Biblical Parenting Principles for Schools, as devised by Growing Families International, along with our Biblical Studies Program, lie as a basis for all of our training of the students. The staff, and a good percentage of our parents have been trained in the principles (See description of Biblical Parenting Principles for Classroom (Annexe A). Students are taught biblical moral principles that can be drawn upon by students, when faced by a particular situation, to know what the Godly response ought to be. Principles include respect for age, authority, self, peers, nature and property.

The foundation of our pastoral care policy is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ The work of the Holy Spirit should be evident in all school relationships: those between adults, between adults and students and also between students and their peers.

Our task as adults is to represent the nature and purposes of God to the students in our care. He disciplines us because He loves and cares for us. He provides a secure relationship in which we are accepted, through faith in Christ, regardless of our shortcomings. His intentions are for our good and are clearly stated in Scripture. Likewise the relationship that exists between adults and students is to be loving and caring, accepting of failings with a willingness to grow. This requires discipline, which includes guidance, correction and chastening.

Our behaviour with the children must always display our understanding that they bear the image of God. Interpersonal relationships should be characterised by love, purity, consistency, respect and awe – for we are all fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). When children behave in a manner that breaks down the sense of community, corrective procedures must be firm and kind. Firmness demonstrates respect for people and the responsibilities of authority.

It is important that staff develop their relationships with the students and become better acquainted with them, during play or lunch, and enjoy them as individuals. This will provide them with insight and develop sensitivity to any possible causes of misbehaviour. Our Pastoral Care Policy requires that children’s behaviour never be viewed in isolation; invariably it will be the result of many other factors.

The aim of discipline is to produce acceptable and appropriate lives, including conduct. It arises from love and care and focuses on the future. The distinctiveness to be found within JBCCS will not be the absence of problems, but the manner in which they are resolved. We are called to respond in a way true to the Scriptures and invite our students to do the same. Matthew 18 is the model, given by our Lord, which is followed at JBCCS.

Values

At JBCCS, the following key values are found in every area of the school. They remind the students and staff of the standard of behaviour and quality of relationships that should exist in our school. This also fulfils Government requirements of the national values framework (see more detail at the end of this policy), namely; care and compassion, doing your best, fair go, freedom, honesty and trustworthiness, integrity, respect, responsibility, understanding, tolerance and inclusion. Throughout the year, students will be reminded of these values and how they would be manifested in various situations:

Respect: We recognise that God is the ultimate authority and that He has delegated authority to social and political institutions, churches and parents. Each of these agents has delegated aspects of this authority to the school. Children display their respect for this authority when they obey their teachers. Teachers in turn demonstrate their respect for students by teaching to the best of their abilities and by not provoking them to anger or frustration (Ephesians 6:4). Students demonstrate respect for each other by treating each other in a way that shows they value the other’s person, feelings and property.

Kindness: God has demonstrated His great love for us by sending His Son to die for us while we were yet sinners. Even when we did not deserve it, He was kind to us. He provided what we needed. At JBCCS we demonstrate kindness to each other when we ensure people they have what they need: encouragement, friendship and help. The opposite of kindness is bullying, saying negative words and ignoring others. This is contrary to what God has shown us and contrary to the Gospel.

Safety: Safety concerns itself with protecting others and ourselves from harm and demonstrates our respect for God our Creator. We should be mindful of the consequences of various actions and act accordingly. Certain acts are safe in one environment, but very dangerous elsewhere. Wisdom and training are required to recognise the difference. A safe environment should also be provided.

Stewardship: God has blessed us richly. We enjoy a standard of life, quality of education and resources that are unknown in many parts of the globe. Whatever we have we should use faithfully. We care for the school grounds, buildings, equipment and resources so that things do not have to be needlessly repaired. We also do our best in every endeavour, using the gifts that He has given us, and work to develop them further. In this way we demonstrate thankfulness to God for His goodness (Matthew 25: 14-30). Stewardship includes the wise and godly use of our own lives in the service of Christ.

