NZ Key Competency Report Comments: Managing Self, Y5-8
Managing self is about being organised and ready to learn, working independently, setting goals, using time well, persevering when learning is hard, and managing feelings to make positive choices in class and in the playground.
Below are 13 sample sentences for Years 5-8: two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Consistently / Usually / Sometimes / Not yet), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 173 managing self sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.
Jump to: Consistently · Usually · Sometimes · Not yet · Writing tips
Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Consistently C
Strengths
- [Name] reliably manages nerves before presentations and sports games, using strategies that work for [him/her/them].
- [Name] handles upsetting moments maturely, reaching for a calm-down strategy independently when it is needed.
Next step
- As a tuakana, [Name] could help younger tamariki find ways to stay calm when lunchtime games do not go their way.
Usually U
Strengths
- Before presentations, [Name] mostly keeps nerves in check and speaks with composure.
- [Name] usually takes feedback on board and makes changes to improve [his/her/their] work.
Next step
- A next step for [Name] is to use the feedback on [his/her/their] drafts to make one improvement each time before handing work in.
Sometimes S
Strengths
- On camp and school trips, [Name] at times needs reminders to stick with the group and make safe choices.
- [Name] sometimes finds it hard to manage big feelings, and is learning to use a calm-down strategy when upset.
Next step
- Breaking inquiry projects into weekly checkpoints, with a tick box for each, would help [Name] manage [his/her/their] time.
Not yet N
Strengths
- On school trips and sports days, [Name] is beginning to make safe choices with an adult close by.
- With adult support, [Name] is beginning to name [his/her/their] feelings and choose a way to calm down.
Next step
- Agreeing on a quiet place to reset, and how to ask to use it, will help [Name] manage frustration during group projects.
Support at home
- You could praise the effort [Name] puts into a task, not just the result, to encourage [him/her/them] to keep trying.
How to write managing self comments for Years 5-8
- Refer to goal setting directly: whether the student sets a realistic personal learning goal, reviews it with the kaiako and adjusts the plan when it is not working.
- For longer inquiry projects, describe how time is managed, such as breaking the task into weekly checkpoints or leaving most of it until the end, and suggest a planner or tick-box list.
- Look at times with less supervision, such as camp, EOTC trips or sports teams, where packing gear, following instructions and managing tiredness all show how well the student manages self.
Watch out: Words that sound like a personality label or diagnosis, such as anxious or impulsive, do not belong in a report. Describe the behaviour, the strategy being practised and the progress, and raise concerns with whānau in person.
Each label describes how often you see the behaviour. Consistently suits reliably, independently or without being asked; Usually suits regularly or with few reminders; Sometimes suits at times or with some support; Not yet suits is beginning to, together with the support that helps. Describe what the child actually does rather than repeating the rating, and keep Not yet comments warm and constructive.
What Managing Self covers
In these comments, managing self covers these behaviours:
- is organised and ready for learning
- works independently, sets goals and uses time well
- perseveres and shows resilience when learning is hard
- manages feelings and makes positive choices
More New Zealand primary comments
- Thinking, Years 5-8
- Using Language, Symbols and Texts, Years 5-8
- Managing Self, Years 1-4
- Relating to Others, Years 5-8
- Participating and Contributing, Years 5-8
- Opening and closing sentences
- All New Zealand primary skills and grade bands
- Build a comment with the comment picker
How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.