Stories

Read the inspiring story by Annie Hamlaoui about her Sisters project for girls whose career choices were limited by their life experiences. Here are some quotes to whet your appetite...

SISTERS was very successful and the difference in the girls in some cases was quite amazing. Their awareness of themselves and other people, their ability to understand their own feelings and those of others coupled with their new and improved communication skills made them much more able to empathise, form and keep healthy relationships and friendships. They learnt new skills, visited new places and experienced the feel good factor and a state of 'flow' in certain learning situations which made then hungry for more of the same good feelings.They seemed to blossom into young women and became incredibly supportive of each other in the process.

If emotional intelligence means what you were doing with your SISTERS girls, than I am a convert to it. (school principal)

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The Penpal program was the brainchild of a Corporate lawyer, Jennifer
McVicar, in collaboration with the Department of Education. Lawyers
write to their penpals from remote schools six times a year and with
each letter they send the child a book chosen by the school to
complement the curriculum. This is a whole class program rather than one
simply for poor readers. Teachers describe it as the best literacy
initiative they've ever had.

The children love receiving their letters and the lawyers love writing
them. Lawyers meet one lunchtime every six weeks to write letters
together using glitter pens, stickers and textas to make them beautiful.
They often include word games and puzzles. Lawyers who don't have
penpals may be reading buddies for children in innercity primary schools

More than 300 children at Goodooga, Lightning Ridge and Woodenbong
Central Schools and Hermidale Public School participate.

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VALUES EDUCATION GOOD SCHOOLS PROJECT

Sue Cahill: Cluster Co-ordinator

MANNINGHAM CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL CLUSTER

The Values Education Good Practice Schools Project-Stage 1(VEGPS) involved the funding of 26 selected clusters of schools from around Australia to design, implement and evaluate quality projects in values education which reflected and utilised the National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools in local contexts. The outcomes and learnings from these 26 cluster projects has been disseminated to the wider education community to foster better values education practice in all schools.

Six Catholic Primary Schools in the Manningham Local Government area came together to form the Manningham Catholic Primary School Cluster. Our project title was: Students Lead in the Investigation and Implementation of Values Education using a whole school approach. The six schools involved and their Values Co-ordinators were: the lead school, St. Charles Borromeo (Geraldine Butler), Our Lady of the Pines (Moira Patten), Ss. Peter and Paul's' (Judy Harris), St. Kevin's (Michelle Alsop/Donna Petkovic), St. Gregory the Great (Bernadette Mithen) and St. Clement of Rome (Leesa Duncan).

This project was an opportunity for these schools to work together to strengthen our outcomes and as a vehicle to reach the wider community. The six schools in our cluster were at varying stages of formal Values Education, however, all had a strong commitment to teaching Values through our Pastoral Care and Student Wellbeing policies. Our aim was to increase understanding within our school communities of the nine core values for Australian schools as set down in the National Framework:-

(i) Care and Compassion,

(ii) Doing Your Best,

(iii) Fair Go,

(iv) Freedom,

(v) Honesty and Trustworthiness,

(vi) Integrity,

(vii) Respect,

(viii)Responsibility and

(ix) Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion.

We wanted to look at how these values were represented within our personal, school, community and national spheres. We aimed to increase our school commitment to the expression of these values within our communities and within our processes and teaching. We saw the National Framework as providing the starting point . Student Action Teams (S.A.T.s) were asked to look at these values and carry out investigation and action implementation. They took responsibility for:

a) developing options for implementation of action around the value;

b) documenting promoting and blocking forces for implementation of action;

c) developing appropriate products/processes within their area;

Each of the six schools took responsibility for three of the nine values. The young people took an active lead role researching then implementing the nine values through their schools curriculum, organisation, ethos and environment whilst forming partnerships with their local, state and national community. The students achieved purposeful and authentic outcomes by working collaboratively over the year, communicating through student forums, committee meetings and electronically.

Three inter-school student forums were held during the year as well as a research and action planning workshop.

The first student forum introduced the values looking at what they are? Why are they important? And how do they link to what we do? The students discussed the challenge of this research project and discussed the role of the S.A.T.

At the second student forum the students reported back on their research. They were introduced to what was meant by action, what action was possible, what changes were needed and how they developed this action.

The third forum allowed the students to report back on action taken and what impact it had and they looked at the issue of sustainability and what on-going action was required for the future.

The students have taught us what it is in their world, to hear, see and feel Values. They have opened our eyes to how best to embed Values Education in their curriculum, their school culture and their community. More importantly, they changed the way all members of the cluster looked at classroom management and relationships. What we have ended up with is a framework for truly embedding Values Education for students, by students.

One of the most valuable lessons I have learnt about the implementation of Values education is that it must be real, it must be honest and it must be equal. Students will always point out if they feel that you are "talking the talk and not walking the walk" so you must be true to the project. If we expect certain standards from our students then we must be prepared to model the standards in the way we live and the relationships we have-staff with staff, staff with parents and staff with students.

I believe good practice in Values education is evident when all stakeholders can say they consistently work towards treating others as they would like to be treated. To always be aiming to put yourself in the other person's shoes in the way you treat them, speak to them and feel about them.

However, the real champions of this project were the students from the six schools. This project is about students leading the investigating and implementing of the nine values. It is about them, by them and for them. They are the examples of the nine values in action.

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Kids Can is an initiative in NAPCAN to encourage and support kids to address relationship issues in their communities. One of these 'Love Bites' is an interactive and innovative workshop aimed at year 9, 10 & 11 students. The full day program consists of two interactive workshops defining domestic violence is, discussing and exploring and challenging the myths around violence against women and discussing what a respectful relationship is. All students then write, perform and record a hip hop song, and develop posters around the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. The responses from young people involved in the program are overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

The most important aspects of the program are that it recognises the skills, talents and knowledge of young people and models respectful relationships between male and female students, teachers and workers. The students are treated with the utmost respect and are encouraged to call workers and teachers by their first names. Research suggests that violence against women, such as domestic violence, is greatly influenced by power imbalances in our society.

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From Elizabeth James, NSW

I've set up a mini multisensory space in my office at work. It incudes a water feature with natural sounds (eg rainstorm, rainforest, etc) and coloured lighting, several coloured lamps, touch lamp for the reading corner, lava lamp, fibreoptic lamp, lots of puppets, large cushions, led candles scattered around, massage chair (which some kids love) aroma oil thing that plugs into my computer's USB port, netting hanging from the ceiling, see through curtains that separates my desk from the rest of the room, a fabric tunnel fro crawling through, bookshelf, small individual whiteboard and no fluoro lighting. I've had a few interesting comments, and some staff think I've lost it! But it works for me and those kids who use the spot. When kids choose to have some 'space' for whatever reason (pending anger etc) they can come here. I also use it for kids who are agitated or distressed. Needless to say, any discusiions I have with kids in there are couched in EL terms.