Family Life Education PolicyRationale:The right of a child to be ‘well cared for, loved and protected by their family and the community’ is the basis for any caring community. Today we are aware of the many influences operating on family life and in the Beagle Bay community in which we teach. Through education we are called to help students maintain responsible, healthy and positive attitudes towards life, and to explore the spiritual, moral, physical, social, psychological and cultural dimensions of human sexuality. Parents and families in partnership with Sacred Heart School are called to educate and form young people in Catholic Christian attitudes, values and lifestyles appropriate for today. The family has intrinsic value and a fundamental role to play in both Church and society, for it is that community in which the whole network of social relations is grounded. As a result the church considers serving and supporting the family to be one of its essential duties. The Family Life Education Program Sacred Heart School has adopted, has been developed for P-12 students in Catholic Schools. The materials have been written by Religious Education and Health Education teachers and have been used extensively in South Australian Catholic Schools for the past four years. It provides teachers with a comprehensive package of learning materials, encompassing the specific concepts, understandings, information and skills required by students as they develop their beliefs, values, attitudes and strategies for managing the complex world in which they live. The Family Life Education Program (FLE) recognizes the key role of parents in the task of education. The role of Sacred Heart School is one of assisting and complementing the work of the parents. We recognize that parents play a key role in establishing and maintaining successful family life education within our Catholic school community. The FLE Program involves parents in its program. Parents, community members and staff form the Overview Committee. Guidelines The Guidelines of the FLE Program are to develop the skills and attitudes to assist young people to live in an ever-changing world where they will face many challenges and opportunities. The Guidelines seek to promote: The Guidelines are presented under five main thematic headings: This curriculum focuses on developing knowledge and skills, and fostering values that support students in making informed, responsible, healthy choices in their lives. The information, activities and learning processes contained under each heading represent the essential elements of a comprehensive and balanced curriculum on human sexuality. As children move through their schooling they will be presented with an integrated course on human sexuality which gives special emphasis to age and culturally appropriate issues and information. The FLE Program is primarily a Pastoral Care Program. Pastoral Care is integral to the daily life of Sacred Heart School and is experienced whenever people of our school communities interact creatively. The FLE Program embraces the total life of the school by contributing to the realization of gifts within each person and a commitment to the well being of society. Each person in our school community is invited to become more fully human. At Sacred Heart School parents, families, Church and community agencies cooperate to foster growth among students. History In fourth term of 2001, delegates from schools and communities were sent to the Catholic Education Office in Broome to be in serviced about the program. The program received a very positive response and was seen to be a comprehensive program that addressed many of the issues affecting the children in our Kimberley Catholic Schools. At a Principal’s Meeting late last year, it was decided that to gain maximum value from the program and to ensure Catholic Kimberley Schools were given support when implementing the program, a Family life Education Coordinator was needed, to oversee the program, network between schools and Kimberley Health Organizations, in service staff, and provide human and literary resources. The Kimberley Catholic Principals decided that together they would fund a person to undertake this role. The funding includes paying wages, resourcing administration needs and providing a rent subsidy for this person who is based in Broome. The Family Life Education Coordinator’s position does not come under the umbrella of CEO funding. Rose Haggarty who had taught at Billiluna for four years and thus gained valuable experience working with children in Aboriginal communities was appointed to the position. Her role is primarily to be traveling around to the various Kimberley communities liaising, educating and empowering school communities to implement the program in a way that is consistent with the needs of that specific community. Her role as FLE Coordinator includes the following: In 2002, it was decided that the implementation of the Family Life Education Program would be classified a high priority area in the curriculum of Sacred Heart School. The Assistant Principal’s role was altered to include the position of Family Life Education Coordinator. A core group of staff consisting of Aboriginal teachers and teaching assistants and the coordinator was comprised. This group gathered a core group of community members to form the Overview Committee who then attended several meetings to adapt/modify/affirm elements of the program that would be taught at the school. Time tabling Family Life Education is taught in all classes across the school from 11.45-12.15 Monday –Wednesday. Parents are encouraged to attend these sessions. Cate Engelbrecht the school psychologist conducts some sessions at this time. The community clinic and the school nurse also conduct sessions at appropriate times. The FLE Coordinator conducts some sessions at various times. Teachers conduct their own sessions with the support from the coordinator and FLE team. Teachers have been given professional input on the topics in this program and the Catholic perspective by multiple sessions with the Parish Priest, Principal, FLE Coordinator and school psychologist. One thematic heading is covered per term with two topics being covered in fourth term. Teachers use the FLE Guidelines to form the basis of their planning which contain specific aims and outcomes. Assessment tools are also incorporated into the Guidelines. Teachers are to submit their FLE planning to the coordinator during each term. Assessment and evaluation are vital aspects to the success of the Program. Other school based programs which have been amalgamated into the FLE Program are the Healthy Eating Program, Behavior Management Program and Substance Abuse Program. These programs are time tabled and link in with the FLE topics and Religious Education Program. Reporting to Parents Parents are informed of the children’s progress twice a year in a written report, given out during open days. Any concerns or issues arising out of the content to do with a particular child are addressed with the parents by the Principal and/or FLE Coordinator and/or school psychologist. Family/Kinship Program After consultation with the FLE Overview Committee it was decided to run a Family/Kinship program alongside the Human Sexuality Topic of the FLE Program. This came out of the identified need for children to be more aware of their relationships in Beagle Bay. The aims of this program were to have family members work with their children in the school to inform them of their family connections in Beagle Bay and to pass on stories and knowledge of their family history. It is a time for the children in the families to work cooperatively with each other and engage in team building activities. This involves separating the children into their family groups and working with their parents and family members to construct a family tree and family history. This is run each Thursday from 11.00-12.10 during term 2. ASSPA provides a lunch for those parents and community members who volunteer their time in the school. If families are not represented by adult family members, teachers who have been allocated a particular family to work with for the term engage the children in family based activities. These activities can take many forms. Some examples are: * Discuss/draw write about bush names/totems etc if that applies to them * Tales with a Tip – Looking after Siblings- story on worksheet * Rotate digital camera around groups – take photos of children who are there – do family profile or Power Point presentation on the family Evaluation: As this FLE program is in its developmental stage it is continually being modified and updated as the weeks progress and evolution occurs. This is a working document. Home page To about us |