We are excited to invite parents and whānau to a special Restorative Practice Information Evening on Tuesday 4th August with Leane Carlson from Waikato University.

Whether you are navigating sibling rivalries, managing everyday misbehaviour or looking for ways to foster stronger, more open communication with your children, this event comes highly recommended. You will leave with practical, effective strategies to bring positive, relational tools directly into your home.

Why Restorative Practice?

At school and at home, true discipline means teaching rather than simply punishing. The core philosophy behind restorative practice is simple yet powerful: human beings are happier, more productive and far more likely to make positive behavioural changes when authority figures do things WITH them, rather than TO them or FOR them.

Instead of focusing on blame and punishment, a restorative approach shifts the conversation toward accountability, healing, and meeting needs:

• Punitive thinking asks: "What rule was broken, who is to blame and what is the punishment?"

• Restorative thinking asks: "What happened, who has been affected and what needs to happen to put things right?"

Understanding the 4 Social Discipline Styles

To help us reflect on our parenting and teaching approaches, restorative practice uses the Social Discipline Window. It outlines four primary styles based on levels of Support/Care and Control/Expectations:

1. TO (Punitive / Authoritarian): High expectations, low support. Focuses on punishment, confrontation, win/lose outcomes and can leave children feeling stigmatised.

2. FOR (Permissive): High support, low expectations. Focuses on rescuing, protecting or excusing behaviour without holding children accountable.

3. NOT (Neglectful): Low support, low expectations. Indifferent, disengaged or giving up.

4. WITH (Restorative): High support AND high expectations. Focuses on collaborative problem-solving, mutual respect, responsiveness, and shared responsibility.

Our Goal: As both teachers and parents, we want to move away from the punitive ("TO") and permissive ("FOR") styles. Our upcoming session will equip you with clear strategies to stay firmly in the restorative ("WITH") space, combining warmth with clear expectations.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday 4th August

• Sessions Available:

  • Afternoon Session: 1.15pm

  • Evening Session: 6.30pm

We warmly encourage all parents and caregivers to attend this insightful event. Together, we can weave a supportive cloak of consistency between school and home!