Harrisville School Newsletter Issue 2 Term 3 2025

Dear Parents, Whānau and Friends,

What a Busy Start to Term 3!
It’s been a whirlwind of activity with so many exciting events, Hockey, Netball, Cross Country and Jump Jam, to name a few. A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to making these events such a success, especially our wonderful teachers and parents who have dedicated their time and energy to organising and supporting our students. Your efforts are truly appreciated!

I have also been very impressed with the behaviour and sportsmanship shown by our students when representing Harrisville School at these events. They are living examples of our school values, and we are very proud of what they are achieving.

Positive Behaviour and Strong Home-School Partnerships

At Harrisville School, we have high expectations for our students both in their learning and in their behaviour. We are committed to working in partnership with you to support the social and emotional wellbeing of every child. Communication between home and school is essential to creating a safe, respectful, and positive environment where all students can learn and thrive.

We believe that you, as a parent or caregiver, play a vital role in your child’s education. Your support, encouragement, and interest in their learning journey make a significant difference to their success.

Below, I have outlined the steps we use to promote and support positive behaviour across our school. These steps help us maintain a consistent, fair, and caring approach to ensure our tamariki feel safe and supported.

We also want to make it easy for you to communicate with us. I have an open-door policy and, wherever possible, will meet with parents without an appointment. There may be occasions, however, when a scheduled appointment is necessary. If you ever have a question or concern, we encourage you to speak with your child’s classroom teacher first, as they are the staff member most closely involved with your child.

If your concern is not resolved, the next step is to speak with the Team Leader:

Mrs Beere – Tāne Mahuta (Junior School)
Mrs Naidoo – Tāwhirimātea (Senior School)

If you still feel the matter has not been addressed satisfactorily, you are welcome to make an appointment to meet with the Deputy Principal or Principal.

Together, as a community of students, staff, and whānau, we can continue to create a positive, inclusive environment where every learner is supported to succeed.

Our Values at Harrisville School

At Harrisville School, we are committed to creating a positive, inclusive environment for our students, staff, whānau, and wider community. This is guided by our core values the 4Rs:
Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, and Relationships.

These values form the foundation of our school culture and expectations. They are not just rules, but principles that shape how we learn, interact, and grow together.

We believe that student well-being is essential for success. When children feel safe, supported, and valued, they are better able to thrive. The 4Rs help our learners build confidence, work collaboratively, and develop essential life skills.

At Harrisville School, all children and adults understand and live by these values every day supporting each other to be the best we can be. It is important that we work together as research shows that when families and schools work together, students succeed. We value your involvement and will always communicate openly to ensure your child is supported every step of the way.

Choices Have Consequences

We believe that all choices come with consequences both positive and negative. Our primary focus is on positive reinforcement, as catching students “doing the right thing” has a powerful and lasting impact.

Teachers consistently take opportunities to reinforce positive behavior by acknowledging students who demonstrate our school values. This helps create a supportive and encouraging environment for all learners.

Positive reinforcement strategies used at Harrisville School include:

Verbal praise
House Points / Tokens
Class Awards
Values Badges
Syndicate and School Certificate Awards

Students are celebrated at assemblies and through classroom recognition. Our school wide behaviour plan is designed to support and guide students in making positive choices and to provide clear and fair consequences when extra support is needed. Ultimately, our aim is to grow confident, respectful, and responsible learners by promoting and recognising great behavior every day.

Student Welfare and Taking Responsibility

We like to work with you and our students to help them build the skills they need for both now and for the future. The social and emotional welfare of our students is important, as this provides the foundation for academic success. We do this by:

Providing opportunities for our students to take responsibility for their own behaviour and to “get it right”, to learn, to practise, and to understand the importance of acceptable social behaviour.
Ensuring our students understand that all behaviours have consequences, and that their choices have consequences, both positive and not so positive.
Ensuring our School Values are encouraged modeled and taught by all staff. Values are an integral part of our school and classroom culture.

Harrisville School Behaviour Support Steps

When a child requires support in making positive choices, we follow a clear, school wide process designed to guide them towards improved behaviour. Our approach is restorative, consistent, and focused on helping students learn from their actions while maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all. We have high expectations and value your support and will be open with communication with you. Parent and family involvement.

Step 1: Initial Response (In-Class or Playground)

Classroom or duty teachers manage minor inappropriate behaviour using strategies such as:

Time Out (a quiet space to reflect and regulate emotions)
WITS strategy (Walk away, Ignore, Talk it out, Seek help)
Peer Mediation and other positive behaviour techniques

Students are given a clear warning and an opportunity to "make it right" through restorative conversations. Teachers aim to be fair, respectful, and proactive in their approach.

Step 2: Continued Minor or Major Behaviour

If behaviour continues or is deemed a major, the student is referred to “Choices”. Choices is a restorative program during lunch time, they work with our DP or Principal and complete a Think Sheet to reflect on their behaviour.

Parents are contacted by the classroom teacher to inform them that we are working on a behaviour
The completed Think Sheet is shared with the teacher and taken home for parents to sign
Appropriate consequences are assigned (e.g. warning, letter of apology)

Step 3: Ongoing Behaviour Issues

If the same behaviour persists:

The student is sent to "Choices" again
The class teacher will call home to inform parents, gain support, and discuss potential underlying causes
Senior Leadership (DP or Principal) becomes involved in determining further consequences
A Behaviour Contract may be introduced at this stage

Step 4: Behaviour Escalation

If there is no improvement:

The DP or Principal contacts the parents and work together at a behaviour meeting at school
A formal Behaviour Contract is created and signed by the student, parent(s), and teacher
If required, referrals to external agencies are made for additional support

Step 5: Serious or Ongoing Concerns

If no improvement is evident after the agreed timeframe:

The Principal initiates a more serious response in consultation with the Ministry of Education and the family
Further action is taken as per Ministry guidelines

Important Notes:

Serious or extreme behaviour is dealt with immediately by the Principal or Deputy Principal.
Steps may be skipped depending on the severity or nature of the incident.
Parental involvement is essential – research shows that when home and school work together, students are more successful.
Teacher discretion is applied throughout the process, ensuring responses are appropriate to the child, the incident, and the context.

Sometimes student behaviour is a cry for help, and can be indicative of other things. We work hard with our students, families, staff and specialists to ensure appropriate support is in place. Privacy is important and sometimes we are unable to share the ‘why’ behind what is happening, however we will do what ever it takes to support all students.

Support for Students

Should a student require additional emotional, social or behavioral support, Harrisville School is fortunate to have a wide range of support systems available. Some of these include;

Skilled and experienced senior leaders who are able to access, where appropriate, resources in a timely manner (this includes the Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour, Special Education Services, Ministry of Education)
Onsite counselling for students (referrals can be made by staff, parents or students can self refer)
Skilled and well-trained Teacher Aides can support students social, emotional and academic learning, where appropriate.
Many other supports exist – for more information about how we support our students socially, emotionally and academically, please feel free to make a time to see one of our senior staff.