EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
There are four main cornerstones to a Quality School.
1) Students are taught to do Quality Work.
Quality work is the best we can do at the time.
2) Every effort is made to meet the needs of students, staff and community in a non-coercive environment.
3) Students are taught how to self evaluate.
4) Students learn meaningful, useful things
There Are Five Main Strands That We Emphasise At Twizel Area School
1) FEELING GOOD ABOUT OURSELVES
“We believe every child should feel good about themselves and what they are achieving – raising self-esteem.”
We teach students to:
- respect themselves, so others can respect them
- take pride in their work and achievements
- acknowledge good performance in any, and all, areas of endeavour
- refrain from “put downs”
- be appropriately dressed and well-groomed
- work on social skills
- accept compliments
2) ACCENTUATING THE POSITIVE
“We praise all students for good work, behaviour and attitudes.”
We believe that:
- rewards are better than punishments
- courtesy and good manners are important
- all should behave in a way that brings credit to our school
We also believe in:
- reaffirming cooperation and responsible behaviours
- building school morale
- being good listeners – friendly and communicative
3) INSTILLING SELF-DISCIPLINE
“The most effective form of discipline is self-discipline.”
We help students towards self-discipline by encouraging them to:
- accept responsibility for their actions
- develop plans for avoiding problems and for putting things right when mistakes have been made
- use acceptable and appropriate language
- develop and use alternative strategies for coping with conflicts
- consistently follow school rules, procedures and expectations
- attend all classes and meetings
4) BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR LEARNING
“We strive to develop students who take responsibility for their own learning.”
We assist students to achieve this by:
- stressing the importance of skills/attitudes for life-long learning
- creating an environment that encourages learning
- teaching and supporting a range of learning strategies
And by encouraging them to:
- make the most of opportunities
- meet the requirements, eg. homelearning
- set own goals
- evaluate own progress and quality of work
- develop thinking skills
5) RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS
“Treat others as you would like to be treated.”
We ask students to:
- observe the School Code of Conduct
- contribute to a peaceful, non-violent school (no fighting, bullying, verbal abuse or harassment)
- ensure that classrooms are not disrupted
- respect others’ possessions and our school environment
- respect and appreciate others for the individuals they are
Twizel Area School 