All NSW public school students have a right to an inclusive learning environment and to feel happy and safe at school.
Students at Carlingford West Public School
At Carlingford West PS we use the You Can Do It! program as the basis of our student welfare program.
You Can Do It!
You Can Do It! (YCDI!) is a program designed by Professor Michael Bernard to develop social and emotional well being in young people. This highly successful program is used in over 6000 schools across Australia and the world to great effect.
The program focuses on the development of 'positive habits of the mind'. In developing a positive view on the world and events, we can expect children to behave accordingly. All kinds of human behaviours are powered by our thoughts and our feelings. Instead of focusing on the end of the process (behaviour) we focus on the beginning (thinking). This can be understood by viewing the YCDI! Iceberg diagram to the left.
Keys to success
The development of the 'positive habits of the mind' over time will build a general understanding in young people of the 5 Keys to Success. These are:
- Confidence
- Resilience
- Organisation
- Persistence
- Getting Along
At Carlingford West we believe that confident, persistent, resilient, organised people who get along with others, will make a successful life for themselves.
The Barrier Model
In teaching 'positive habits of the mind', we are often replacing negative habits. This is best explained through the 'Barrier Model'.
The Pyramid Model
The relationship between the 'positive habits of the mind' and the Keys to Success is best summarised by the 'Pyramid Model' below.
YCDI Rewards System
Professor Michael Bernard - Founder YCDI!
Professor Michael E. Bernard is an international consultant to educational authorities, organizations and government and is a Professor at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, Australia. After receiving his doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he worked for 18 years in the College of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia. In 1983, he was appointed as Reader and Coordinator of the Master of Educational Psychology Program.
From 1995-2005, he was a tenured professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Administration and Counselling, College of Education, at California State University, Long Beach and has been honoured with the title of Emeritus Professor. Professor Bernard has worked as a consultant psychologist helping families and schools address the educational and mental health needs of school-age children.
He has spent extensive time counselling children with emotional, behavioural or academic difficulties. Professor Bernard is a co-founder of the Australian Institute for Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy and is the author of many books on REBT. For eight years, he was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Rational- Emotive and Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy. He is the author of over 50 books, 15 book chapters and 30 journal articles in the area of children's early childhood development, learning and social-emotional well being as well as parent education, teacher professional development and school improvement.
Professor Bernard is the Founder of You Can Do It! Education, a school-home social and emotional learning program being employed in over 6,000 schools in Australia as well as in schools in New Zealand, England, Canada and the United States.
You Can Do It! website
Aboriginal student support
We are committed to closing the achievement gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. We know that we need to learn about, nurture and value the cultural identity of our Aboriginal students to help them be successful learners.
We welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family members, parents and carers, as well as community members to our school so that we can get to know each other, learn about the local Aboriginal community and develop shared goals and plans for Aboriginal students.
The Aboriginal Education Policy confirms the NSW Department of Education’s commitment to improvement in educational outcomes and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Multicultural education
Our school welcomes students, families and community members from all cultural backgrounds. We appreciate difference and diversity and aim to provide a culturally inclusive and responsive environment that benefits all students.
Our teaching and learning programs develop intercultural understanding, promote positive relationships and enable all students to participate as active Australian and global citizens. Our school fosters student wellbeing and community harmony by implementing anti-racism and anti-discrimination strategies that encourage engagement by parents and carers from all backgrounds.
The Multicultural Education Policy outlines the NSW Department of Education’s commitment to providing opportunities that enable all students to achieve equitable education and social outcomes and participate successfully in our culturally diverse society.
The Anti-Racism Policy confirms the department’s commitment to rejecting all forms of racial discrimination in NSW public schools and eliminating expressions of racism in its learning and working environments.
For more information refer to:
Supporting English language learners
Learning English is essential for success at school and effective participation in Australian society. We can provide specialist support to help students learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D).
For more information refer to: EAL/D education.
Supporting refugee students
Schools offer safety, support and security to help refugee students adjust to life in Australia and participate successfully in education. Targeted support strategies are provided to assist refugee students in NSW public schools.
For more information refer to: Supporting refugee students.
Learning support
The school’s learning and support team plays a key role in ensuring we meet the specific needs of students with additional learning and support needs, including disability.
The team:
- supports teachers in identifying and responding to the additional learning needs of students
- facilitates and coordinates a whole-school approach to improving the learning outcomes of every student
- coordinates planning processes and resourcing for students with additional learning and support needs
- designs and implements the support required to build teacher capacity so that all students access quality learning
- develops collaborative partnerships with the school, parents and carers as well as other professionals and the wider school community.
For more information on programs and services to help students with additional learning and support needs, visit Disability, learning and support.
Anti-bullying
Bullying of any kind is not acceptable in NSW schools.
The NSW anti-bullying website brings together information and resources for teachers, students, parents and carers. It helps to identify, prevent and respond effectively to student bullying, including online bullying. It provides information about online safety and what you can do if your child has been bullied, witnessed bullying or been involved in bullying.
For more information on anti-bullying strategies for NSW public schools refer to the department’s Bullying of Students – Prevention and Response Policy.
For information on racial bullying and anti-racism education for NSW public schools refer to:
Student leadership
Student leadership helps young people find their voices, participate in decision-making, and understand their rights and responsibilities as active citizens. It helps students have a real impact on their learning and school environment and prepares them to participate meaningfully in their community.
Students can be leaders in the classroom, through their actions in the playground, through their support for others, or their involvement in academic, sporting, cultural or local community events or projects.
For more information about opportunities in NSW public schools visit Student voice and leadership.