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MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2013
Academic Outcomes for students
In 2013 , the Berry Street School students achieved an average of 1.8 years of learning in just one year . This achievement speaks to the commitment of the students , staff , and leadership of the Berry Street School to hold high expectations for all learners . Our students flourish when the school community is held to high expectations and students receive support that best meets their individual goals . Knowing that our students experience daily adversity , celebrating strengths and successes has become a hallmark of our learning community . As the Berry Street School has grown , so has the knowledge and expertise of our practice .
Our approach to therapeutic teaching and learning : Trauma-Informed Positive Education
Throughout 2013 , the Berry Street School made great strides piloting interventions and maturing practice in our teaching approach : Trauma-Informed Positive Education ( TIPE ). TIPE describes the therapeutic principles embedded in the Berry Street Model of Education and integrates trauma-informed teaching within a structured wellbeing framework for secondary students who have experienced complex trauma resulting from neglect , abuse , violence or being witness to violence . This framework assists our classroom teachers and school based practitioners to meet the specific behavioural , cognitive , and relational needs of our young people in their pursuit of education accomplishment towards successful pathways .
The domains within our TIPE Model are : Body , Stamina , Engagement , and Character , all anchored by Relationships . These five areas are pedagogical lenses : each domain reflects our durable understandings which inform daily classroom learning . Although there is no single recipe for classroom success , we strive collaboratively to unify our language , modelling , and relationships to meet the special and complex needs of vulnerable children .
The TIPE Model proposes that teachers approach student learning by addressing five domains of full body learning :
• The Body domain places focus on the traumainformed positive Body , and suggests strategies for regulation and mindfulness .
• The Stamina domain represents the explicit need to build learning competencies one minute at a time .
• The Engagement domain reminds teachers of the phenomenological state of flow and the conditions that facilitate optimum engagement .
• The Character domain carries the character discussion across all areas of the school , including a special focus on hope and gratitude .
• Finally , TIPE ’ s final domain , Relationships , is the relational core of teacher-student relationships that serve as a conduit to learning .
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