gospel.
We believe that behaviour education is an ongoing process that nurtures the total development of the child and includes an interchange of values and appropriate
communication between home and school.
National Safe Schools Framework
At St Madeleine's we embrace the vision of the National Safe Schools Framework (2003) where all Australian schools are safe and supportive environments.
The guiding principles for the provision of a safe and supportive school environment, as outlined in the framework are to affirm the right of all children to feel safe at
school in an environment of care, respect, cooperation, and value diversity.
Through the National Safe Schools Framework the school will implement policies, programmes and processes through quality leadership, working towards the creation of
a safe and supportive school environment. The roles of the various members of the school need to engage the whole community with explicit, clearly understood and
disseminated roles.
The school will undertake to provide professional development in creating and maintaining a safe and supportive school environment. The students will be provided opportunities to learn through the formal curriculum the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed for positive relationships.
St Madeleine's is committed to policies that are proactive and oriented towards prevention and intervention. In line with the principles of the National Safe Schools Framework, St Madeleine's will regularly monitor and evaluate policies and programmes so that evidence-based practice supports decisions and improvements. PBS is based on the collection of and analysis of data to make the decisions that are required for the safety of the community members.
St Madeleine's is committed to taking appropriate action to protect children from all forms of abuse and neglect.
St Madeleine's works in partnership with all community members to ensure that we are a school that strives to achieve these principles.
Aims
Student management at St Madeleine's aims to:
- Foster respect, a sense of belonging, positive self-esteem and a love of school
- Promote a safe school environment where each member is welcomed and every effort is made to meet their needs.
promote a spirit of respect for all.
- Develop skills in self-discipline, and if necessary by using an individual Behaviour Management Plan developed with the child, parents and relevant personnel as
required by school.
- Familiarise all students, parents and teachers with the responses that are appropriate for the behaviour and to regularly use the procedures as outlined in this policy.
Guidelines
At St Madeleine's, we do as Jesus would do by following the rules of respecting ourselves, others, learning and the environment.
We follow these rules by remembering the following actions.
We are Respectful:
- We speak politely and use good manners
- We wear our uniform with pride
- We take care of the school environment
- We respect the rights of others
We are Safe:
- We keep our hands and feet to ourselves
- We use our words politely to express our feelings
- We travel to and from school in a sensible manner
- We wear a hat when we are outside
We are Responsible:
- We act honestly
- We take care of ourselves and our belongings
Learners:
- We do our personal best
- We work cooperatively with others
- We listen attentively
- We are active participants
The rules are referred to in various situations including: classrooms, at assemblies, in newsletters and other communication to parents. At no time is corporal punishment acceptable at St Madeleine's Primary School.
We encourage responsible self-discipline. Various measures are adopted by classroom teachers to maintain a positive classroom climate. We endeavour at all times to adopt a "same side" approach based on mutual respect. If consequences are considered necessary for those who violate person or property, they should be reformative, directed towards altering attitudes and subsequent behaviour and should recognise the uniqueness, potential and dignity of each student, remembering Gospel values of forgiveness and hope.
Corporal punishment is not to be used. Acceptable methods of correction include:
- Reproof given privately, firmly and sincerely and not referred to again.
- Private conference with the child to bring about serious reflection resulting in self-discipline on the part of the child.
- Conference with the parents.
- Brief periods of isolation from the group but always within view of the teacher. (Do not stand children outside classrooms.)
- Deprivation of privileges and responsibilities
Procedural Fairness
St Madeleine's acknowledges that all procedures followed in the management of students at school are to be based upon the principles of procedural fairness.
We follow the procedural fairness guidelines established by the Catholic Education Office Parramatta.
These guidelines ensure
- the dignity of all parties in the decision making process is respected
- the process is conducted in an orderly manner
- decisions are based on evidence and the alleged facts are clearly stated
- The person about whom a decision is to be made is given an opportunity to respond, before a decision is made
- timeliness - this means the issue must be raised with the person within a reasonable time and outcomes reached as soon as reasonably practicable
- records of process will be maintained
Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying
At St Madeleine's Primary School we aim to provide a safe, secure and welcoming environment in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Each member of our community has the right to feel safe, happy and valued. The school has a responsibility to take reasonable steps to prevent and address Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying in line with the CSPD Anti-bullying policy.
