Reynella Primary School Grapevine

Positive Behaviours for Learning

One of the key ways we’re strengthening our commitment to a safe, supportive and inclusive environment is through our focus on Positive Behaviours for Learning (PBL).

PBL is a whole-school approach that promotes and reinforces positive behaviour to support learning and wellbeing. It involves clearly teaching expected behaviours, acknowledging when students meet those expectations and responding consistently when challenges arise. The aim is to build a culture where positive behaviour is the norm and students feel confident, safe and ready to learn.

As part of this work, we’ve begun the process of refreshing our school values, ensuring they reflect the kind of school community we all want to be part of. This has included initial staff workshops where we’ve explored the beliefs and behaviours that matter most to us.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be inviting input from students, families and the wider community as we shape a new, shared set of school values. Your voice is vital in this process and we look forward to working together to define values that guide not only our behaviour, but our identity as a school.

 

The Impact of Social-Media on Adolescents

As a school community, we are committed to the wellbeing of every student. One area that continues to grow in complexity is the influence of social media on young people’s relationships, mental health and learning.

While social media can be a positive space for connection and self-expression, it also has a darker side, particularly when it comes to online conflict and bullying. We occasionally see the residual effects of these interactions spill into the school environment, impacting friendships, focus and overall wellbeing.

Unlike face-to-face disagreements, social media interactions can continue after school hours and reach a much wider audience. The words and images shared online can leave lasting emotional scars and students often arrive at school still carrying the weight of what’s happened the night before.

We encourage all families to speak regularly with their children about their online lives. Setting boundaries, checking in and modelling respectful digital behaviour at home can make a big difference.

Together, we can create a culture, both online and at school, where respect and kindness guide our interactions.

Chris Tippett

Principal

 

USING OUR EFFECTIVE LEARNER HABITS AT WOODHOUSE

In week 7, F5 and F6 went to Woodhouse Adventure Park to focus on using the five effective learner habits while having fun and enjoying the sunny day.

At the start of the day, F5 went to the tube slide, and F6 went to the Labyrinth. To get there, we walked down a steep hill and crossed a bridge. At the Labyrinth, we completed a maze, played games, and had a race.

For the maze, we had to escape before the helper blew her whistle. If we got stuck, we could use the emergency exits or return to the start. Most made it out, but some had to exit early.

Next, we did a race in groups of four with three-letter names. We were timed to see how long we took. We also played hide-and-seek, where two seekers played the first round and six in the second. The first-round seekers won, but the game was fantastic!

Later, we went to Challenge Hill in groups, each taking a different route. After a short walk uphill, the challenges began, with tricky and easy obstacles like Elephant Grave and Mouse Trap. Everyone worked hard to get through them.

After about an hour, we took a few photos and headed back for lunch before starting the tube slide.

The tube slide had two big slides down a steep hill: a straight one where you could go alone or with a friend and a wavy one that had to be done solo. A staff member showed us how to carry the tube properly, and two helpers assisted at the top. Then, we could slide as many times as we wanted!

Everyone loved it, and no one got hurt. Afterward, we packed our bags and returned to school.

The 5 Effective Learner Habits

The five effective learner habits are curiosity, making meaning, creativity, strategic awareness, and metacognition & self-regulation. Below are examples of how some students used the effective learner habits at Woodhouse.

Curiosity:

·         "I dug deep to understand all the rules and instructions so I knew what to do."

·         "A question I asked to make sure I understood was, ‘Can we do the rope swing?’"

Making Meaning:

·         "I reflected on trying things that I didn’t understand."

·         "A goal I set myself and worked towards was overcoming obstacles that I’d never done before."

Creativity:

·         "I was willing to try the tube slide, and it was very scary at first."

·         "I used my imagination and thought about how to get out of the Mouse Trap on Challenge Hill."

Strategic Awareness:

·         "I used problem-solving skills in new situations when I was in the pit."

·         "I gained ideas from a range of sources when going on the tube slide."

Metacognition & Self-Regulation:

·         “I checked in with myself to make sure I could do my personal best.”

·         “Some questions I asked myself were: ‘Could I challenge myself even more?’ and ‘Is there a better way to do this?’”

Written by Maddison, Anugraha, Taliah and Kayley (F6).

 

D1 had a wonderful time celebrating Harmony Day two weeks ago! We began by brainstorming words that capture the core values of harmony, such as peace, respect and friendship. With these words in mind, we were about to create and write our own Haiku poems. Each student crafted a unique poem, expressing their thoughts and feelings about harmony in just three lines. To showcase our creativity, we used Canva to design vibrant posters featuring our poems. Harmony Day in D1 was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate diversity and community.

Reynella East athletics were represented by three Reynella Primary School students at the State Challenge on Sunday 16th of March 2025.The competition was held at the SA Athletic Stadium, Mile End. Ethan, Amara and Sydnee competed in track and field events including the 200m sprint, long jump, hurdles and the high jump. Amara won a silver medal in high jump, coming second. Well done to all!!

Principal	Chris Tippett
Deputy Principal	Anthony Parina
Senior Leader (Mon-Wed)	Jen McEvoy
Wellbeing Leader	Fiona Brown