Successful and happy students are those who openly welcome and embrace their time at school, and strive to make the most of it. Positive, empowering and uplifting participation and engagement are integral to students’ learning and wellbeing. Such things are best brought about in through community, whereby shared values and acknowledged responsibilities are rightfully brought into agreement with mutually known and accepted practices.
The behaviours that we value in our students—behaviours that demonstrate individual and collective commitment to a safe, supportive and responsive learning environment for all—are outlined in the Student Participation and Engagement Agreement. The importance of this as a priority is explained further here.
In a positive school environment a sense of community grows. And it is in community that we find the strength to learn from and support each other. Achieving a sense of community requires commitment to known and shared values that enable the building of environments of mutual respect and safety; positive learning, participation and engagement; respect for the rights and dignity of others; and accountability for personal behaviour. In short, community requires agreement, understood as mutual understanding, conformity and consistency in our participation and engagement in that community.