T H E FR I E N D S ’ S C H O O LT H E FR I E N D S ’ S C H O O L

FRIENDS’ EARLY YEARS VALUESVV STATEMENT23 Commercial Road

PO Box 42 North Hobart

Tasmania 7002 Australia

Telephone: + 61 (0)3 6210 2200

Facsimile: + 61 (0)3 6234 8209

Email: enquiries@friends.tas.edu.au

www.friends.tas.edu.au

i

THE FRIENDS’ SCHOOL

FRIENDS’ EARLY YEARS VALUES STATEMENT

Friends’ Early Years Values Statement 2013 to 2016 ii

PURPOSE AND CONCERNS

The Friends’ School is a co-educational Quaker school based on fundamental values such as the intrinsic worth of each person, the recognition of ‘that of God’ in everyone, the desirability of simplicity and the need to establish peace and justice. As a learning community, we are concerned for the academic, cultural, physical, social and spiritual development of each person in our care. We seek to help our students develop into men and women who will think clearly, act with integrity, make decisions for themselves, be sensitive to the needs of others and the environment, be strong in service and hold a global perspective. We believe that these aims can best be achieved with the active support of all members of our School community.

Friends’ Early Years Values Statement 2013 to 2016 iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PURPOSE AND CONCERNS II !

TABLE OF CONTENTS III

INTRODUCTION 1 !

The Aim Of This Document 1!The Quaker Testimonies 1

VALUES 2 !

Simplicity 2!Peace And Justice 3!Integrity 4!Community 5!Equality 6!Stewardship 7!

1

INTRODUCTION

THE AIM OF THIS DOCUMENT

The Purpose and Concerns Statement at the front of this booklet articulates the values that guide our staff and children. The aim of this Values Statement is to illustrate how these values will be seen in action during the day to day running of Friends’ Early Years. This Values Statement is written for both staff and parents so that all adults who enter our premises clearly understand the values that guide our early learning centre. We ask all adults to uphold these values whilst at Friends’ Early Years.

THE QUAKER TESTIMONIES

The Friends’ Early Years Values Statement is based on the Purpose and Concerns Statement of The Friends’ School and the Testimonies of The Religious Society of Friends:

S Simplicity

P Peace and Justice

I Integrity

C Community

E Equality

S Stewardship

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VALUES

SIMPLICITY

Administration Endeavour to keep administrative tasks, paperwork and planning simple by:

• Creating processes that support and streamline all types of administration work, allowing the focus of staff energies to remain on the children

• Limiting forms and guidelines to only those that are necessary and ensuring that they are worded simply and logically.

Environment

Promote the desirability of simplicity within our learning environment through the use of:

• Colours and hues inspired by nature • Natural, renewed, reused or recycled resources that are open-ended and encourage discovery

learning • Simple, uncluttered classroom designs and layouts.

Food Promote simple healthy eating by:

• Encouraging the consumption of nutritionally balanced food and seeking parent support in this

endeavour • Encouraging the use of simple packaging of children’s food items • Growing our own produce.

Spirit Value the spirit over material objects by:

• Encouraging families to share with the centre items from their home that are of cultural, developmental, emotional, sentimental or spiritual importance to their child in preference to recently purchased toys and consumer items.

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PEACE AND JUSTICE

Conflict Foster and build conflict resolution skills for the children by:

• Using conflict between children as a learning opportunity • Seeking elegant, simple solutions to problems or disagreements between children.

Minimise conflict between adults by: • Empowering adults to share responsibility for the centre culture • Settling disputes in a calm and peaceful way. • Where possible and appropriate, making decisions by consensus or the “sense of meeting”.

Calmness Promote a sense of peace for the children in our learning environment by:

• Creating calming rooms and outdoor spaces with areas for resting and being quiet. • Scheduling quiet time within each room’s day, so that children learn how to be still. Promote a sense of peace for the adults by: • Creating a peaceful no work zone within our ‘open-door’ staff room.

Friends’ Early Years Values Statement 2013 to 2016 4

INTEGRITY

Honesty Expect adults to be honest in their dealings with each other in all areas including:

• Written and verbal parent and staff communication • Observations and record keeping.

Nurture each child’s inner moral compass by: • Cultivating inner motivation not driven by rewards • Encouraging honesty amongst our children • Being honest about our own feelings when speaking with children.

Interconnectedness: Acknowledge interconnectedness and essential oneness by:

• Adhering to an emergent and integrated curriculum • Scaffolding and supporting children’s gifts and interests.

Respect Treat all with respect by:

• Setting high expectations with regard to acceptable and respectful behaviour in all forms of

communication between children, parents and colleagues.

Friends’ Early Years Values Statement 2013 to 2016 5

COMMUNITY

Connections Connect with our local community by:

• Planning activities that enable children to engage in community events • Promoting Brightside Farm Sanctuary and involving this charity within our yearly curriculum • Inviting members of the community to our centre • Donating resources to charity when the centre no longer needs them.

Connect with our families by:

• Planning activities that enable and encourage family participation in the life of our centre. For example, parent help rosters, our annual Christmas party (etc.).

Be a willing and proactive member of our School community by:

• Participating in school events as and when appropriate • Establishing, maintaining and promoting links with other campuses • Supporting other campuses.

Sharing Create a safe and nurturing atmosphere so that our children can:

• Feel safe to share, ask questions and make mistakes • Listen to other people’s thoughts without judgement or comment • Provide support for those in emotional need.

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EQUALITY

Celebrate Celebrate a rich community made up of many cultures by:

• Encouraging families of diverse race, socio-economic status, family structure and faith to apply • Ensuring our resources reflect a broad, inclusive spectrum of the global community • Inviting members of various nationalities to contribute to our curriculum.

Value Value the worth of each child by:

• Understanding that each child is a capable learner • Celebrating the process of learning, rather than the finished product • Ensuring that each educator is the “guide by the side” • Ensuring our environment is purposefully set up to enhance and scaffold learning.

Value the worth of each family by:

• Understanding that each family is an expert on their child • Understanding that the views and opinions of each family are important. Value the worth of each educator by:

• Appreciating their professional judgement so that they can be confident to address families from

a position of informed worth • Discussing views and opinions and listening to the views and opinions of other colleagues in

appropriately provided forums.

Friends’ Early Years Values Statement 2013 to 2016 7

STEWARDSHIP

Care Nurture a sense of stewardship for the earth and its inhabitants by:

• Teaching children to take care of what has been given, not just for ourselves, but for the people around us and for future generations as well.

Sustainability Promote environmental, economic and social sustainability by:

• Teaching children to appreciate their world through scientific inquiry, artistic expression, outdoor education, outdoor adventures and exposure to natural resources.

Protect and care for the earth by:

• Recycling, reusing, composting (etc.) whenever possible and reducing the amount of energy and water we consume.

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