Our Students
School Wide Positive Behaviour Support
"If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach.
If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach.
If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach.
If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we teach? ………..We punish?"
Why can’t we finish the last sentence as automatically as we do the others?
St Joseph’s Primary School follows the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) approach. This is a whole school approach to creating an environment which encourages effective learning through the development of a positive, calm and welcoming atmosphere.
We encourage positive feedback to students often and endeavour to teach students how to behave appropriately. We recognise that learning social skills and socially acceptable behaviours is a process, which everybody moves through at a different pace. Learning appropriate social skills is seen in the same light as learning how to read or complete maths. Some people need more assistance in some areas and less in others.
At St Joseph’s we explicitly teach students what it means to be respectful, responsible and resilient. Positive behaviour is rewarded with certificates at weekly assemblies.
To support our school-wide positive behaviour approach we use a range of other tools and programs, including The Zones of Regulation and Peaceful Kids.
eSmart School
St Joseph’s Primary School is recognised as an eSmart school. As an eSmart school we endeavour to embrace technology's benefits while also reducing students' and teachers' exposure to risk.
Our students participate in incursions each term focused on safe and responsible use of technology and the Internet. The lessons are curriculum-linked, age-appropriate and provided by Inform & Empower.
Leadership
Students at St. Joseph’s are provided with a number of opportunities to shine as leaders. We have a Student Representative Council (SRC) with representatives from each class. The SRC meet weekly and is the avenue through which all students can have their say.
We have a number of Year 6 student leader teams including house leaders, the sustainability team, the assembly team and the playground support team.
Our Year 5 students are introduced to leadership through our Prep Buddy program in which they play a supportive and mentoring role to our youngest and newest students.