“At school I ran out of the school grounds and I used to kick the teacher. I used to throw things and I would kick the kids. I didn’t do my work. I thought it was clever when I did these things. One time I was suspended. I was always interrupting and saying rude words. I spoke rudely to people. I used to have someone with me because of my behaviour. Some kids were scared of me. I was a bully and a bit mean. Mum and the school decided I should go to Cheshire. I didn’t like it the first day because I had to do my work properly. When I screwed my work up and threw it in the bin I still had to do it again and I didn’t get to cook hot jam donuts on Friday. They smelt really good and I was jealous because I didn’t get any. I have decided to stay at Cheshire and learn to behave and have a great time.”

“At my old school I did punch my teacher. I did hurt people. I did run out of the school grounds. I did scream and squawk. I used to push people over and run into people. Sometimes I would throw things. I was only allowed to go to school for a little bit of time. I used to hide under the table and not do my work. When I first came to Cheshire I was pretty naughty. I still didn’t do much work. I used to scream and squawk at the kids and Leonie. I would hide under the table and hurt people. One day at the farm I was mean to the chooks and to Bert and Nippy the birds. When I was naughty at Cheshire I got banned from the fun things. That made me really sad. I decided to be good. If I didn’t do my work I missed out on the fun things like cooking, games and doing art and I still had to do my work. My writing is getting good. My number work is getting really good. I am a pretty girl and a clever girl. Now I am being really good and I can do the fun things. It is better to be good, not naughty.”

“At kinder I was punching my friends, I was kicking them. I was saying rude words to my teacher and biting my teacher. I was not happy. Now I am a prep at Cheshire I am good. I do my work. I have fun. My friends like me. I am happy now and I smile a lot.”

“I came to Cheshire because I was naughty and I couldn’t read or write. I didn’t like my school because the smart kids got all the help and I didn’t have any friends. Some people thought I was dumb and they teased me because I took tablets. At Cheshire I have friends and no one teases each other. I can read and write. People are nice to me. Before I came here I couldn’t read a book. I’m much happier, my brother can’t tease me now because I can do my work. I have people to play with. We have fun activities and I get attention when I need it.”

“I came to Cheshire because I hit people and threw sticks and dust bombs at people. I threw sand and kicked people. Now I have changed and I don’t hit people, kick people, throw sand, sticks or dust bombs. If you do the wrong thing you have to sit in the yard or in the foyer. If it’s really bad you miss excursions. I sit on the chair nicely and do my work. I like writing stories best and learning about bugs. It is better being good so you get to do the good things.”

“At my old school I was silly. I would run out of the classroom and I would lie and hurt people. I annoyed the kids in my class and I had to have a special teacher with me every day. I did not do my work. I chased other people and ran around the classroom. I did not come when the bell rang. I went to the out of bounds areas. I threw rocks and played in the dirt. I would bring dirt into the classroom. I snapped the chalk and poked the kids with a pin and pushed kids and kicked too. I had a meeting at Cheshire and Sue and Leonie told me I would have to behave every day or I would miss out on excursions and doing the fun things. I would have to stay at school and work. I have started to behave and I work at the farm and I do my school work. I had to make a big decision to stay or leave Cheshire because my behaviour wasn’t good. I decided to be good every day and to do my work. It’s so much better to be good than bad. I am going to keep being good for ever.”

“At my old school I got very angry all the time. I threw chairs and tipped over tables. I walked out of the room and the teachers didn’t know where I went. Sometimes I went up the stairs to a bench to go away from my class and sometimes I went down all the way to the playground away from my class. I yelled a lot at the teachers and I swore at them. Every time I threw chairs the class had to leave the room because the teachers thought it was too dangerous. I also did all that at after school care. Last year I came to Cheshire School. On my trial day I threw a chair and almost hit another classmate. I walked out of the room very angry and went up to the monkey bars. I missed out on excursions and I didn’t get to play. Now that I have stayed here for two and a half terms I am starting to get better at controlling my anger. The only things I am working on now are answering back and paying attention. I have more friends. I hope to go to a good school when I leave Cheshire.”

“At my old school I was really naughty and I used to get angry in the classroom when I didn’t get my way. I would scream, shout and say bad words and then I had to go to the principal’s office. If it was bad enough I would be suspended. I was suspended thirteen times. I would get into fights that I wasn’t even in because I wanted to be the best. When I didn’t get my way I would storm out of the room and leave the school yards and a teacher came looking for me. In the timeout room I would scream and shout and kick the door. When my work was too hard I would give up and rip it into pieces and then throw stuff. When I went out of control I couldn’t control myself. First time I saw this place was when my brother came and then after a year he left and then a term later I came here. Even though I only started this term I have got along mostly with everyone and I hope my time at Cheshire will help me with my school work so when I’m older I can get a job and hopefully play for Carlton in AFL. If there are any new kids that need some help with their schooling I think they should come to Cheshire. I hope when I’m older I will be able to come and visit and see all the new kids that come to Cheshire. While I’m at Cheshire and I have got worries or problems I would talk to my teachers at the school.”

“At my school I didn’t do any work, only sometimes. I fought people in the yard. I hurt them, punching then. I swore at the teachers. I ran away from school twice. I went to Timbarer with a friend and the other place I went to was Fountain Gate Shopping Centre. I ran out of the principal’s office and would run out of the classroom. When I first came to Cheshire, I didn’t really want to do my work so I would just sit there. Some mornings I didn’t want to come to school. When I got in trouble I wouldn’t leave the classroom and we had lots of meetings. This term I am leaving and I now do all my work. I do my consequences when the teacher asks. I don’t have bad meetings any more. I don’t miss out on excursions. I am happy and I have more friends.”

“There was a shop across the road and I went to it at least every morning and during school and my mum didn’t know or the teachers. I used to never do my work and never listened. I stuffed around with another boy when we were on the floor. We would make towers with blocks and punch them. When I didn’t do my work I would go to the principal’s office and I still wouldn’t do my work just read. I used to steal lollies from the shop. I did yell at the teacher when she told me to do something and used to not do the things she asked me. When we got a new teacher, I got into too much trouble with her so I had to go to another class. This year I have changed heaps. Now I am in Grade three and I behave most of the time. I am working on not calling out, being silly and paying attention. If I don’t I have to sit off or if I don’t finish my work I have to finish it in my break.”