STUDENT WELLBEING FRAMEWORK
Wellbeing
Pastoral Care
Positive Behaviours for Learning Overview
Anti-Bullying Policy
Suspension, Expulsion and Exclusion Procedures
A CHRIST CENTRED SCHOOL COMMUNITY
At St Joseph’s Primary School, we believe that the teachings of Jesus are at the very centre of our core beliefs. We aim to create a positive school environment through living out the Gospel. At St Joseph’s we believe that Pastoral Care and the way we treat one another is modeled on Christ’s love and is the active expression of care and concern for each community member.
We believe that the building of positive relationships is the responsibility of the whole school community. It embraces a network of relationships among students, teachers, parents and the wider community.
The wellbeing of our school community is an intentional response to the needs of its members.
To meet these needs at St Joseph’s it is our responsibility to:
WELLBEING
At St Joseph’s, Wellbeing is defined as:
PASTORAL CARE
"Love may be defined as the sharing of something of myself to give life to another."
Pastoral care is an expression of our school's service to all members of our community.
At St. Joseph’s, Pastoral Care is:
Features of Pastoral Care at St. Joseph’s:
POSITIVE BEHAVIOURS FOR LEARNING POLICY
This policy is in draft form and will be reviewed periodically, or in the event of any information or incident that indicates the need for a review, or following relevant legislative or organisational change.
Corporal Punishment
Corporal Punishment is prohibited at St Joseph’s Leeton, under any circumstances. We do not explicitly or implicitly sanction the administering of corporal punishment by non-school persons, including parents, to enforce discipline at this school.
Where students/families are in need of further intervention/assistance, they may be referred to the following agencies:
ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
At St Joseph’s Bullying is defined as, and includes:
Bullying is not:
References:
PROCEDURES
At St Joseph’s, we believe that we should assist students, staff and the wider community to deal with bullying by giving students the opportunity to develop positive relationships. We strive to do this through our daily interactions with students, Religious Education Program and Personal Development and Health Programs. Specific understandings, skills and strategies are taught by classroom teachers to help prevent bullying and to deal with situations as they occur.
IMPLEMENTATION
Strategies:
Teaching and Learning programs:
Communication:
Working together:
Responsibilities of our school:
Responsibilities of staff:
1. To model appropriate behaviour at all times.
2. To address all reported and observed situations as set out in this policy.
3. To ensure all students are supervised at all times.
4. To follow the guidelines of the Student Wellbeing policy and to distribute this policy to the school community.
5. To educate/teach children strategies to manage bullying behaviours.
6. To communicate with and report back to parents and carers who have made a bullying report, on the progress and management of the complaint within 48 hours.
7. To maintain records of bullying complaints and follow up courses of action.
8. To advise parents if their child is engaged in a situation where bullying behaviour has occurred.
9. To notify specific class teachers of students who have been engaged in a situation where bullying behaviour has occurred.
10. To discuss, and consistently reinforce, the school’s Student Wellbeing policy with students.
11. To conduct follow-up meetings with students who have been engaged in a situation where bullying behaviour has occurred.
12. To utilise teachable moments for the bully, target and bystanders.
13. To provide a variety of means for students to report a bullying incident
eg: incident/communication box, verbal report, request a meeting.
Responsibilities of students:
4. To report known incidents of cyberbullying.
Responsibilities of parents:
1. To monitor signs indicating that their child may be being bullied or is engaging in bullying behaviour.
2. To speak to the home class teacher if their child is being bullied or suspect that this is happening.
3. To instruct their child to report to their home class teacher or member of staff, if they are being bullied.
4. To advise the school if their child is engaged in bullying behaviour.
5. To advise the school if they become aware of a situation where a bullying situation has occurred.
PROCEDURES FOR INVESTIGATION
Responding to reported bullying situations:
When dealing with a bullying incident, behaviour management steps are followed.
When a bullying incident is reported or observed, the following steps are taken:
Victim Support:
A child who is repeatedly a victim will receive appropriate support.
Strategies victims can use are…
1. Inform the teacher or another staff member and parents.
2. Stay calm.
2. Say no firmly.
3. Tell the bully that you find what they are doing hurtful/that you don’t like it.
4. Ignore if minor.
5. Walk away.
6. Discuss/share with a friend and explore solutions.
7. If it is a severe, violent attack, call loudly for help.
* Teachers should give students the opportunity to practice the above through role play or drama to assist them in dealing with a bullying incident.
RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
The most profound learning occurs when there is a healthy relationship between teacher and student. Restorative Practices assists teachers, students and parents to build, maintain and restore relationships. Restorative Practices will help build capacity to enable students to self-regulate behaviour and contributes to the improvement of learning outcomes.
Restorative questions are a tool used to process an incident of wrongdoing or conflict. When a situation has occurred, the person(s) who has created the conflict takes some time and answers questions such as the following:
When responding to challenging behaviour:
To help those affected or harmed by others’ actions:
PROCEDURAL FAIRNESS
During all discussions with a student around any behaviour deemed to be inappropriate, Procedural Fairness must always be observed.
Procedural fairness is a process where all involved have the opportunity to give their part of the story. When a staff member receives information about a wrongdoing, they allow all involved to give their story. This can be done by asking the student(s) involved to write down their involvement in the incident and/or their version of events. If there are wide discrepancies in the reports students are asked to write more. This also gives time for emotions to settle.
All students need to feel safe at school. If they don't, they cannot learn to their potential. It is important that when a situation is dealt with it is allowed to rest. Only those people who need to know should know and it should not be publicly discussed.
SUSPENSION, EXPULSION AND EXCLUSION PROCEDURES
St Joseph’s follows the Suspension, Transfer and Exclusion Policy of Catholic Education, Wagga Wagga.
At St Joseph’s Primary School, we believe that the teachings of Jesus are at the very centre of our core beliefs. We aim to create a positive school environment through living out the Gospel. At St Joseph’s we believe that Pastoral Care and the way we treat one another is modeled on Christ’s love and is the active expression of care and concern for each community member.
We believe that the building of positive relationships is the responsibility of the whole school community. It embraces a network of relationships among students, teachers, parents and the wider community.
The wellbeing of our school community is an intentional response to the needs of its members.
To meet these needs at St Joseph’s it is our responsibility to:
- Employ holistic efforts towards becoming a deeply reverent community
- Actively promote dignity for all
- Model leadership as influence, not as ‘power-over’
- Engage in honest, open and transactional communication
- Provide a high level of support to each other
- Have high performance expectations for self and others
- Establish school norms that support academic excellence and maximise student strengths
- Deal with student conflicts constructively and peacefully
- Base student discipline on teachable moments and meaningful growth opportunities
WELLBEING
At St Joseph’s, Wellbeing is defined as:
- Feelings of happiness, but also the ability to integrate sadness into one’s life and be able to deal with it.
- Feeling secure in social relations.
- Being a moral actor in relation to oneself, making decisions in one’s own best interests and behaving well in relation to others.
- Promoting an environment where all members of the community are free and confident enough to take risks socially, professionally and educationally.
- Keeping safe and feeling secure including personal safety; feeling secure within families, and global safety.
- Having a positive sense of self including being valued by others; and having a positive self; taking time out/having your own space to reflect.
- Having a sound physical environment to be in, be it school or home.
PASTORAL CARE
"Love may be defined as the sharing of something of myself to give life to another."
Pastoral care is an expression of our school's service to all members of our community.
At St. Joseph’s, Pastoral Care is:
- Establishing a community of care where individuals know they will be supported in their endeavours, crises, stresses and celebrations.
- Ensuring students are aware of the structures in place to support their development.
- Recognising the efforts and achievements of all members of the school community.
- Developing conflict resolution skills in all members of the school community.
- Helping each member realise his/her responsibility for the building of a loving, just and safe community.
Features of Pastoral Care at St. Joseph’s:
- Celebrating a diverse community, eg: NAIDOC week, Harmony Day, Mothers’/Fathers’/Grandparents’ days, reception of Sacraments.
- A peaceful, happy, interactive community.
- A community to which all feel they belong.
- Members recognise and accept individual differences.
- Respectful speech.
- A climate of affirmation.
- A community of prayer.
- Professional relationships.
- Forgiveness.
- A risk taking environment.
- Celebrating achievements of staff, students and the school community, through awards of excellence (see below).
POSITIVE BEHAVIOURS FOR LEARNING POLICY
This policy is in draft form and will be reviewed periodically, or in the event of any information or incident that indicates the need for a review, or following relevant legislative or organisational change.
Corporal Punishment
Corporal Punishment is prohibited at St Joseph’s Leeton, under any circumstances. We do not explicitly or implicitly sanction the administering of corporal punishment by non-school persons, including parents, to enforce discipline at this school.
