National Safe Schools Framework 9-12
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Our shared school values communicate what everyone in our school community believes to be important. Our values guide our decisions and behaviours, especially with regard to the way we interact with each other in both our social and learning relationships.
It is important to reflect on our school values and to build our understandings and skills so that we can put our values into action each day. In doing this we can contribute to building a safe, supportive, respectful and inclusive school community.
Focus
Reflect on and share ideas about three core values and what they look like in action. The three values are: Respect, Support and kindness, and Acceptance of differences.
Get ready
You’ll need:
- Clipboards, paper and pencils/pens (one for each student)
- A chair for each student
- X-chart (A3 size) for each group – handout 1 and
- X-chart guiding questions for each value – handouts 2 to 4
Activity steps
This cross-age activity involves your class working with a year 7 or year 8 class. The activity is intended to give you an opportunity to connect with or strengthen existing relationships with students in year 7 or 8, as you collaborate to build a shared understanding of values in action within your school community.
Step 1
Immersion
View the videos from the video gallery and think about the scenarios presented, using these questions to guide your thinking:
- What happened in each scenario?
- How did the boys’ game plan affect the girls?
- What effect can respect and disrespect have on relationships, learning and self-esteem?
- How can we show respect in our relationships at school?
Share your thoughts with the class.
Step 2
Set up the room
Clear a space and arrange chairs in two concentric circles, the inner circle of chairs facing out and the outer circle of chairs facing in. Place a clipboard, paper and pen/pencil under each chair. (The clipboard is for individual reflection at the end of each round.)
Step 3
Doughnut activity
- The facilitator (your teacher and/or a student) will guide you through the Doughnut activity. He/she gives instructions, poses questions for you and your partner to think and talk about, and keeps time: 3 minutes for pairs to share their ideas about the question and 1 minute for an individual reflection at the end of each round.
- Enter the circle and sit on a chair. Your class sits on chairs in the inner circle, and the year 7 or 8 students sit on chairs in the outer circle. Ensure that each student sitting in the inner circle is facing one student seated in the outer circle, to form a pair.
- Number pairs off, from one to twelve, until all pairs have a number (this is for group work in step 4).
- Once everyone is seated, you are ready to commence.
Round 1: Respect
How can you tell that someone respects you? What do they do or say?
How can you show respect for others at school?
Take turns to share your ideas with your partner.
When the facilitator signals (after 3 minutes), the partner in the outer circle stands and moves four spaces in a clockwise direction. Once seated and the facilitator signals again, take turns with your new partner to paraphrase your previous partner’s ideas.
When the facilitator signals, end your conversation, and complete an interim reflection: pick up the clipboard that is under your seat and jot down 5–10 key words from the ideas shared about ‘respect’ (this will help you to share ideas during group work in step 4).
When the facilitator signals, students in the outer circle move one space in a clockwise direction (taking their clipboard and notes with them).
Round 2: Support and kindness
How can people show kindness and support you?
How do you show kindness and support to people at school?
Repeat the process outlined in Round 1.
Round 3: Accepting difference
How do you know that differences are accepted in our school? (eg, the physical set up at our school, the programmes that are in place, what people do/say in class, playground, etc).
How do you show that you accept other people’s differences at school? What do you do and say?
Repeat the process outlined in Round 1.
Step 4
Group work
- Form twelve groups according to your allocated number (ie, all of the ‘ones’ form a group, all of the ‘twos’ form a group, and so on). Remember to take your notes with you.
- The facilitator will allocate or invite your group to select one of the three values, ensuring that four groups work on each value.
Processing the information
Your group will need an A3 copy of an X-chart (handout 1) and a copy of the guiding questions for your selected value (the relevant page from handouts 2–4).
Read through the guiding questions and ask any questions of clarification before commencing your group task.
Select a discussion leader and a recorder before you begin to share ideas. (Consider rotating these roles within the group, changing roles with each quadrant of the X-chart.)
The discussion leader invites each member of your group to share their ideas from the Doughnut activity. After the group identifies the key ideas, the recorder writes them on the chart.
When you have completed the chart, take time to read it to ensure that all of the important ideas are included.
Step 5
Taking action
How can we model respect/kindness and support/acceptance of difference within our school community on a daily basis?
Once your group has completed the X-chart, think about how you can model your group’s selected value on a daily basis.
Then think about how you could share this information with the school community in an engaging way. Your group could:
- dramatise a scenario
- compose a story, poem or song
- create a cartoon or animation
- create a poster or brochure
- negotiate a unique mode of presentation with the teacher.
Once your group has decided the mode of presentation, begin to plan and draft it.
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