From the Assistant Head of Primary

Pastoral update

As the term progresses, our weekly Pastoral Focuses have continued to explore ways to build community and strong friendships with students participating in the Bullying No Way National Week of Action and exploring the concepts of Respect in Action and Courage.

Bullying No Way National Week of Action

Del Monte students participated in the Bullying No Way: National Week of Action from 12 to 18 August. The focus for the week was all about community building, under the 2024 theme of Everyone Belongs and purple was the hero colour.

Belonging is a critical part of the human experience where all members in a community feel valued for who they are, where differences are embraced and respected, and where people stand up for others and speak out against unkindness. Throughout the National Week of Action against Bullying, daily themes were explored including challenging stereotypes, promoting empathy, embracing diversity, fostering positive relationships and providing support.

Respect in Action

American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, ‘The only way to have a friend is to be one.’ As teachers and parents, children often come to us for help with their friendship problems. Whilst it may be tempting to jump in and ‘fix’ these problems, it is often best to start with a conversation to ascertain what is happening and asking questions to understand the bigger picture.

The theme of Respect in Action was used to help students understand the reciprocal relationship between having good friends and being a good friend. They learned that this can be done by noticing those around them, listening, asking questions and following through on promises. Healthy, respectful relationships can be built by honouring and accepting our friends for who they are – their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. Moreover, by showing respect to those around us, enables us to be a good friend to those around us. This in turn, enables us to have good friendships.

Courage

According to Karen Young, ‘Courage isn’t about something magical that happens inside us to make us “not scared”. It’s about something magical that happens inside us to make us push through fear, self-doubt, anxiety, and do the things that feel hard or risky or frightening. Sometimes, courage only has to happen for seconds at a time – just long enough to be brave enough.’

Courage comes naturally to some children, whilst others feel that courage is incredibly difficult. The good news is that courage is a skill that can be taught. Like many skills, practice makes perfect; practising through small acts of bravery in friendships helps children build courage. A quote from E. E. Cummings, ‘It takes courage to grow up to become who you really are’ was used in conjunction with Thinking Routines to help students think deeply about courage.

Curriculum Update

ICAS Assessments

Many students from Years 2 to 4 have participated in the ICAS Writing, English, Spelling Bee and Mathematics Assessments over the past month. Whilst the assessments are not compulsory, those students who participated in them are congratulated for challenging themselves and for stepping outside of their comfort zones.

Science Week

Students enjoyed celebrating all things Science during National Science Week, with all grades completing a science experiment in class groups. Even the teachers shared in the excitement, with many dressing up in safety goggles and lab coats.

National Science Week is an annual celebration of science and technology. The theme for 2024 is ‘‘Species Survival – More than just Sustainability’. This theme emphasises the significant role of science and innovation in ensuring survival of living things in an ever-changing world. 

Lauren Petroni
Assistant Head of Primary P-4 and Curriculum Leader P-4