Respectful Relationships 

The Royal Commission on Family Violence identified the critical role that schools have in creating a culture of respect in order to change the story of family violence for future generations. Everyone involved in our school community deserves to be respected, valued, and treated equally.

We know that changes in attitudes and behaviours can be achieved when positive attitudes, behaviours and gender equality are lived across the school community, and when classroom learning is reinforced by what is modelled in our school community. Taking a whole-school approach is about embedding a culture of respect and equality across our entire school community. This approach leads to positive impacts on students’ academic outcomes, their mental health, classroom behaviour, and relationships between teachers and students.

Respectful Relationship lessons cover the following topics with age-appropriate content and resources for each year level:

  • Emotional Literacy
  • Personal Strengths
  • Positive Coping
  • Problem Solving
  • Stress Management
  • Help-seeking
  • Gender and Identity
  • Positive Gender Relations

More information can be found http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/respectfulrelationships.aspx

Morning Circle

The first five minutes of class are critical for setting the tone for learning. Consistent routines support engagement in learning and wellbeing. The structured routine of forming a circle with our students to review key expectations and celebrate any announcements and successes, allows young people to ground themselves, co-regulate and establish a common rhythm for the learning day:

Brain Breaks 

Our school is implementing brain breaks to enhance learning by offering short interruptions, typically lasting 2-4 minutes, aimed at revitalizing focus and attention. These breaks are strategically scheduled at various intervals throughout the day, clearly indicated on a visual timetable for easy reference by students.

Irrespective of age, everyone benefits from occasional breaks in concentrated attention. Whether we’re experiencing a dip in focus and energy that requires an escalation or an excess of energy that needs de-escalation, these breaks play a crucial role. By selecting the appropriate activity during these breaks teachers will ensure that students are primed and ‘Ready to Learn’ once more.