St Joseph’s School has a tiered system for managing inappropriate behaviour. Inappropriate behaviour categories are classified as either: Minor Behaviour, Moderate Behaviour or Major Behaviour.
Punishment or punitive action is not used when children exhibit inappropriate behaviour. Instead, logical consequences are implemented to help the child understand how their behaviour affects themselves or the people around them. The child may feel that the Logical Consequences are a ‘punishment’. This is natural as the choices we make in life can have undesirable outcomes. This approach has three precepts.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT - consequences focus on helping children learn from the behaviour;
identify their inappropriate behaviour, and develop an understanding of the impact their behaviour has had on themselves or others,
identify what they can do to restore what went wrong,
develop techniques to ensure that they act appropriately if a similar situation arises again.
forgiveness and moving forward.
NATURAL JUSTICE - The teacher or adult managing the issue;
acts fairly,
provides the child with the opportunity to be heard and respond,
makes decisions that are unbiased.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE - The goal of any process is to help children put things right again:
with themselves (restoring mana),
with others (restoring relationships),
with God (grace)
Moderating behaviour is a skill that students learn over time. Consequently, minor inappropriate behaviour is responded to as the situation arises by school staff. Parents will be contacted if behaviour becomes a concern. This may be if moderate inappropriate behaviour is persistent or if a major inappropriate incident should occur.
Parents should refrain from directly intervening if they are concerned by another child's behaviour at school. It is more effective if concerns are shared with the school so that staff can take the appropriate action to address the behaviour.