Storm Zone
High Energy, Unpleasant
Big, loud feelings — thunder inside. When I feel furious, panicked, stressed, annoyed, or shaky. The storm is real, and storms always pass.
- Furious
- Panicked
- Stressed
- Annoyed
- Jealous
- Tense
- Shocked
The daily routine
A.I.M. for the S.T.A.R.s.
The three-step routine every child learns from EY2, practises every day, and carries through life: acknowledge what I’m feeling, identify it on the meter, make a choice.
The three lights
Acknowledge · Identify · Make a Choice.
How A.I.M. works
A.I.M. is the three traffic lights.
The routine works the way crossing the road does — Stop, Slow, Go. Every child knows what each light means before they ever start school. We borrow the same instinct for the learning life.
Red light · Stop
Acknowledge — i’m feeling something.
Stop and acknowledge it — in my heart, my character or my mind. Any of the three meters.
Amber light · Slow
Identify — i find the zone and the word.
Slow down and identify it on the meter: the zone, then the closest word. Pointing counts too.
Green light · Go
Make a Choice — i use a strategy.
Go — make a choice: use a strategy that helps, then notice again.
Skills of the Heart
Mood Meter
What's the weather like inside me right now? Two axes — energy (high ↔ low) and pleasantness (unpleasant ↔ pleasant) — give us four kinds of weather. No zone is “bad” — the goal is not to push every child into Calm, but to help them notice, name the storm, the sunshine, the cloud or the calm, and choose what they need next. Adapted from the RULER framework (Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence).
High energy· Big body, fast heart
UnpleasantFeels rough
Sunshine Zone
High Energy, Pleasant
Bright, warm, full of fizz. When I feel thrilled, cheerful, eager, hopeful, confident, or lively. The day is good and I am shining.
- Thrilled
- Cheerful
- Eager
- Hopeful
- Confident
- Lively
- Amused
Cloud Zone
Low Energy, Unpleasant
Grey, heavy, hard to see clearly. When I feel disappointed, gloomy, down, left out, drained, or confused. Clouds are real, and they drift away.
- Disappointed
- Gloomy
- Down
- Left Out
- Drained
- Confused
- Embarrassed
Calm Zone
Low Energy, Pleasant
Still air, gentle, settled. When I feel content, tranquil, at ease, gentle, satisfied, or steady. The sky is clear and I am quiet inside.
- Content
- Tranquil
- At Ease
- Still
- Gentle
- Satisfied
- Steady
PleasantFeels good
Low energy· Quiet body, slow
Skills of Character
S.T.A.R. