starting block
Starting Block is a multifaceted program that is centred on building wellbeing and resilience for students in pre-Prep to Year 12.
Starting Block encourages students to strive for personal goals by giving recognition to those who demonstrate academic progress, improved application to learning and regular attendance. Through the delivery of Community Spirit Foundation workbooks, Starting Block sees local staff engage local children in discussions that are aimed at developing self-efficacy and confidence. In partnership with this approach, Starting Block also provides incentives to students through an awards program, encouraging young people to strive to improve school attendance and application to their work.
The Starting Block Give Me 5! Program enables students to celebrate incremental improvement in attendance term by term. By pledging to increase their attendance by five days a term, students track their progress using the Community Spirit Foundation classroom attendance charts and are able to set achievable goals that can be celebrated by all. At the completion of each school term, schools host a Starting Block Awards ceremony with the Foundation. Students who have achieved 90% school attendance or who have improved their attendance by five days in a term receive an award. The awards are ethically sourced and target literacy, numeracy and STEM themes.
![WayneQuilliam21CFF_16 (1)[62]_2.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a4790c_4d98a11308f04f64af411058f46cfbb8~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_344,y_0,w_3440,h_2752/fill/w_490,h_392,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/WayneQuilliam21CFF_16%20(1)%5B62%5D_2.jpg)
Starting Block also invites families and community to engage in the education of their children. Community Spirit Foundation host a series of whole of community engagement events both within the school and outside of school. These include Open Days and Starting Block Awards ceremonies. The Starting Block Award ceremony provides an opportunity for the school community and the broader community to come together and celebrate the positive steps being made collectively by the students.
Improvement and success are celebrated at the Starting Block Awards ceremonies, undertaken at the end of each school term where students are acknowledged for their efforts in front of family, friends and community.
The public recognition fosters a sense of pride across the community and contributes to creating a supportive environment that encourages the students to reach their next milestone.
WHY
CELEBRATIONS OF SUCCESS AND HAVING MULTIPLE VISIBLE SOURCES OF SUPPORT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES.
what
BY TEACHING STUDENTS TO SET ACHIEVABLE GOALS AND ACKNOWLEDGING THEM ONCE ATTAINED, STARTING BLOCK DEVELOPS THE STUDENT'S CAPACITY TO PLAN THEIR EDUCATIONAL FUTURE AND SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.