Values and Culture - Nga uara me te ahurea

Our aim is to help students develop as learners, achieve potential and become positive informed and contributive citizens. Over the past few years we have moved away from rigid rules and systems. Instead, expectations of and responses to students at WIS are centred on our values of Respect, Integrity, Self-management and Empathy (R.I.S.E.). We believe that these key values are fundamental for the development of independent and responsible students.

RISE values are woven through all aspects of our school life and their embodiment in attitudes, relationships and behaviours is a key element for every member of our school community.

Behaviour Programme

Our school enjoys excellent staff/student relationships and high quality student behaviour. The aim of our behavior programme is to maintain and further enhance this through educating students about their behaviour and giving them increasing opportunities to take responsibility for it.

Where the situation allows we follow a Restorative Practice approach. Restorative practice allows people affected by behaviour to have a voice while at the same time giving excellent opportunities to educate, rather than simply punish.

Restorative practice is the natural partner of respectful and empathetic relationships in our school and underpins our interactions with students.     

Guidance and Well-Being

Our school has a strong emphasis on student guidance and support. This involves classroom teachers, team leaders, 24/7 youth workers, counsellors and deputy principals. We have a Guidance and Wellbeing team that meets fortnightly to overview current concerns. Students needing further support may be referred to outside agencies. Parents are encouraged to contact the school with any concerns before they become issues.

A Restorative approach...

• encourages students to appreciate the consequences of their actions for others

• enables students to make amends where their actions have harmed others

• requires students to be accountable for their actions

• encourages respect for all concerned

In using the restorative approach...

• clearly articulate and reinforce expectations,

• adhere to fair process in dealing with all cases of conflict and wrong-doing, and

•  recognise that wrong-doing primarily causes harm to relationships, and that this harm must be repaired in order to move forward.
  
  

Awards

Celebrating student success is an important part of our school culture, and awards reflect efforts and achievement across all areas of school life. In particular RISE awards are presented to students who have excelled in meeting our school values.

'Reach for the Stars' awards acknowledge students who have achieved high recognition in sport, the arts or academic areas through effort and commitment.

R      Respect

I        Integrity

S       Self Management

E       Empathy