What is Bullying?
Bullying is repeated incidents involving:
- a bigger, stronger or more powerful child on a smaller or weaker child, or
- a group of children on a single child
These might be:
- Verbal: the child is called names, put down, threatened.
- Physical: the child is hit, tripped, poked, kicked, or belongings are stolen or damaged.
- Social: the child is left out, ignored, or rumours are spread.
- Psychological: the child is stalked or given dirty looks.
- Cyberbullying: is a way of delivering covert psychological bullying. It uses information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated and hostile behaviour, by an individual or group that is intended to harm others.
- Bullying is different from teasing, rough-and-tumble or schoolyard fights. What makes it different is that the incidents are ongoing, and there is usually an imbalance of size, strength and power between the children involved.
If you bully someone else...
- The Principal or Assistant Principal will be informed of your behaviour.
- You will be expected to stop immediately
- The classroom teacher will be informed to support the students in their efforts to be respectful of each other in class and on the playground
- An appropriate consequence will be given ~ off the playground for a period of time (depending on incident)
- Your parents will be informed
- You will be assisted with changing your pattern of behaviour by participating in a Social Skills Program to develop Empathy, Positive Peer Relationships,
Negotiation Skills and Conflict Management
- All students in the grade will participate in Class Building and Team Building Activities to develop empathy and respect with their peers.
If you are being bullied, as well as informing a teacher, you can try to:
- Avoid situations that may lead to bullying
- Look at your own behaviour and see if it is, in any way, causing the bullying
- Remain calm
- Tell the bully that he / she is annoying you and you want it to stop
- Look for support from others. (e.g. a friend, parent or teacher)
- Report the bullying to your class teacher, the teacher on duty, the Assistant Principal or the Principal
What can parents do?
- Listen to their children's concerns. Ask them directly about their anxieties
- Work with the school to address the problem
- Develop your child's skills and confidence so that they can interact with others socially in a positive way
- Praise your child's efforts in self-control, non-violent and responsible behaviour
- Help your child to develop problem solving strategies
Staff will ensure that procedural fairness applies in dealing with any incidents of bullying. Appropriate and timely support, management and resolution of reported incidents of bullying will be offered to all persons involved in these incidents including the bystanders who have significant influence on the outcome of a bullying issue.
If you would like any further advice on this topic or would like to report cyberbullying behaviour you can contact The Hills Youth Liaison Officer Constable Rob Paterson on 9680 5399.
Assumptions of Positive Behaviour Support
We believe that behaviour is learned and can be taught in the same way that we teach other areas of the curriculum with our approach of Teach, Model, Practice and Praise.
- Systems, settings and lack of skills are seen as important parts of the "problem" and, therefore, the solution
- Interventions based upon a functional analysis are more successful than those relying on diagnostic categories.
- Support is most effective when it is based on a systematic assessment of the consequences that maintain the problem behaviour rather than on a diagnostic label
- Assessing and manipulating the environment can predictably affect behaviour
- A proactive approach to managing behaviour is more useful than a reactive approach
Behaviour can be changed most effectively by:
- Modelling
- Providing opportunities for practice
- Rewarding attempts
- Research shows that behaviour can be improved by 80% by just pointing out what someone is doing correctly - catching them doing it right and specifically
acknowledging the appropriate behaviour
- The underpinning philosophy of PBS is that behaviour can be changed most effectively by proactive approach rather than reactive
Consequences
- Restorative Practice
- Method of Shared Concern: used in situations including incidents of Bullying.
- Withdrawal of a privilege including:
sporting or other extra-curricular activities such as excursions
withdrawal from the playground
in-school suspension
Discretionary rights
The school reserves the right to exclude any student from the procedures outlined in this policy and to develop an individual behaviour plan appropriate to the student's particular needs. Depending on the seriousness of the first offence, the child may not receive a second chance. At no times is corporal punishment acceptable at St Madeleine's Primary School.
Evaluation
The policy is evaluated annually. The evaluation will examine the success of the policy through comments from the school community. It is important to note that as part of a system of schools St Madeleine's follows and adheres to the CSPD policy on Anti-Bullying and Child Protection which are
available in full to staff on OSCAR.