View our MSS Student Code of Conduct 2020-2023.
At Mareeba State School:
I am safe
We all have a right to feel safe at all times. Protective Behaviours are incorporated into the anti-bullying curriculum to promote a safe and supportive physical and social environment. Students are taught to notice early warning signs and talk to an adult that they trust. We are safe by:
- Staying in the correct eating and play areas.
- Following steps to solve any problem.
- Following safety rules and teacher directions.
I am a learner
Our core business is learning and teaching so that educational outcomes are maximised for all students. Students actively participate and are engaged in learning activities and skill development. We are learners by:
- Being confident, organised and on time.
- Listening to staff members and others when they are speaking.
- Persisting and finishing work tasks.
- Working co-operatively and allowing others to learn.
I am respectful
Respect for ourselves and all members of the school community is the corner stone for productive relationships and communication. Members of our friendly school community treat each other with politeness, courtesy and good manners. We work as a team to acknowledge our rights and to support each other to perform our roles and responsibilities to the best of our ability. We are respectful by:
- Using good manners and making good choices.
- Keeping our hands and feet to ourselves.
- Respecting all property and people.
Positive Behaviour for Learning
Most of the students at Mareeba State School are self-managing students who deserve recognition and reward for their self-responsibility. Preventing inappropriate behaviour via the promotion of appropriate behaviour is a more positive and generally more successful method of managing student behaviour than correcting behaviour incidents after they occur.
A positive whole school culture
Our school culture is developed through social skills and behavioural expectations in context being explicitly taught and acknowledged. Staff select from a wide range of acknowledgement strategies with students including:
- Praise/encouragement (verbal/non-verbal/written)
- Class responsibilities (messenger, teacher’s helper, library monitor, tuckshop)
- Inter-class responsibilities (peer tutoring)
- Token/point/star systems (individual/group goal-setting)
- Gold pass day (end of term activity for students who demonstrate self-responsibility)
- Public display of work (classroom, foyer, Sentinel newsletter)
- Individual class-level rewards (stickers, books, stamps, free time, certificates, student-choice activities, computer time)
- Whole class rewards (parties, fun days, free time, sport, videos)
- Phone calls to parents
- Principal’s congratulatory letters home to students
- Sharing work with others (Principal, Deputy Principals, other classes, parents)
- Teacher evaluations (results/comments on work/behaviour reporting)
- Celebrations (birthdays, achievements)
- Notices in school newsletter
- Principal’s/Deputy Principal’s awards
- Student council positions
- Leadership positions for year 6 students
Through the school wide Positive Behaviour Support program, all classes teach lessons on behavioural expectations.
PayWay System
Students are rewarded for positive behaviour by earning PayWay tokens. These tokens can be spent at the 'Respect & Collect Shop', where students can cash in tokens to 'purchase' prizes. These prizes are then presented on parade to reward and celebrate positive behaviour.
