Loftus Public School Values Education
What are values?
Values are people's conceptions of what is good or desirable and what is important in life. Values shape attitudes to the changing circumstances, events and issues encountered in daily life.
The need for values
The ideals which we hold most dear in life and the goals we seek to achieve are expressions of the values we hold. So also are the standards of behaviour we set for ourselves and others.
Core values underlie all our beliefs and attitudes towards what is happening in our lives and influence how people communicate, work together and make decisions.
As individuals, values give meaning and direction to our lives.
Values Education at Loftus Public School
Young people acquire values through their experiences at school, at home and in other social situations. It is important that schools foster the common values of our community, while being sensitive to the specific values of the various groups which make up a community and acknowledging the rights and responsibilities of parents.
At Loftus Public School, we actively work towards helping our students acquire values that will support respect for others, a love of learning, a personal belief system, and morality, positive human relationships and civic responsibility.
After consultation with the students, staff and school community of Loftus Public School, the following set of core values to which we are committed were decided upon:
Self Confidence
Developing a strong sense of self worth in all pupils, leading to an ability to confidently contribute to the quality of school and community life.
Honesty
Being truthful in all your words and sincere in your actions, therefore deserving the trust others place in you.
Responsibility
Being accountable for one's own thoughts, attitude and actions, reflecting on the consequences for yourself, others and the environment.
Excellence
Aiming to achieve your personal best in all aspects of school and community life.
Cooperation
Working together democratically for the good of all, while being considerate of individual differences.
Kindness
Demonstrating empathy, consideration and thoughtfulness for others.
Reward Systems
At Loftus Public School our core values of Self Confidence, Honesty, Responsibility, Excellence, Cooperation and Kindness are explicitly and systematically taught to all students through an annually run program.
Students are acknowledged for displaying the Core Values by being given colour-coded stickers to display on their individual values chart. 10 stickers earns them a colour-coded value wristband that is worn to school each day. When students have achieved 20 value stickers, they are presented with second tier awards of personal certificates from the Principal and recognition in the school newsletter. In 2011, we introduced colour coded badges to students who achieved a total of 40 stickers of a specific value. They wear these badges as part of their daily school uniform with great pride.
Individual students and class groups are also rewarded for displaying the core values through the presentation of the Core Values Cup and Student of the Month Awards. The recognition of core values is firmly entrenched in our school culture.