FRIENDLY SCHOOLS PLUS
Hello to the Scotch College Community. For those of you who have recently joined us, we run a programme here called the Friendly Schools Plus programme. I coordinate the programme, which endeavours to address the following aspects of life at Scotch:
1. BUILDING CAPACITY: Committed and Engaged Leadership, System Support and Resources, Ensuring Capability with School Community Needs.
2. SUPPORTIVE SCHOOL CULTURE: Positive Whole School Culture, Effective Classroom Practice and Environment, Positive Peer Group Influence.
3. PROACTIVE POLICIES AND PRACTICES: Policy Development, Information Technology, Policy Framework and Implementation: Prevention, Early Response and Case Management, Integrated Focus on Orientation and Transition.
4. KEY UNDERSTANDINGS AND COMPETENCIES: Staff Professional Learning, Explicit Student Learning through the Curriculum, Effective Family Communication.
5. PROTECTIVE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: Physical Attributes of the School, Supportive School Facilities and Activities.
6. SCHOOL-FAMILY-COMMUNTY PARTNERSHIPS: Strengthening Family Links, Working Collaboratively with Health, Education and Community Service.
When looking closer at the second area; Supportive School Culture; Effective Classroom Practice and Environment, we deliver a classroom programme that focuses on Social and Emotional Learning. Classroom teachers will run short lessons that develop the following skills, and the PE staff will also run one 30-minute lesson per fortnight. These skills help to develop resilience and empathy as well as being an effective tool set for reducing and addressing bullying-related issues.
- Self-Awareness- understanding our feelings
- Self-Management - handling emotions in appropriate ways
- Social Awareness - respecting the feelings of others
- Relationship Skills - dealing positively with relationship problems
- Social Decision-Making - making choices and considering the consequences
Each fortnight I will offer ideas on how to work with your children at home. Research demonstrates that efforts to change the attitudes and behaviour of students are more likely to be successful if families are actively involved, and share a sense of ownership over the process.
Warwick Norman
Friendly Schools and Families Coordinator