In 2009 Mount Waverley North Primary School is implementing the Tribes process throughout the school.
‘Tribes’ is a democratic group process, not just a curriculum or set of cooperative activities.
The intended outcome of the Tribes process is to develop a positive environment that promotes human growth and learning. Staff and students learn how to build community using five agreements:
· Attentive Listening
· Appreciation / No Put Downs
· The Right to Pass – the right to participate
· Mutual Respect
· Personal Best
Throughout the process staff and students learn to use specific collaborative skills, and to reflect both on the interaction and the learning that is taking place. The Tribes process not only establishes a caring environment, but provides structure for positive interaction both in and out of the classroom.
The mission of Tribes is to ensure the healthy and whole development of every child so that each has the knowledge, skills and resiliency to be successful in a rapidly changing world.
Our goal as a Tribes school is to engage all staff, students and families in working together as a learning community that is dedicated to caring and supporting, active participation and positive expectations of all students.
A Tribes school is a learning community where staff, students and parents all enjoy the mutual respect and care essential for growth and learning.
A Tribes Learning Community is one where:
· The classroom is child-centred
· The teacher is the facilitator, using the proven group development process
· Everyone belongs to a long-term group and feels included and valued for their unique contribution
· Students themselves are involved in the classroom management (defining agreements, problem-solving, choosing tasks and sustaining a positive learning environment)
· Teachers use multiple strategies to reach and teach students of multiple cultures, intelligences and abilities
· Students learn both critical thinking and collaborative social skills along with academic content as appropriate
· Individual and group accountability is assessed jointly by students and teacher
· There are protective factors that foster resiliency, caring / sharing, active participation and positive expectations
We believe that the Tribes process supports our educational philosophy and student welfare policy and provides our students with a learning environment that maximises their potential for success.