Principal’s Message
By Mrs Kath Boyd
“True change requires a focus on creating school culture that supports academic, social, emotional and character development of children.” (Maurice Elias) Earlier this week, Miss Veronika (4R Core Teacher) shared a delightful anecdote about one of our 4R children: “It is always wonderful to observe the gentle and respectful way Giselle communicates with her peers. Just the other day, she kindly assisted her friend in need to look for a hat. I heard her saying - "Well, I can help you with that. You see, my hat is in my bag in my locker. Maybe yours is in your bag? Let's look here." Phrases such as “Please use gentle hands.”, “That was so kind of you to share.”, “What beautiful manners you have!” and “Thank you for waiting your turn.” are said by our teachers to the children multiple times every day. When it comes to children, we acknowledge that socialemotional skill development is a valuable part of their learning and development. When we focus on the social and emotional aspect of working together on an academic experience (such as science, mathematics & literacy), Reddam teachers create a balanced experience that helps children in all aspects of development. These skills are the non-cognitive competences that people need when communicating and interacting with one another, and are used when children: • Greet and farewell each other • Learn to work together in pairs and groups • Solve problems and think creatively • Learn to collaborate on a specific task • Develop resilience • Motivate themselves • Learn patience, self-control, and listening skills • Learn to resolve conflict • Show respect – to others, themselves and the environment Social-emotional skills help children lead harmonious lives, and are important when it comes to learning and achievement. They interact with cognitive skills like literacy and numeracy, to enable success in education, employment and life generally. Studies have proven that they also positively impact their work prospects and life experiences down the track. Pictured above: 4E children Benjamin, Alfie, Jasper, Joshua, Ryan L., Ryan S. & Mason sporting their designer glasses inspired by Dame Edna (Australian Icon).