Explicit Teaching

JBCCS utilises the following programs to develop the understanding and skills necessary to practise the above values:

Biblical Studies Program
Through daily devotions, Biblical Studies and Term Chapel Services, God’s plan for our lives and the way in which we should live are taught. Students discover that Jesus taught and modelled a life of obedience to God and that the Holy Spirit enables us to do the same.

Biblical Parenting Principles for Schools
Principles of showing respect, obedience, and the development of a biblical morally mature character are taught as part of the Devotions, Biblical Studies Program and the PD&H program. Parents are encouraged to teach the principles in the home scene.

Protective Behaviours
The Bible teaches that man humanity was created in the image of God and accordingly each person deserves to be treated in a way that affirms this profound truth. During Term 1, all grades are taught Protective Behaviours to help students recognise behaviours that are contrary to Biblical principles. The Protective Behaviours Program is designed to equip children with life skills that would hopefully protect them from abusive behaviour. It also endeavours to provide them with the strategies to end abuse should it occur.

The program has two themes around which concepts and strategies are developed. The first is “We all have the need to feel safe all of the time.” The second theme is “Nothing is so awful that we can’t talk about it with someone we trust.” The students are assisted to develop the skills that help them to identify ways in which they can live out these two principles.

Relationships and Bullying
Our central aim is to encourage and train each child to know Christ and to know and implement his wisdom in their lives. Principles for relationships therefore include:

    • The right of a child to be respected as a person
    • The uniqueness of a each child, gifted by God
    • The need for love if development is to take place
    • The interdependence of the child as a member of the community of believers.

Our aim in relation to bullying is to:
    • Minimise & eliminate where possible bullying, harassment and violence
    • Give students strategies to assist them to feel safe.
    • Give students support when experiencing difficult situations.
    • Support and walk beside the “bully” while trying to change his/her behaviour.
       (See our ‘Anti-Bullying Policy, in the Student Welfare section of Policies)

Our curriculum is heavily weighted towards living in relationship with each other and God. This is a major focus of our school, so the children are often being taught and encouraged how to live for God.

The school will endeavour at all times to have an overall educational objective of self discipline and to develop co-operative attitudes and respect for the person and the property of others.

The child should be held responsible for his/her own actions.

We want our school to be a safe place to go so students will follow directions given by staff and will refrain from any activity which is likely to hurt others such as throwing objects, fighting, play fighting, pushing or any form of physical or emotional abuse.

We want our school to be a place where people feel loved so students are expected to show friendship and courtesy to all. Any behaviour which is disruptive, likely to hurt or upset others (including name calling, teasing, bullying, threatening, spitting or unacceptable language) is not allowed.

We want our school to be a place where all are treated fairly and with justice so we expect all students to speak and respect the truth in love.

     1. We will do this by educating staff and supporting them to implement programs and/or support to students or groups          of students. The staff are encouraged to be sensitive to children who might be being secretively harassed.

“And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34, 35 – Good News)

Bullying is any form of behaviour that deliberately hurts or makes another person feel intimidated, either physically or emotionally. It is repeated over time and the one being bullied finds it difficult to defend himself/herself.

It is important to understand why some children bully, and it can be for a number of reasons; insecurity, low self worth, seeking attention or power, frustration, hormones, modelling people who may be aggressive (some sports people) because they are recipients of it.

The children then need to be taught how to respond to being bullied, and how they should treat other people. They are to be taught how to relate to each other, and strategies of how to deal with the issue. They will be taught using Scripture, PDHPE syllabus, and Biblical Parenting Principles (Growing Kids God’s Way Study Folder).

These publications give useful strategies for dealing with the issues of bullying. However, staff need to examine themselves as to whether their actions and words are correct models. They should not have put-downs as part of their language, even as a joke. Teachers can be very powerful role models in student’s lives.

Staff Responses to Bullying
When bullying issues arise staff are to treat each one seriously and not brush it aside. Issues should be followed-up as soon as possible after the event, and as follow up keep checking as to how things are going. They write in their diary if necessary so as not to forget. Staff realise that for some children it will take a while to get rid of negative behaviour. All children need to realise that our actions have consequences and they are responsible for them. The victim needs to feel that they are safe and cared for. All children need to be taught resilience to cope with things that come against us.

