National Safe Schools Framework 2-4: Safe Schools
Safe SchoolsActivity 1
My teacher and me!
The relationships we have with our teachers are important in helping us to learn, play, feel safe and be a respected class member. How do you show respect to your teacher? How does your teacher show respect towards you?
Get ready
You’ll need:
Activity Steps
Step 1
Sit in a circle and take turns to tell the class something positive and interesting about another member in the class, including your teacher. There are two rules:
- Each person can only be mentioned once.
- Your comments must be positive and respectful.
Step 2
Think about the different types of relationships you have with other people in your class, including:
- Best friends
- Close friends
- Playground friends
- Workmates
- Classmates
- Teachers
Step 3
Explore the value of good student–teacher relationships. Why are they important?
Step 4
Share your ideas about the characteristics of a respectful teacher and a respectful student.
Step 5
Create a list and discuss why these characteristics are important in helping you feel safe, valued and connected.
Step 6
Watch the video of students as they discuss their relationships with their teachers. How do the students in the video show respect to their teachers?
Step 6
In groups of four, complete the Y-chart handout and write down your ideas about what respectful student–teacher relationships look like, sound like and feel like.
Step 8
When you’ve finished, join with another group and share both group’s Y-charts. Discuss, then vote for the top ideas for each section of the Y-chart.
Step 9
Combine your top ideas with the rest of the class’s ideas on a master sheet, and then vote for the top three ideas for each section of the Y-chart and display in the classroom.
Activity 2
Play it safe
It is important that everyone feels safe and happy in the playground. There are many ways that we can make our playground a better place for everyone.
Do you feel happy and safe in your school playground?
Get ready
You’ll need:
- Playground survey (handout 1)
- BRAIN activity record sheet (handout 2)
- Camera to take photos (optional)
Activity Steps
Step 1
Think about …
All playgrounds are different. Some have lots of room to play while others have very little. The most important thing is that there are ways to keep active and feel safe and happy.
Step 2
Think about your playground.
- What equipment is there to play on?
- Are there areas for older children and younger children?
- Can you eat outside? If so where?
- Are there covered and uncovered areas?
- Are there areas for active games and quiet games?
- Are there areas to meet new friends?
Step 3
Explore …
It’s time to do a survey of your playground to see if and how it can be made safer and better for everyone. Take the survey sheet and do a 15-minute walk around your playground to do the survey. If you have a camera, you could take some photos as examples of what you find.
Step 4
Now that you have your information about the playground, complete the BRAIN activity to see how your playground can be improved.
Step 5
The BRAIN activity asks you to think about the playground and
Beautify it in some way
Replace or reorganise some parts of it
Add or remove parts of it
Increase or decrease parts of it
Name it differently.
Step 6
Now, imagine your school principal has given you some money to make some improvements to the playground. What would you like to do? Make your recommendations realistic.
In a group of five, each take one letter from BRAIN and think about how you could make your playground better. Use the information from your surveys to help you.
Step 7
Respond …
With the whole class, create a list of the top five improvements you think can be made to the playground. Present these to the student representative council or the principal for consideration.
proudly supported by
proudly supported by
