PBL & Social-Emotional Learning

Be a Friend – We say NO to bullying.

As a school community we are committed to ensuring that Craigslea SS remains a safe, supportive and encouraging learning environment for all. Our staff regularly strives to ensure that children understand that bullying, in its varied forms:

• is to be reported quickly if experienced by any child
• is taken seriously and addressed swiftly & appropriately when seen or reported;
• can be minimised, if not eliminated, from our learning environment;
• is not acceptable.

Unfortunately bullying does occur from time to time in every school, just as it does in society. I would like you to be aware, however, that we are serious about this issue and that our staff are quite proactive in dealing with, or intervening in, observed or reported incidents.

This fortnight, teachers of all classes have led discussions and shared strategies with all children about ways in which together we can minimise, (if not eliminate) bullying in our school. It doesn't matter whether it's physical, psychological or even cyber, bullying is a concern that we take very seriously and are working to address. The national definition of bullying for Australian schools says:

‘Bullying is an ongoing misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power over one or more persons. Bullying can happen in person or online, and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert).’

Bullying of any form or for any reason can have long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or disputes between equals, whether in person or online, are not however, defined as bullying. Behaviours that do not constitute bullying include:

• mutual arguments and disagreements (where there is no power imbalance)
• not liking someone or a single act of social rejection
• singular acts of mean-ness or spite
• isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation or violence.

We, however, take the view that these conflicts still need to be addressed and resolved. We believe that to stand by if/when bullying occurs, is also not acceptable. As such, we’re continuing to work with our students to help them understand how and when to speak up and not passively stand back when they see a wrong occurring.

If you believe that a child is being bullied, you should make an appointment with the teacher to discuss your concerns.

What parents can do:

• Talk with your child about school and keep the lines of communication open so children are more likely to confide in you.
• Encourage your child to feel okay to ask others for help and to keep their own safety in mind.
• Ensure your child knows how to report bullying and to ask you for help when needed.
• Report the incident to their teacher. Don’t try to sort out the situation yourself.
• Make sure you are modelling healthy behaviours to your child, especially in relation to conflict resolution and anger management.
• Help protect your child from harassment and cyber-bullying by closely monitoring their use of the internet and/or digital technology - phones, computers, tablets - and installing free internet filters.

‘I Wonder’ Box

Do you ever find yourself thinking, ‘I wonder what would happen if…’? Asking questions is something that we all do and being inquisitive is something that is valued and applauded.

Recently, five teachers were lucky enough to spend a day at an Inquiry Learning PD with Kath Murdoch. It was a game changer and offered the participants an amazing insight into how we could weave inquiry learning into our classes even more. As a result, the ‘I Wonder’ box was created. The aim is to get students thinking and problem solving about ‘I wonder’ questions.

The box is located outside of Mr Kleidon’s CAPS room (year 5 block) every day of the week. Simply come along, read the ‘I Wonder’ question, write your response on a piece of paper with your name and class, and place it inside the box. A great prize will go to the most inventive and creative response – not necessarily the correct answer.

Last fortnight, the ‘I Wonder’ question was, “I wonder how heavy Uluru is. How would you measure it?” Lots of students came up with some great ideas like (student responses):

• They would measure it mathematically with an x-ray so they can see how big it is then use that to estimate the weight.
• I wonder if you could put a scale on a truck to weigh it.
• AxWxD = ?
• Use an electric crane.
• Measure the whole way around then count how many layers of rocks there are. Weigh a piece of rock. Combine this to get the weight.
• Lift it up with cranes and put it on a scale.
• Using the circumference and dimensions to estimate a weight.
• I wonder if Uluru is thousand pounds and bigger than the Eiffel Tower?
• I wonder if Uluru is 10x bigger than a 5.15cm rock because it was a lot because it is not hollow in the inside making it a heavy object.

But the winner was a Year 4 student who thought deeply about the problem and came up with a great response. They said:

• To figure out the weight of Uluru, find out the length and width of the top of Uluru. Measure how high it goes above and below the ground. To figure out the volume of Uluru then convert the volume to kilograms for a rough estimate.

This fortnight the ‘I Wonder’ question is, “I wonder what would happen if all the toilets on the planet flushed at the same time?”

What do you think?

School Opinion Survey

Thank you to all of those who have already completed the Parent/Caregiver Survey. If you have not had a chance to complete the survey yet, please note that the online surveys will remain open until Friday, 18 August 2023. This is your opportunity to provide feedback about what our school does well and how we can improve to help shape our school’s future.

So far 20% of families have completed the survey.

Book Week is nearly here!

Each year across Australia, the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) brings children and books together to celebrate during Book Week. We encourage all students to develop a love of reading.  This love of all literature can start at home or at school. Our Book Week parade will be held on the top oval starting from 9:15 am on Friday 18 August 2023.  We encourage all students to dress up for the parade celebrating their favourite book, characters and stories. The Theme for Book Week is ‘Read, Grow, Inspire’

Have a great fortnight of learning and fun,

Natalie Marhinin and Erin Wiles