Where students/families are in need of further intervention/assistance, they may be referred to the following agencies:
- Catholic Schools Office, Wagga Wagga
- Centacare
- Medical Professionals - Paediatricians, General Practitioners, Psychologists, Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists
- Community Health
- Department of Community Services
- Police.
ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
At St Joseph’s Bullying is defined as, and includes:
- A social interaction process usually involving the bully, the target and the bystanders and requires relationship-based solutions.
- Any deliberate aggressive act by a person or group with intent to inflict harm on another person causing distress or risk to their wellbeing.
- Bullying can continue over time, and is often hidden from adults.
- Ongoing use of physical strength or social power between aggressor and target.
- An unjust use of physical strength, influence or social power to dominate someone.
- A deliberate act or threat that causes psychological distress and sense of oppression for the target.
- Direct/Overt - physical and verbal. This is the most visible and most obvious form.
- Indirect/Covert - extremely difficult to detect and easy to deny.
- Cyberbullying - harmful online acts where public statements, behaviours or images are intended to hurt, embarrass or harm another person.
- Typically repeated, although any one incident should not be ignored.
Bullying is not:
- A single episode of social rejection or dislike.
- A single episode or act of nastiness or spite.
- An isolated act of aggression or intimidation.
- A mutual argument, disagreement or fight.
References:
- Reach Out: http://au.reachout.com/bullying#what
- National Centre Against Bullying: http://www.ncab.org.au/parents/whatis/
PROCEDURES
At St Joseph’s, we believe that we should assist students, staff and the wider community to deal with bullying by giving students the opportunity to develop positive relationships. We strive to do this through our daily interactions with students, Religious Education Program and Personal Development and Health Programs. Specific understandings, skills and strategies are taught by classroom teachers to help prevent bullying and to deal with situations as they occur.
IMPLEMENTATION
Strategies:
Teaching and Learning programs:
- All teaching and learning programs incorporate opportunities for students to develop skills in collaborative learning, communication, assertiveness and problem solving. These skills will help to develop and build our children’s self-esteem and empower them to take responsibility for themselves.
Communication:
- A safe and supportive environment is created when all members of our school community promote open communication about bullying, what it is, how it affects individuals and what can be done to counter it.
Working together:
- Teachers, students, parents, caregivers and members of the wider school community have a responsibility to work together to address bullying.
- Regular modeling of Restorative Practices.
Responsibilities of our school:
- To explicitly educate students about bullying and its consequences through teacher implemented classroom instruction.
- To provide opportunities for parents and staff to learn about bullying and strategies for supporting students who engage in or are affected by bullying behaviours.
- To actively monitor students behaviour and use positive behaviour management strategies.
- To keep records and monitor bullying incidents.
- To notify parents if their child is involved in any bullying incident.
- To protect and support targets of bullying to reduce the likelihood of them being bullied again.
- To work with parents of the target to give their child strategies to avoid being bullied.
- To work with the parents of the child who engages in bullying behaviour to jointly establish strategies to assist the child in making appropriate behavioural choices.
- To work with the parents of the child who is a bystander in bullying situations to jointly establish strategies to assist the child in making appropriate behavioural choices.
- Remove any child who engages in bullying behaviours from the playground and/or school for a required period of time should there be no change in his/her behavior.
- To use common language across the school.
- To display visual cues and symbols to reinforce common language and positive behaviours.
Responsibilities of staff:
1. To model appropriate behaviour at all times.
2. To address all reported and observed situations as set out in this policy.
3. To ensure all students are supervised at all times.
4. To follow the guidelines of the Student Wellbeing policy and to distribute this policy to the school community.
5. To educate/teach children strategies to manage bullying behaviours.
6. To communicate with and report back to parents and carers who have made a bullying report, on the progress and management of the complaint within 48 hours.
7. To maintain records of bullying complaints and follow up courses of action.
8. To advise parents if their child is engaged in a situation where bullying behaviour has occurred.
9. To notify specific class teachers of students who have been engaged in a situation where bullying behaviour has occurred.
10. To discuss, and consistently reinforce, the school’s Student Wellbeing policy with students.
11. To conduct follow-up meetings with students who have been engaged in a situation where bullying behaviour has occurred.
12. To utilise teachable moments for the bully, target and bystanders.
13. To provide a variety of means for students to report a bullying incident
eg: incident/communication box, verbal report, request a meeting.
