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Valentine Public School

2020

Student Wellbeing and

Discipline Procedures

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CORE RULES FOR STUDENTS IN NSW GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

THE CORE RULES

All students in NSW government schools are expected to:

attend every school day, unless they are legally excused, and be in class

on time and prepared to learn.

maintain a neat appearance, including adhering to the requirements of

the school’s uniform or dress code policy.

behave safely, considerately and responsibly, including when travelling to

and from school.

show respect at all times for teachers, other school staff and helpers,

including following class rules, speaking courteously and cooperating with

instructions and learning activities.

treat each other with dignity and respect.

care for property belonging to themselves, the school and others.

Behaviour that infringes on the safety of others, such as harassment, bullying

and illegal or anti-social behaviour of any kind, will not be tolerated.

The Principal will adopt the procedures from the Suspension and Expulsion of

School Students if any of the students are involved in any of the fore

mentioned activities.

These procedures apply to the behaviour of students at school, on the way to

and from school and while away from the school site on school endorsed

activities. They can also apply outside of school hours and off school premises

where there is a clear and close connection between the school and the

conduct of students. This includes the use by a student of networking sites,

mobile phones and/or other technology to threaten, bully or harass another

student or a departmental staff member for school related issues.

REFERENCES:

Based on Student Discipline management in Government Schools Policy

Statement

Stude

nt

Welfar

e

Policy

PD/2002/0052/

V01

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/student_serv/student_welfare/stu

de_welf/PD 20020052.shtml

Disciplin

e Policy

PD/2002/0075/

V001

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/student_serv/discipline/stu_discip

/PD20020 075.shtml

Disciplin

e in

Govern

m ent

Schools

PD/2006/0316/

V01

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/student_serv/discipline/stu_discip_

gov/PD20 060316.shtml

Student

Health

in NSW

Public

School

s

PD/2004/0034/

V001

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/student_serv/student_health/stude

nt_health

/PD20040034.shtml

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RATIONALE

The Valentine Public School Student Wellbeing Framework and Procedures is

structured according to the NSW Department of Education (DoE) Wellbeing for

Schools Framework. It describes student wellbeing in three main sections:

Connect, Respect, Inspire.

The Student Wellbeing Framework and Procedures is embedded in the

Valentine Public School Plan whereby student wellbeing is maintained through

equitable processes that promote positive learning and facilitate the

improvement of student outcomes and the narrowing of achievement gaps

between students.

What is Wellbeing?

Wellbeing is about enabling students to be healthy, happy, engaged and

successful. Two major approaches to defining wellbeing relate subjective

experience of feeling good or experiencing pleasure and positive emotion;

and functioning well, or the potential to flourish.

WELLBEING: A Shared Responsibility

When parents/carers enrol their children at Valentine Public School they enter

into a partnership with the school that is based on shared responsibility for

student wellbeing. This shared responsibility enables and fosters a school

environment where learning is valued, all members of the school community

are respected and included, and safety is important.

Staff will:

• build and maintain positive relationships with children, parents and

colleagues throughout the school.

• act according to the DoE Code of Conduct.

• contribute to the provision of a caring, well-managed, safe and fair quality

learning environment for all students, fellow staff and parents.

• use effective, consistent and appropriate processes and procedures for

addressing behaviour issues and conflict.

• make adjustments to school wellbeing processes to best engage and

nurture individual students.

Students will be encouraged and supported to:

• act appropriately as safe, resilient, responsible and respectful learners and

friends.

• contribute to the provision of a caring, safe learning environment for fellow

students, staff and parents.

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Parents will be encouraged to:

• actively participate in the school community and support the learning of

their children.

• share responsibility for shaping their children’s understanding about

acceptable behaviour and ensuring their wellbeing.

• work with teachers to maintain a caring, well-managed, safe and fair quality

learning environment for all students, fellow staff and parents.

Wellbeing: Supported by the core values of public education

Wellbeing is supported by New South Wales public education values that

represent the beliefs and aspirations of the Australian community including its

concern for equity, excellence and the promotion of a caring, just and civil

society.

Core Values of Public Education

Integrity

• Being consistently honest and

trustworthy. Excellence

• Striving for the highest personal achievement in all aspects of schooling

and individual and community action, work and life-long learning.

Respect

• Having regard for yourself and others, lawful and just authority and diversity

within Australian society and accepting the right of others to hold different

or opposing views. Responsibility

• Being accountable for your individual and community’s actions towards

yourself, others and the environment.

Cooperation

• Working together to achieve common goals, providing support to others

and engaging in peaceful resolution of conflict.

Participation

• Being a proactive and productive individual and group member, having

pride in and contributing to the social and economic wealth of the

community and the nation. Care

• Concern for the wellbeing of yourself and others, demonstrating empathy

and acting with compassion.

Fairness

• Being committed to the principles of social justice and opposing prejudice,

dishonesty and injustice.

Democracy

• Accepting and promoting the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of being

an Australian citizen.

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TYPES OF BULLYING

Bullying behaviour can be:

verbal e.g name calling, teasing, abuse, putdowns, sarcasm, insults, threats

physical e.g hitting, punching, kicking, scratching, tripping, spitting

social e.g ignoring, excluding, ostracising, alienating, making

inappropriate gestures

•psychological e.g spreading rumours, dirty looks, hiding or damaging

possessions, malicious SMS and email messages, inappropriate use of

camera phones.

Education about Bullying

As part of the curriculum children at Valentine Public School are taught skills for

developing positive interpersonal relationships.

