The leadership team and I at the Primary Werribee Campus have developed a rigorous system for classroom observations. We are a school committed to providing the absolute best for your child. Our classroom observations allow us to discuss the many positives happening in the classroom, ensure we are following our Christian distinctive, improve teacher efficacy and make sure all our children are on track with their learning.
As the Principal it is my pleasure to observe a teacher deliver devotions each week. Devotions occur across K-6 from 8:30 to 8:45 (ish) and are a beautiful way to start the day with the Lord. While each teacher delivers devotions in their own style, we look for the three E’s:
Explore: Creating a safe space to learn more about the Christian faith
Encounter: Experiencing God through the Bible, prayer and worship
Extend: Deepening students’ knowledge and understanding of God by asking thought-provoking questions
During this time, we also look for the integration of God’s big story (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration), God-honouring language and our values of Safety, Dignity and Belonging.
Many teachers use beautiful devotional materials, joyful songs, the Jesus Storybook and God’s Big Story, and the children say prayers with the teacher. Seeing the joy on the children's faces as they encounter God at the beginning of each day is a sight to behold.
As a Christian school, we desire the following in our Primary School.
We desire children to know:
- Jesus died and rose again so we can be in His family
- Jesus loves you
- The metanarrative of Creation, Fall, Redemption and Restoration
- School is a safe place to talk about God
- How to invite Jesus into your heart if you choose to
- How to pray, worship and read the Bible
We desire children to feel:
- Loved, special, valued, unique and cared for
- That it is safe to ask questions, share and pray
- God is in control and for them
- Forgiven
- That they can go to Jesus any time
- Inquisitive about the Bible — it is something they can read, understand and use to live
- Empowered to choose their faith journey
As you can tell, devotions are a very important part of the day.
Sometimes traffic can be bad, or it can be hard to get the children out of the house. In every class I visit, there are always 3-4 children who are late to devotions. Unfortunately, this disrupts the flow of the devotional time and means the children are missing part of the important message. Therefore, I kindly ask that all families make every effort to arrive at school on time as much as possible.
If you have any feedback about the difference devotions make in your child's life, please let your homeroom teacher know for their encouragement.
Across generations, parents have expressed their gratitude for how Christian faith benefits their children at school. If you would like to share how your child’s Christian teacher has made a difference in their life, you can share your story at via the My Christian School website.