Some useful strategies for staff are;
    • Give children space to calm down before working through the issues.
    • The children need to know that they are responsible for their actions.
    • Staff may need to give boys emotional language to say what they want to do. If it is dealt with it when they are            not emotional it helps them later to recognise the feeling.
    • Help them to understand their feelings and to talk about them. If they don’t have a word for it, help them with examples       and find out “when do you feel like this?”
    • After dealing with relational and emotional issues during the year you can refer the children back to it, “remember             when we talked about this …”

Consequences
It is vitally important that we equip our students by training them to recognise that there are consequences to our actions. Some actions invite positive consequences, others invite negative consequences.

The range of measures available to the school when a child seriously misbehaves is stated in the Discipline Policy – Disciplinary Consequences.

Some of the main outcomes sought are:
    • that repentance takes place;
    • forgiveness is sought or apology is made and
    • restoration of relationships are built and
    • restitution of property is made.

See Discipline Policy, Discipline Flow Chart and Disciplinary Consequences for details as to how discipline is carried out in the classroom and playground.

In all of the above procedures the aim is to bring all parties to forgiveness and restoration for living in community.

N.B. Due to the provisions of the Education Reform Amendment (Corporal Punishment) Act 1995, corporal punishment is not used in this school as part if its Discipline and/or Pastoral Care Policy.

When Things Go Wrong
As stated previously, if we find that any person is being bullied the matter will be treated seriously and attempts to rectify the situation will be immediately implemented. This is important as the longer it is allowed to continue the more difficult it becomes to solve for the persons concerned. Furthermore, more people may become involved which makes it a much bigger problem.

In the first instance, the teacher or Principal investigates. If the teacher investigates, the Principal is to be informed. Every attempt is to be made to ensure the safety of the persons involved. If the situation is not readily solved by working through with the children, the rest of the staff are to be included, via Staff Meeting or Staff Morning Devotion Time, so that the situation can be monitored at all times by all staff. If the situation is still not resolved the parents of the children concerned are invited to a meeting with the aim of working together to solve the situation.

The model for behaviour modification is outlined earlier in this document. This policy should be read in conjunction with our
Child Protection Policy.

VALUES FOR AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLING

Care and Compassion
Care for self and others

Fair Go
Pursue and protect the common good where all people are treated fairly for a just society

Freedom
Enjoy all the rights and privileges of Australian citizenship free from unnecessary interference or control, and stand up for the rights of others

Honesty and Trustworthiness
Be honest, sincere and seek the truth

Integrity
Act in accordance with principles of moral and ethical conduct, ensure consistency between words and deeds

Respect
Treat others with consideration and regard, respect another person’s point of view

Responsibility
Be accountable for one’s own actions, resolve differences in constructive, non-violent and peaceful ways, contribute to society and to civic life, take care of the environment

Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion
Be aware of others and their cultures, accept diversity within a democratic society, being included and including others

NATIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS FRAMEWORK

Guiding Principles for the provision of a safe and supportive school environment

Australian schools:

1. affirm the right of all school community members to feel safe at school
2. promote care, respect and cooperation, and value diversity
3. implement policies, programmes and processes to nurture a safe and supportive school environment
4. recognise that quality leadership is an essential element that underpins the creation of a safe and supportive school           environment
5. develop and implement policies and programmes through processes that engage the whole school community
6. ensure that roles and responsibilities of all members of the school community in promoting a safe and supportive     environment are explicit, clearly understood and disseminated
7. recognise the critical importance of pre-service and ongoing professional development in creating a safe and supportive     school environment
8. have a responsibility to provide opportunities for students to learn through the formal curriculum the knowledge, skills     and dispositions needed for positive relationships
9. focus on policies that are proactive and oriented towards prevention and intervention
10. regularly monitor and evaluate their policies and programmes so that evidence-based practice supports decisions and      improvements
1. take action to protect children from all forms of abuse and neglect