Students are taught how to identify bullying and what to do if they are being

bullied or if they witness incidents of bullying. Teaching about bullying includes

teaching the importance of, and ways to create and sustain a safe and

supportive school community.

Student-led programs such as Parliament (led by Years 5&6) and Anti-Bullying

station (Led by Year 6) which help create inclusiveness and respect for

individual and reinforces a whole school culture of Anti Bullying.

What to do if you are being bullied

Students are taught to tell their parents and/or teachers if they are being bullied.

Bullying is systematic and malicious and it is important that the child/children

engaging in the bullying behaviour are made aware of their inappropriate and

damaging behaviour and cautioned to stop.

A teacher and/or the principal will immediately deal with the situation

including meeting with the victim/s of the bullying incident, the child/children

identified as engaging in the bullying behaviour and contacting the

parents/carers.

As part of the process, the victim/s of bullying and child/children engaging in

the bullying behaviour will be counselled by teachers with the opportunity to

work on building/rebuilding a positive relationship through strategies such as

discussion, team building activities and class PBL lessons.

What to do if you know that someone is being bullied

Valentine Public School teaches the students that bystanders can effectively

discourage all forms of bullying. Students who are ‘defended’ by a bystander

feel safer and more empowered to stand up to bullying.

Students are taught to immediately report incidents of bullying to a teacher.

Support will be provided for any student who has witnessed bullying behaviour.

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POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING (PBL)

All members of the Valentine Public School community know what is expected

of our students and work towards encouraging all students striving for their

personal best. Our discipline code consists of our three core values, Respect,

Connect and Inspire.

Positive Behaviour for Learning Team (PBL)

The Positive Behaviour for Learning team is responsible for ensuring the smooth

introduction of PBL to the school and its long term future. Our school is utilising

Positive Behaviour for Learning strategies to provide proactive measures to

support students and learning. The PBL committee has reinforced our values in

relation to our whole school mission, vision and beliefs. Each value has been

assigned a colour and there are posters in classrooms and prominent places

around the school to remind everyone of our commitment to the values of

Connect, Respect and Inspire. PBL lessons occur on a weekly basis to reinforce

the school values across all settings.

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VPS EXPECTATIONS

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PBL CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS

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STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES TO RECOGNISE AND REINFORCE STUDENT

ACHIEVEMENT

Students who are being connected to their learning, inspiring to others

and good role models and respectful to class and staff have their peg

move to Sailing to Success.

All students start on smooth sailing and are moved back after each

session. (K-2 each session is after 1 hour) (3-6 is after each break)

Students who are not displaying ‘smooth sailing’ will be given a

verbal warning

Repeated behaviour, teacher moves peg to ‘the buoy’ and tactically

ignores to follow up later, praises others, gives student options and

any other behaviour management tool that can keep the class

engaged in learning at that time.

If behaviour continues, students are sent to the ‘Reflection Jetty’ in

the room (After 5-10 min, they are expected to join the class again.)

No need to complete reflection sheet.

Continual behaviour, students are sent to ’Reflection Jetty’ (Buddy

class) for 10 mins. Upon arrival, students are to complete their

‘reflection sheet’. After 10 mins, students return to class calm and

ready to learn.

Student has returned from ‘Reflection Jetty’ (buddy class) and is displaying continual/escalated behaviours to be sent to the Stage AP and ‘anchor room’ at lunchtime.

ES1 – Mrs Kurtz S1 – Mrs Nicholls / Mrs Lawson S2 – Ms Adams-Jones S3 – Mrs Faulkner

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Peg Chart

See flowchart – all students start on smooth sailing and both positive and negative

behaviour have consequence.

In-Class Reinforcement

Teachers have a range of strategies to recognise and reinforce student

achievement in classrooms. These may include: stickers, sticker charts, table

points, reward bags – which offer an activity or educational based reward

system.

Class Achievement Award

Weekly Connect, respect and Inspire Awards are handed out at each assembly.

Our classroom teachers acknowledge the achievement of three students (K-2)

and four students (3-6) each week at our Friday school assembly by presenting

them with either a Connect, Respect or Inspire merit Award. These awards are

based on our values. Students are acknowledged in our newsletter.

Once a student has receives two awards in one area, they will be

awarded a hat badge at the weekly assembly.

When the student receives 1 hat badge from each area (3 in total), they

will have earned a PBL Connect, Respect, Inspire Pin.

‘Coco caught you’ slips

Staff as well as Canteen volunteers and

office staff are able to reward positive

behaviour by handing out “Coco

caught you’ slips. The students place

their slips in either the K-2 or 3-6 box

which are taken to weekly assemblies

and a student’s name is called out and

a reward given.

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Explicit PBL lessons

Expectations are taught in every classroom weekly. The whole school wide

focus is on school wide expectations as well as teaching social and

emotional health through ‘You Can Do It’ / Kidsmatter Program.

This program helps build the social, emotional and personal development of

children by focusing on the following 5 concepts:- Confidence, Persistence,

Organisation, Getting Along and Resilience. At our school we use these

concepts in the classroom and playground to promote positive behaviour

choices and support Mental Health in our school.

This is in line with the Department’s Core Rules and Values Education Policy

documents. This policy is available at:

https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/student_serv/discipline/stu_discip_g

ov/disc_imp lement.pdf

Our school encourages and supports students in managing their own

behaviour. Most of our students value their educational opportunities and only

need a little guidance from time to time.

Additional support may be offered through

Learning Support Team

Behaviour Management Plan

Risk Assessment

Learning support programs

Liaising with other

professional agencies

Time Out

In School Detention /Suspension

Restitution

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PLAYGROUND EXPECTATIONS FLOWCHART