Toolern vale and district primary to join respectful relationships program

From Term 1, 2020, Toolern Vale and District Primary School will join thousands of Victorian schools delivering the Andrews Labor Government’s Respectful Relationships program.

Respectful Relationships supports schools and early childhood settings to promote and model respect, positive attitudes and behaviours, teaching children how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.

Minister for Youth and the Prevention of Family Violence, Gabrielle Williams, and Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas, visited Toolern Vale and District Primary to discuss the implementation of the program with principal Dawn Vassallo.

Toolern Vale will enter the program as a partner school, supported by two lead schools – Kurunjang Secondary College and Arnolds Creek Primary School.

The school currently partakes in the School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework, which assists schools to improve social, emotional behavioural and academic outcomes for children and young people.

The Respectful Relationships program is implemented through a Lead and Partner schools initiative and currently provides intensive training and support to over 1000 government, Catholic and independent schools.

All Respectful Relationships schools are looking at their culture, practices and policies to drive meaningful change to build an enhanced culture of respect.

Educating students about respectful relationships leads to a positive impact on student’s overall academic outcomes, mental health, classroom behaviour and relationships between teachers and students.

The Andrews Labor Government established Australia’s first Royal Commission into Family Violence, accepting every single one of the Commission’s 227 recommendations. As part of its work, the Commission identified the critical role that schools and early childhood education have in creating a culture of respect, recommending that respectful relationships education be introduced in every government school from Prep to Year 12, and be delivered through a whole school approach.

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas
"This is about ensuring that every student and the school community at Toolern Vale and District Primary School understand the importance of respecting each other as well as building resilience and healthy relationships."