Known and Valued: The Power of Appreciation at Chester Hill North

Chester Hill North Public is a school on a mission to build a culture of positivity and appreciation from the ground up, and the hard work is certainly paying off. As a government school with a large number of EALD students, uniting its diverse student body is an important part of creating a place where children, teachers, and parents feel like they belong. 

Over the past few years, they have listened closely to the school community’s feedback on the thoughts, feelings, and behaviour of students, staff, and parents, to foster the best possible learning environment. Using this invaluable input, clear expectations have been set for both staff and students in order to build a positive school culture. A community in which everyone understands not just how they want to be treated, but also how to treat and support each other to create a place where they feel safe, valued and known. 

As part of this approach, the school introduced TAP’s personalised Chester Hill North thanking wall as a widget on their Facebook page, school website, and the internal daily memo, which teachers see each day. ‘Some days are hard,’ says Deputy Principal Carmen Lipovic, ‘so having some sort of recognition goes a long way’, adding that ‘feeling known, valued, and cared for is what the Department of Education wants for every student and staff member’. 

Using TAP’s digital thanking wall, the school has been able to capture messages of thanks for teachers and support staff so that they can see the community’s appreciation for their hard work. For example, an assistant staff member at the school, whose hard work often goes unnoticed, has been recognised for his contribution to helping the school run efficiently and seamlessly. 

Feeling valued by students, parents, and other staff members effectively creates a positivity loop which flows back into the classroom. ‘It has provided opportunities for both the community and the students, as well as staff, to thank each other’, says Carmen. ‘We have a lot of staff that thank each other on the platform when they do carnivals, or when we have a whole-school event’. 

Recently, the school focused on encouraging messages of thanks and praise for World Teacher’s Day, and many teachers were individually named by families and students. Carmen comments that ‘hearing from students… and parents… and colleagues that you are doing a great job is always going to encourage someone to work harder’. 

The simplicity of the platform itself has been a drawcard for the school, with Carmen  adding that ‘it’s simple for parents, kids, and staff to complete their response and they can put it anonymously.’ An added bonus is the vetting process which is carried out by TAP staff to ensure that all posted messages are only positive, removing any additional work for the school. TAP’s thanking walls are designed to be a support, and not an extra burden for staff members already pressed for time. 

‘We love it, it’s been a great addition to our school’, says Carmen. TAP is delighted to be supporting Chester Hill North on their journey, and is proud to be contributing to a stronger, healthier school community.