Students shine at Clifton Springs

CLIFTON Springs Primary School’s students are enjoying the return to on-site school after many weeks of remote learning this year, with the support of their SHINE captains in the playground.

School principal Meg Parker says she is very proud of the students and the SHINE program, which benefits the younger students and the SHINE captains themselves.

“The SHINE captains are a team who just this year have taken on peer mediation in the yard at recess and lunch of the P-2 students,” Ms Parker said.

“They also make sure no-one is on their own in the yard; they really do help to make recess a happy and safe time.

“The SHINE captains were trained in restorative conversations earlier in the year to use on little incidents in the yard.

“Restorative conversations allows students to resolve one-on-one conflict through focusing on the impacts of the action and what both parties can do moving forward.

“Anything major, the SHINE captains alert the teachers on yard duty so they can deal with those larger issues.”

The SHINE captains can see that there are benefits for all involved in the program, with Sara saying there were more people in the yard for students to go to if they needed help.

Grace said she noticed, since the return of all students to school, that there were less issues now compared to the beginning of the year.

“There are more friendships in the yard as everyone now has someone to play with,” Charlotte said.

“I helped by teaching students on their own how to go up to other students that look lonely and ask them if they would like to play.”

“I helped four students who were all sitting on the friendship seat hoping someone would ask them to play; I suggested they play together and they did,” Taylan said.

The captains also feel good helping the younger students, and Aaliyah said it “makes you feel good seeing the younger students caring about each other”.

“It’s nice to spend time with the younger students and gives us a bit of a break from the older students and some of their concerns that comes from being a teenager,” the captains said.

“Over time you get to know the students and know when they are not their usual cheerful selves. We then go and ask them what’s up and help them to feel happy again.”

Younger student Skyla said the SHINE captains “really show the school values of kindness”.

Clifton Springs PS was a finalist in this year’s Victorian Education Excellence Awards’ outstanding inclusive education category.