Kurunjang P.S. began the implementation of the Berry Street Educational Model (BSEM) in 2016. This has seen teachers work with students to develop trusting and enduring relationships that underpin the development of 4 other domains of learning: Body, Stamina, Character and Engagement.
In the BODY domain, students learn about how stress can impact their readiness to learn, identify triggers that make them feel anxious and apply learned strategies so they can make positive choices.
At Kurunjang P.S. classroom teachers use strategies such Meditation, Ready to Learn Scales Mindfulness, and Safety Plans to help students build their capacity for self-regulation.
In the STAMINA domain, students learn how their mindsets can impact their attitude about learning and how effort translates to success. A fixed mindset is evident when students resist unfamiliar tasks or use language such as “I’m not good at this” or “I can’t do it?”.
At Kurunjang P.S. students are encouraged to use a growth mindset, whereby challenges, setbacks, mistakes, effort and feedback are considered essential for learning and success. We believe in the power of the word “yet”, so teachers and students use language such as “I can’t do it yet” and “I can become good at this with effort and practise”. Our staff build strong relationships with students to foster their resilience and emotional intelligence.
In the CHARACTER domain, teachers help students identify strengths, such as kindness, humour and bravery, within themselves and in others. By exploring the similarities and differences between each person’s strengths, we build tolerance and respect.
At Kurunjang P.S., we respect, encourage and celebrate each student’s unique personalities, strengths, motivations and values. Our KPS Superhero’s help our students understand the values that are important to our school community and how their own character strengths contribute to our positive school climate.
In the ENGAGEMENT domain, teachers and students work together to create a positive learning environment.
At Kurunjang P.S., you will see students participate in circle time each morning, which is an opportunity for them to connect with their peers and teachers at in a positive way. Students engage in regular brain breaks that help them energise their brains to focus on new information. We also work with students to identify individual learning goals and track their progress so they can reflect, build upon and celebrate their achievements, making them more engaged in the learning process.