The school
believes students learn best when they feel safe, valued and happy. Our
staff are committed to providing an environment that nurtures personal growth
and self-esteem. All members of the school community have rights and
responsibilities and these are best ensured when agreed procedures are accepted
and followed. The school and its community share the responsibility to assist
students in learning appropriate behaviours.
At
Port Douglas State School we have a commitment to provide a safe, caring and
supportive environment that focuses on the needs and emotional wellbeing of the
entire school community. Parents have an obligation to support the school
in its efforts to implement the four school expectations: Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be a
Learner. The Principal and staff have an obligation to implement the four
school expectations in a fair and consistent manner.
Students,
staff and parents develop a clear understanding of the school’s policies,
expectations, rights and responsibilities, all of which reflect the School
Values. Students are empowered to assess their own behaviour and develop
strategies to act in a responsible manner. They look at how their learning
is going to make a difference and how it will affect other people.
We
believe that expectations rather than rules will frame student
behaviour. The notion of resiliency is embodied in our school values:
Cooperation
Achievement
Respect
Empathy
We believe that resilience
is an essential skill and our values and expectations support students to adapt
and build healthy relationships. A profile of resiliency includes social
competence, problem solving skills, autonomy and a sense of purpose and
future. Each of the school values is supported by the notion of protective
factors. These include: care and
support, positive expectations, participation and involvement
Shared
Expectations
Port
Douglas State School has developed shared expectations to ensure that the learning,
safety and rights of all are respected.
Our
expectations are intended to be positive in that they set out what is accepted
and appropriate behaviours for our school community. These expectations are displayed in all
classrooms and throughout our school.
Our
school community is diverse and our shared expectations are intended to support
all students, families and staff.