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Buddies
Our buddy system develops relationships, creates a support network for Kindergarten and Year 1 students, and enhances the leadership skills and responsibility of our senior students. Year 5 are buddies to Kindergarten students and Year 6 are buddies to Year 1 students. Older buddies model appropriate behaviour, provide support during play times, partner students in out-of-school activities and share some in-class learning experiences.
Bullying
Our school follows Sydney Catholic Schools' Prevention and Management of Student Bullying Policy. Our values of Compassion, Listening and Partnership inform the way we respond to reports of bullying, which are always taken seriously.
Bullying is intentional and repeated behaviour that involves the ongoing misuse of power that can cause physical and/or psychological harm to a student. Bullying behaviour can be verbal, physical, social (e.g. excluding, alienating behaviour) and psychological (spreading rumours, sending hurtful messages or comments) and includes bullying via social media and other online platforms (cyber-bullying).
Bullying can involve discrimination, intimidation and harassment. Bullying behaviours may be individual or collective behaviours which occur on or outside school premises and during or after school hours. Some bullying may constitute criminal conduct such as assault, threatening behaviours, property damage or harassment and stalking.
Class expectations
Classroom expectations flow from our school's values and replicate our school's expectations: we are safe, we are respectful, we are responsible and we are learners.
These expectations are established within each class at the beginning of the school year and revisited regularly throughout the year in age appropriate ways. Expectations are expressed in positive terms and are clearly displayed and referred to in the classroom.
Counselling
School Counselling is provided through CatholicCare. Requests or referrals can be raised by students, parents and carers or staff members. Please contact the Principal to discuss School Counselling further.
School Counselling can be an important part of a collaborative approach to caring for the wellbeing of a student. Typically, the Counsellor will work with school leaders, teachers, parents and carers, and sometime external specialists such as psychologists or case workers who support your children.
Health - asthma, allergies and anaphylaxis
Parents and carers of students who are at risk of serious asthma, allergies or anaphylaxis must provide a health care and/or action plan from a suitable health care professional, and any required medication with written instructions. School staff are trained to administer an EpiPen and asthma medication.
Safeguarding the health and wellbeing of all students is a shared responsibility. Therefore, we ask parents and carers not to send food to school containing nuts. If children bring food containing egg, they should wash their mouth and hands thoroughly after eating.
To help keep all children safe, students are reminded to only eat food provided by their own parents or carers, and to not share food with peers.
Health - disabilities
When welcoming students with a disability, St James draws upon our values of compassion, listening and partnership. We are guided by the Disability Standards for Education 2005 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. The school will consult with students and their families, and Sydney Catholic Schools’ (SCS) Diverse Learning specialists, to make reasonable adjustments to enable students to access the curriculum on the same basis as their peers.
Health - infectious diseases and exclusion from school
If your child has certain infectious diseases they must not attend school. NSW Health provides information about infectious diseases of childhood and what exclusion periods apply. If your child is diagnosed with one of these conditions, please notify the school as soon as possible.
Health - illness and medication
If a child is sick at home, they should remain at home or with a suitable caregiver rather than come to school.
If a child becomes ill while at school, their parents and carers will be notified by Administration Officers. Typically sick children will be collected by a parent or carer. In rare cases the Principal or delegate will authorise an ambulance to collect a sick child. Parents and carers must ensure suitable emergency contact details are always up to date in Compass.
Should a child require medication while at school or on an excursion, it must be delivered to the school office with written instructions: the child’s name and class, the exact dosage and the time at which it should be given. A medication form must be completed. Children must not be in possession of or administer their own medication at school. Typically, only suitably trained Administration Officers or members of the Leadership Team are permitted to administer medication to a student.
Student Management system - when things go well
Positive behaviour is noticed and acknowledged in class and on the playground. Student can earn ‘Hero Cards’ for positive incidents and behaviour. These cumulatively contribute to higher awards.
Five Hero Cards → Fully Alive Certificate
Twenty-five Hero Cards→ Principal’s Award
One hundred and twenty-five Hero Cards → St James Pin
Two hundred and fifty Hero Cards → Principal's Reward Certificate and GleeBooks voucher
Three hundred and seventy-five Hero Cards → The Way of St James: Becoming a Hero medal
We encourage families to value these awards and recognise the effort each child makes to earn these awards.
Student Management system - when things go wrong
At St James our school expectations are to be safe, to be respectful, to be responsible, and to be learners. Our goal is that, in striving to meet these expectations, students will have an internal locus of control, self-regulate their behaviour, and contribute positively to the school community. When behaviour incidents occur, responding to them should help students progress towards these outcomes.
Our school values underpin and guide our responses to behaviour incidents, helping us to interpret events and discern suitable consequences.
We choose to view behaviour incidents as opportunities to:
reinforce our expectations
guide students to a deeper understanding of themselves and our values
work in partnership with students’ families
cultivate the disposition to reconcile with God and neighbour
Consequences should be related to the behaviour, should respect the student and not involve blame, shame or pain, should be proportionate and reasonable, and should help, not hurt the student.
‘Hands off’ is an expression we use to communicate the expectation that all in the community have the right to be physically safe and for their property to be safe.
In the case of a physical altercation, BOTH instigation and retaliation are considered violations of the ‘hands off’ rule.
Retaliation is NOT synonymous with self defence
Self defence is considered to be the minimum amount of force required to make yourself safe
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