Meaning and purpose

Activities that promote meaning and purpose:

• promote a sense of control. Students must feel they can have some ability to choose or influence their involvement
• promote feeling valued. Value and recognise student effort and contribution
• are meaningful and authentic. Students need to feel that what they are doing is worthwhile and has significance beyond the immediate task at hand
• are embedded into teaching and learning programs, such as class discussions

Encouraging student voice

The term "student voice" describes how students give their input about what happens within the classroom, school and broader community. Strategies include:

• increasing student opportunities to share their thoughts and opinions such as being involved in developing learning materials or marking criteria for a unit of work or on a wider level, helping creating school wellbeing programs
• giving students choice in their learning such as being able to choose different assignment modes
• authentic or ‘real life’ learning opportunities which give students meaning and purpose to their learning include: inquiry based learning, co-curricular activities and forging links beyond the classroom
• formal student leadership structures, such as SRC, peer support, peer mentoring
• facilitate student run extracurricular clubs and groups
• facilitate students working within the school and broader community for example, volunteering or doing a project with the local community

More resources can be found on the Student Voice, participation and leadership webpage

Values education

• Teach, model and reinforce the school values
• Ensure ACARA’s general capabilities are explicitly taught and practised.
• Involve students in developing rules and classroom expectations
• Build positive relationships with students
• Provide opportunities for students to actively practise and to live out, the values being fostered by the school
• Embed the teaching of positive values and character traits within the curriculum. Practices and programs focused on the development of positive values and character involves activities such as:
  • devoting classroom time to the teaching and exploration of values
  • organising a visual display of values in classrooms, which may be student-generated posters
  • discussing role models to illustrate how people that we admire live these values
  • celebrating and recognising the actions of students that promote school or shared values
  • supporting co-curricular activities, for example the environmental club or volunteering in the community

Building community connections

Schools build different community connections for specific purposes; some to improve student awareness of global issues, teach students about the value of active citizenship and provide opportunities for service. Others help build capacity and a collective identity within the immediate community. Community partners can offer real opportunities for students to safely experience, apply, internalise, enact and reflect on their spiritual wellbeing. Strategies include;

• working with and within the community
• fundraising activities
• students, staff and community working together on issues they choose and value
• involving community groups in assemblies and other forums

Celebrating and supporting diversity

Give students opportunities to connect with their cultural, religious and spiritual backgrounds. Strategies include:

• opportunities for celebration of heritage, for example, Harmony Day, NAIDOC week, Lunar New Year and cultural performances at assemblies
• appropriate accommodation of student prayer practices
• translating documents for parents when needed
• ensuring activities are accessible for all students