A Message from Mr Wyatt
Emotional and Social Learning
On Wednesday we conducted a morning and evening Parent Workshop on the topic “Emotional and Social Learning”. I began the session by sharing the following quote from Candy Lawson which highlights the importance of supporting boys in these areas.
“School is not only a place where children learn reading, writing and math. It is also a place where they learn to get along with other people and learn social skills. Social skills are the skills we need to interact adaptively in our cultural environment. Although students don’t get grades on social tests from their teacher, their peers are constantly giving them ‘grades’ on ‘social tests’ every day.”
Over my years in teaching I have witnessed first hand the following trends occurring with primary-aged students…
- Increase in anti-social behaviours.
- Decrease in general social skills.
- Decrease in ability to read social cues.
- Decrease in problem solving skills.
- Decrease in resilience.
- Increase in social anxiety.
Why is this the case and what can we do about it?
Throughout the workshop we emphasised the importance of partnership. If we are to support our boys in overcoming these trends we need to work together, to provide a consistent message and to provide guidance.
What is being done at school?
We are providing a multi-faceted approach to support our boys, including classroom, mentoring and playground support.
The PYP framework provides a perfect vehicle for assisting students in making connections between the content they are learning, and associated skills and attitudes. These skills include ‘social skills’ which are introduced and taught within the context of the classroom and students are given the opportunity to practise using them within a supportive and positive environment.
We also develop the social skills of our boys through our PALS (Positive Attitudes and Life Skills) program and class-based Circle Time. Our Year 6 boys run the PALS sessions with the other classes once a month and the ideas that are introduced are discussed at weekly class Circle Time sessions. At these sessions all boys are given the opportunity to voice their opinions and feelings in a safe and supportive environment, supervised by the teacher.
The PALS program addresses the following skills and dispositions; Core Values, Courage, Optimistic Thinking, Emotions, Relationships, Humour, Anti-Bullying, Resilience – Bouncing Back.
Our playground is a key aspect of our approach to developing the social and emotional well-being of our boys. Our playground provides a variety of play spaces and alternatives for the boys. These include the play equipment, the playing fields, handball courts, The Bush and The Lookout. This variety allows our boys the necessary space and alternatives to ensure they are entertained, safe and happy.
We have recently completed our annual School Culture Survey with the boys. This survey focuses on incidents and understanding of bullying, and positives in the playground. I am pleased to report that boys identifying as being bullied has decreased 10% since last year. Boys also report that they are more likely (over 5%) to tell a teacher if something is bothering them. These two statistics alone highlight that we are heading in the right direction. Having said that, we want to keep working with the boys to create the most positive and friendly school environment and culture that we can.
It is worth noting that the issue of ‘bullying’ is still commonly misunderstood by boys, and in some cases parents. It is also very closely linked to resilience.
An action (verbal, physical, online activity) is considered ‘bullying’ occurs when it occurs repeatedly in a targeted manner and an imbalance of power exists.
Whilst there are occasional incidents of bullying in our school and we treat these very seriously, some boys label incidents as bullying when they are better described as poor behaviour. This type of behaviour should also be treated seriously and consequences should apply, however it is important that we don’t label these instances as bullying. Equally important, we need to continue to encourage our boys to be tough, resilient and focused on social problem solving.
This is an area where we would welcome your support. I encourage you to focus on positives with your son, encourage him to be a problem solver in social situations, to tell a teacher if needed and then tell a parent if necessary. Ultimately, most social issues are better dealt with quickly, at school, between the boys. If we can encourage this, we are setting them up for social success, both now and in the future.
Farewell Mr Lygo and other staffing news
It is with mixed feelings that we farewell Mr Lygo this week as he ventures off on a new adventure at a school in Abu Dhabi. Whilst we are very sad to see him leave us, after 8 years of dedicated service to our community, we are also very excited for him and his family.
Mr Lygo started at Lindfield as a beginning teacher and has grown throughout his time with us to become the teacher he is today. He has contributed significantly to our school through the classroom as well as influencing many on the cricket and rugby fields as coach. He has also been responsible for a number of particularly engaging Science Days that have been thoroughly enjoyed by all of the boys.
Mr Lygo has had the benefit of teaching most of our current boys and so it was fitting that he be farewelled at this week’s Assembly with a video featuring messages from each class. Good luck Mr Lygo!
Mrs Gaspersic officially joins us next week as the new Year 1 teacher, however she has been here on Thursday and Friday getting to know the boys and completing a comprehensive handover with Mr Lygo.
In other staffing news, Madam Pixton officially began maternity leave this week. We wish her every blessing as she awaits the birth of her third child.
I am delighted to announce that Ms Oliver gave birth to Luana Oliver Ampuero, a beautiful baby girl last Friday. Both mother and baby are well.
Morning Drop-Off
Please be reminded that boys should not be dropped off to their class before 8:05am in the morning, regardless of whether you are supervising them. Teachers are hard at work preparing lessons for the day ahead. On the odd occasion that boys are at school prior to 8:05am, they are required to wait in the School Office.
Coffee and Chat with Mr Wyatt – Tuesday 13 August
The next Coffee and Chat Morning will be held on Tuesday 13 August from 8:00-9:00am. These mornings are simply a chance to come and chat casually with me and other parents about school-related matters. I look forward to seeing you then! The second Coffee and Chat Morning will be held on Thursday 12 September.
Enrolments – Year 5 and Kindergarten
Due to the addition of an extra Stage 3 Class in 2014 we are in the fortunate position to have vacancies for next year. We are currently enrolling boys for Year 5 2014 as we seek to gain the necessary numbers to make the additional class a straight Year 5.
Vacancies exist in Kindergarten for next year. We are offering an ‘Experience Kindy – Year 2 Morning’ for prospective families on Wednesday 14 August from 9:30-10:30am.
Limited vacancies also exist in other year levels. If you know families that might be interested, please encourage them to call the School Office on 9416 4280.
