Positive Education In 2017, St Mary’s Parish School adopted a Positive Education approach to staff and student wellbeing.
At its core, positive education enables school communities to thrive. It is the implementation of positive psychology into a school system. Positive psychology focuses on celebrating and building upon what is RIGHT (with oneself & the environment), not how to fix what is WRONG (it is acknowledged that there is need for both).
Positive Education is not a program. It is not a quick fix or a ‘feel good’ movement – it is about equipping staff, students and other members of a school community with the knowledge and skills they need to help create their own happiness, success and meaning. It can be embedded across daily interactions, engagement with curriculum and existing school values.
At St Mary’s Parish School, positive education begins with staff. Beginning in 2017, staff have engaged in learning opportunities around the varied areas of positive education. These are guided by Martin Seligman’s PERMA model for wellbeing - Positive Engagement, Emotions, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment. Further learning has centred on character strengths and identifying means of embedding these elements into existing structures within the school.
Dealing with Bullies Bullies are a part of every society. They exist in schools and communities everywhere and are not bound by age, sex or upbringing.
The children are given the opportunity to discuss bully type behaviours and the behaviours displayed by victims. We aim to empower the children to make the choice between being bullied (being a victim) or standing up for themselves in a non-violent way. To do this we give the children a course of action to follow. At St Mary’s Parish School everyone has the right to learn and the right to be safe. If you are being bullied:
Ignore them. Walk away
Look them in the eye and say: “Stop! I don’t like what you are doing.”
Speak to the teacher and explain exactly what has happened.
What to do if you are worried about a bullying incident:
Read and familiarise yourself with the St Mary’s Parish School Anti-Bullying Policy.
Approach your child’s classroom teacher to discuss the issue.
Speak to the school Principal.
At all times parents are encouraged to speak to the Principal about issues that affect their child.
Course of Action:
Approach the teacher to discuss a matter.
If the matter is unresolved, approach the Principal.
Discussion at school level with the teacher and Principal.