Respectful Relationships

This year we are very pleased to announce we are introducing a new program to our school timetable, that being “Respectful Relationships”.  Therese Winter will facilitate this initiative and all classes will participate in lessons every Tuesday.

We all want our children to have an education that gives them the best start to a happy, healthy and prosperous life. Respectful Relationships supports students to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to strengthen their sense of self, and build and manage safe and respectful relationships. Respectful Relationships takes a whole-school approach, recognising that schools are a place of learning, a workplace and a key part of local communities. It works to embed a culture of respect and equality across our entire school community, from our classrooms to staffrooms, school events, sporting fields and social events. 

As part of our whole school approach the staff have made a decision to declare 2020 'The Year of Respect'. This grew from both the professional learning we engaged in last week and our desire to be a community that is tolerant, open to difference and members are respectful of self, of others and our spaces including our school, community and the broader world. We spent considerable time exploring and deepening our understanding and knowledge of the Catholic Social Teachings. Over coming weeks and months we will share much about each of these principles, but the core principle is that of the human dignity of each person and so plan to focus intensively with the students on building very explicit understandings of what respect looks like, feels like and sounds like.

The principle of human dignity reminds us:

We must recognise we are all brothers and sisters which requires us to respect, value and uphold a common dignity for ourselves and each other. As human beings we are created in the image and likeness of God so therefore we have an inherent worth and distinction.