Hello Families, 

In week 0 we were very fortunate to have Michael Lincoln from the CEO come and complete PD about Restorative Practices with all the staff,  as this is a focus we are again having in our school. 

What is Restorative Practices? 

• Restorative Practice is a technique of addressing problems or conflict that focuses on repairing and healing. This supports the development of healthy relationships and conflict resolution skills. The goal is not to be punitive or punish, but to restore. It is a balance of firmness and fairness. We support a positive and safe school climate, and this supports our belief to create a greater sense of community.  

Restorative Practice promotes the following: 

• Respect for self 
• Respect for other children 
• Respect for teachers 
• Respect for learning
• Respect for environment 
• Reflective listening 
• Positive language 

In the past five weeks I have been supporting lessons in classrooms and encouraging students in the  implemention of affective statements to each other, which is part of Restorative Practices. This is not a new concept for many students at CMS, more a refresher and a reminder on how to deal with small problems that maybe occuring, this teaches students  independence, ownership and resilence. 

What is an affective statement? 

Affective statements are a way to communicate to another person how they have been affected by their actions or behaviours. Affective statements are also an effective way to teach students how to express their emotions appropriately. Naming feelings helps students develop a larger vocabulary to use words vs acting out emotions. It also helps students understand the impact of their actions. 

An affective statement is broken into 4 parts. 

What an affective statement looks/sounds like:

Problem: You were playing dodge ball and the ball hit you in the head and it hurt. 

Person saying affective statement: 

1. (Say something positive to whom you are giving the affective statement to, always relating the statement to the problem) 

I love playing dodge ball with you we always have fun.  

2.Tell the person about the problem/behaviour that has affected you 

When you hit me in the head with the ball today it was quite hard  

3.The feeling that you felt when the problem occurred, 

It really hurt and I also felt embarrassed,  

4. Tell the person what you would like to happen next time 

Next time can you aim for my arms or legs and not my head, 

You will probably notice posters in classrooms and around our school showing the process of an Affective Statement.  If you have any questions or would like to know more, please do not hesitate to ask.  

Lee-anne Vandenberg 

Student Wellbeing Counsellor