We have 5 values that we specifically focus on at ISG, and every two months we put one value on centre stage and under the spotlight!
October - November: high expectations
December - January: respect
February - March: diversity
April - May: love of learning
June: happiness
Currently we are giving extra attention to RESPECT! Together we used a Y chart to brainstorm and organise our thinking about what RESPECT 'Feels like', 'Looks like' and 'Sounds like'. Here is what the Primary students came up with...
RESPECT Looks like - Smiling faces, people helping each other, people waiting patiently for their turn, children with hands-up waiting for their turn to speak, people giving compliments, peole working together co-operatively and people taking care of each other, the teachers and the classroom.
RESPECT Sounds like - "Thank-you" "You're welcome" "Well done" "Good job" "Sorry" Laughing! "Would you like to play with me?" "Do you need help?" "Are you okay?" "Try again, you can do it"
RESPECT Feels happy, cheerful, energizing and it feels good inside
Miss Maija and Miss Jenny see, hear and feel the RESPECT in the Primary classroom. We regularly hear students supporting and encouraging each other. They respect the fact that in a class of mixed ages, the students have different strengths, abilities, needs and ways of learning. We comment when we see any students practicing our values and we try to incorporate it into our learning. Today the lower primary students read the Greek Legend about the Trojan horse and we decided that it was not very respectful of King Menelaus to take 1000's of men to battle the Trojans for 10 years to try and get Queen Helen back!