Dear Parents,
To start my letter this week, I would like to take a moment to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to our parent community for your time and support for our International Day of Peace. The event was a huge success, and it was an incredible display of how, at XLIS, we strive to “lead education through a student-centered, community-driven approach”. We could not achieve this without the support of our amazing parents!
The theme of the event was “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”. It’s important to recognize that being peaceful in our lives takes effort. At school, it means creating an inclusive, caring community where students and staff listen to one another, consider differing perspectives, and are respectful to each other.
With that in mind, we would like to review how we approach student behavior at XLIS through our Restorative Practices Policy.
At XLIS, we use Restorative Practices as an important part of how we guide students when behaviour does not meet expectations. Our approach is grounded in our belief that we are a community-driven school and that students learn from the environment around them. It is also closely connected to our schoolwide learning outcomes (SLOs – the Learner Profiles), particularly being principled, caring, open-minded and reflective. Restorative practice is fundamentally about relationships, responsibility and repair. When harm has occurred, we want students to have the opportunity to understand what happened, reflect on their behaviour, recognize its impact on others and consider what they can do to repair the situation and move forward. Sometimes this may involve a genuine apology; at other times, it may involve a more specific action to repair the harm caused.
Importantly, restorative does not mean without accountability or consequences. Accountability is central to restorative practice. At XLIS, responses are proportionate to the behaviour and may range from reflection and problem-solving with a teacher through to more structured support involving teachers, parents, counsellors and administrators. More serious or repeated behaviours can result in formal consequences, including suspension or other disciplinary action. Our goal is therefore not simply to ask, “What consequence does this student deserve?” but also, “What does this student need to learn from this experience, who has been affected, and what needs to happen to repair the harm?”
This is an important part of preparing young people for life beyond school. We want our students to increasingly make independent decisions, understand the consequences of those decisions, communicate effectively, resolve difficulties collaboratively, and take responsibility when things go wrong. Current restorative-practice guidance similarly emphasizes strengthening relationships, supporting accountability, repairing harm, and developing students’ capacity to manage conflict and navigate complex situations.
Please take the time to read through the XLIS Restorative Practices Policy in the Student Handbook.
Open Days Series
The P5 and P6 classes held their Open Day for parents last week. If you were able to come, I hope that you found the experience valuable and that you can share some feedback with PR and me about how it went! Today, the P3 and P4 classes will also welcome 5 parents each to learn more about the classroom routines, lessons, and school life that their children experience. Next week, the P1 and P2 classes will have their Open Day. This is one of the many ways that we aim to build a partnership between home and school to support children’s learning.
Fast approaching are the Mid-Autumn Festival (no school this Friday, September 25) and the Golden Week National Holiday (from October 1 – 7). I hope that you and your family enjoy some time together, and safe travels if you will be going on an adventure.
Sincerely,
Marly Song
Primary Principal
Email: marly_song@xalis.com
WeChat: principal_marly
