OPS We C.A.R.E

Ways To Reinforce We CARE at home

Here are practical ways families can reinforce the complete We C.A.R.E. framework (Collaboration, Act safely & responsibly, Respect, Empathy) through daily home routines:

1. Practice "Proactive Praise" at Home

At school, teachers explicitly acknowledge when ākonga (learners) display values in action. Whānau can mirror this language at home by calling out the specific letter when a child demonstrates it:

• "I love how you worked together with your sister to tidy the Lego—that's awesome Collaboration!"

• "Thank you for wiping down the bench without being asked—that shows great Respect for our home."

2. Daily Dinner/Bedtime Reflection: "C.A.R.E. Check"

Instead of asking "How was school today?", try asking targeted reflection questions during dinner or bedtime check-ins:

• C: "Who did you collaborate or team up with today?"

• A: "When was a moment today where you had to act safely or responsibly?"

• R: "How did someone show respect to you today—or how did you show it to a teacher or friend?"

• E: "Did you notice anyone who looked left out or down today? What could walking in their shoes look like?"

3. Modelling "Repair & Do-Over" Moments

Empathy and responsible choices mean admitting when our "shoes" got the better of us. Whānau can model this openly:

• "I was feeling stressed after work earlier and used a loud voice. If I put myself in your shoes, that probably felt scary or unfair. Next time, I’m going to take a deep breath first."

4. Reading & Watching with "C.A.R.E. Lenses"

When reading bedtime stories or watching a whānau show, look for moments where characters demonstrate (or fail to demonstrate) the values:

• "Did that character act responsibly when they made that decision?"

• "How could those two characters have used collaboration to solve that problem faster?"

Whānau Connection: When kids hear the same We C.A.R.E. language at home that they hear in the classroom, it reinforces that these aren't just "school Values"—they are life skills that help our whole community thrive.

Our school focus for Term 4 2026 is Respect. Our staff identified this as one we need to go back to again in Term 4.

While tamariki practise respect every day at OPS, reinforcing this value at home helps turn it into a lifelong habit. Respect is all about showing care for the people around us, the places we share, and the things we use. Importantly, it also means valuing what makes each person unique - their worldviews, culture, ethnicity, and personal choices.

Here are some simple, practical ways you can talk about and practise respect with your children at home, tailored for different age groups!

For Younger Tamariki (Ages 5–7): Treating People, Places & Things with Care

Younger children understand respect best through actionable steps, modeling, and noticing the wonderful diversity in the world around them:

• How to Explain It: Talk about having "Careful Hands, Kind Words, and Open Hearts." Respect means treating people, our home, and our toys like they are super precious.

• Showing Respect to People: Practise active listening and noticing differences. "When someone is speaking, our eyes and ears are on them to show their words matter. We all look, eat, and speak differently - and those differences make our world colourful and exciting!"

• Taking Care of Places: Make caring for the environment a team game. "Our home, school, and park belong to everyone. Let's do a '2-minute pick-up' to leave this space happier than we found it!"

• Taking Care of Belongings: Use the "Gentle Hands" rule for toys and books. "When we finish playing, we put our toys back in their home so they don't get broken or lost."

For Older Tamariki (Ages 8–10): Honor, Diversity & Stewardship

Older tamariki are ready to understand respect as an active choice - taking pride in honoring diverse backgrounds, personal choices, shared spaces, and belongings:

• How to Explain It: Talk about respect as a two-way street and a celebration of diversity: "Respect is about honoring every person’s right to their own culture, heritage, and beliefs, and treating others as you want to be treated."

• Showing Respect to People: Discuss individual choices, culture, and ethnicity. "People come from different backgrounds, hold different worldviews, and make different life choices. Respecting people means being curious rather than judgmental, valuing their perspective, and speaking kindly - both online and offline."

• Taking Care of Places: Connect respect to guardianship (kaitiakitanga). "How we treat our neighborhood, park, or school shows how much we pride ourselves on our community. How can we care for the land that sustains us all?"

• Taking Care of Belongings: Encourage personal responsibility and mindfulness. "Before borrowing something, ask first. When you're done, return it in the same - or better - condition than when you got it."

Whānau Tip: Respect thrives on curiosity and appreciation. Embracing different traditions, languages, and worldviews at home shows tamariki that our differences are our strength. Calling out moments when your children show respect - whether using polite manners, caring for a shared space, or standing up for someone’s uniqueness - is the fastest way to make the behavior stick!

Thank you for supporting our We C.A.R.E. values at home and helping our tamariki thrive!

At Onehunga Primary School, our We C.A.R.E. values guide everything we do—from how our ākonga learn and collaborate in the classroom to how they play and build relationships out on the field.

• C - Collaboration

• A - Act safely and responsibly

• R - Respect people, places, and things

• E - Empathy: Walking in someone else’s shoes

Our school focus for Term 3 is Empathy.

While tamariki focus on empathy at OPS, practising this value at home helps turn an abstract concept into an everyday habit. Here are some quick ideas about how you could talk about empathy with your children at home, tailored for different age groups!

For Younger Tamariki (Ages 5–7): Heart, Eyes & Body Feelings

Younger children learn empathy best when it is linked to concrete visual clues and body feelings:

• How to Explain It: Talk about "Heart Matching" or putting on "Empathy Glasses" to notice how a friend feels on the inside.

• Face Detective: When reading or watching a movie together, ask: "Look at their eyes and mouth—what is their face telling us about how they feel?"

• The Heart Switch: "Remember when you felt nervous on your first day? That’s how your friend feels right now. What helped you feel brave then?"

For Older Tamariki (Ages 8–10): Walking in Their Shoes

Older kids are ready to explore perspective-taking—understanding that everyone carries different experiences and hidden stress:

• How to Explain It: You could talk about the phrase: "Before judging how someone reacted, try walking in their shoes for a day. What challenges were they carrying before this happened?"

• The Shoe Check: "If you walked in their shoes today, what made their day heavy or stressful before that argument happened?"

• The Camera Switch: "In a game, you can change camera angles. If we switch the camera to your friend's view, how did things look to them?"

• The Hidden Backstory: "When someone is grumpy, is it really about you—or were their 'shoes' pinching them because of something else?"

Whānau Tip: Empathy doesn't mean always agreeing with someone else's choices—it simply means taking a moment to understand how they feel. 

Thank you for supporting our We C.A.R.E. values at home and helping our tamariki thrive!

We CARE and EPIC

We CARE and EPIC are interconnected and evident in all aspects of our school.

We CARE are the values that underpin the culture of our school and are crucial in creating a safe, inclusive and supportive environment for everyone.

EPIC represents the type of environment the school strives to create. It's about providing a safe and stimulating spaces where ākonga (students) are encouraged to step outside their comfort zones and develop resilience, curiosity and critical thinking.