Responsibilities of students:
- Not to bully others.
- To report if they are being bullied either at school or on the way to or from school.
4. To report known incidents of cyberbullying.
Responsibilities of parents:
1. To monitor signs indicating that their child may be being bullied or is engaging in bullying behaviour.
2. To speak to the home class teacher if their child is being bullied or suspect that this is happening.
3. To instruct their child to report to their home class teacher or member of staff, if they are being bullied.
4. To advise the school if their child is engaged in bullying behaviour.
5. To advise the school if they become aware of a situation where a bullying situation has occurred.
PROCEDURES FOR INVESTIGATION
Responding to reported bullying situations:
When dealing with a bullying incident, behaviour management steps are followed.
When a bullying incident is reported or observed, the following steps are taken:
- The teacher on duty or class teacher will talk to the students involved about the incident and remind them that such behavior is not acceptable, comfort the target and discuss how he/she feels. The teacher will strive to provide the victim with strategies and support the bully to change behaviour by using Restorative Practices. (See Restorative Practices). This can be done individually or with all people involved, depending on the discretion of the teacher and the individual situation.
- The class teacher (if not already involved) must be informed and the incident recorded and a record kept.
- The class teacher will monitor the children involved following this mediation.
- If a behavioural pattern is established, parents should be informed and an appointment made to discuss the problem where the Principal will remind the parents/caregivers of the policy and ask for their co-operation in stopping the child from bullying. A plan of action will be established and followed through by the Principal. A copy of the plan will be given to the class teacher and all staff will be informed at a staff meeting.
- Support for the bully to change their negative social interactions and help them form positive relationships and sense of self.
- If none of these steps succeed in stopping the child being a bully, he/she may be excluded either from the playground, from representing the school or be suspended from school for a short period of time. (See CEDWW Suspension, Transfer and Exclusion Policy).
- Counselling and support will be sought from external providers such as Centacare to support children involved in a situation where bullying behaviour has occurred.
- Should all processes fail or the degree of the offence is so critical, in consultation with CEDWW it may be necessary for a student to be excluded from St Joseph's.
- Prior to exclusion of a student, as per the CEWWD Suspension, Transfer and Exclusion Procedures, the Principal is obliged to consult with and seek the permission of the Director of Schools.
Victim Support:
A child who is repeatedly a victim will receive appropriate support.
Strategies victims can use are…
1. Inform the teacher or another staff member and parents.
2. Stay calm.
2. Say no firmly.
3. Tell the bully that you find what they are doing hurtful/that you don’t like it.
4. Ignore if minor.
5. Walk away.
6. Discuss/share with a friend and explore solutions.
7. If it is a severe, violent attack, call loudly for help.
* Teachers should give students the opportunity to practice the above through role play or drama to assist them in dealing with a bullying incident.
RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
The most profound learning occurs when there is a healthy relationship between teacher and student. Restorative Practices assists teachers, students and parents to build, maintain and restore relationships. Restorative Practices will help build capacity to enable students to self-regulate behaviour and contributes to the improvement of learning outcomes.
Restorative questions are a tool used to process an incident of wrongdoing or conflict. When a situation has occurred, the person(s) who has created the conflict takes some time and answers questions such as the following:
When responding to challenging behaviour:
- What happened?
- What were you thinking of at the time?
- What have you thought about since?
- Who has been affected by what you have done?
- In what way have they been affected?
- What do you think you need to do to make things right?
To help those affected or harmed by others’ actions:
- What did you think when you realised what had happened?
- What impact has this incident had on you and others?
- What has been the hardest thing for you?
- What do you think needs to happen to make things right?
PROCEDURAL FAIRNESS
During all discussions with a student around any behaviour deemed to be inappropriate, Procedural Fairness must always be observed.
Procedural fairness is a process where all involved have the opportunity to give their part of the story. When a staff member receives information about a wrongdoing, they allow all involved to give their story. This can be done by asking the student(s) involved to write down their involvement in the incident and/or their version of events. If there are wide discrepancies in the reports students are asked to write more. This also gives time for emotions to settle.
All students need to feel safe at school. If they don't, they cannot learn to their potential. It is important that when a situation is dealt with it is allowed to rest. Only those people who need to know should know and it should not be publicly discussed.
SUSPENSION, EXPULSION AND EXCLUSION PROCEDURES
St Joseph’s follows the Suspension, Transfer and Exclusion Policy of Catholic Education, Wagga Wagga.