11th March 2022
Principal’s Message
By Mrs Simone Cooke
Dear Parents, At Reddam, building confident, caring and well-rounded children means having a holistic programme that seeks to instil values and respect for both ourselves and others. Our “Grace and Courtesy” programme is designed to nurture values that extend not just to school but to life. Teaching our children the values we believe in, is reflected in many areas of our programmes, such as our lunch procedures. By seating children in a dining area, decorating the table with flowers and encouraging them to say “please” and “thankyou” builds respect for one another and encourages them to view mealtime as being an important part of the day. Having teachers modelling how to use utensils and how to hold conversations with those seated next to them also fosters a sense of community and guides them in understanding social expectations in relation to manners and behaviour. Our Teachers constantly seek to reinforce positive behaviours in our children and remind them of the importance of caring for each other. The children are reminded each day to use ‘gentle hands’, ‘kind hearts’ and to speak politely and respectfully to their friends. We teach our children to put up their hand and say “stop, I don‘t like it”, rather than hitting or pushing a child who is annoying them. Providing children with the resources needed to navigate difficult situations builds social skills and teaches them to become responsible and caring members of society. As Teachers we are striving daily to instil within the children mutual respect and tolerance for one another creating well rounded caring individuals who can navigate life’s challenges with resilience, empathy and understanding. We are constantly aiming to build the children’s socialisation skills and helping our children to understand the difference between making ‘good choices’ and ‘bad choices’. It is important when doing this that we focus not only on reminding children when they make a poor choice but also positively reinforcing children when they are making the right choices, so they are motivated to increase these behaviours. Reinforcing and praising positive actions and discouraging anti-social behaviour produces positive results in children and assists them in feeling good about their choices. Helping children to 1
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | ST LEONARDS NEWSLETTER
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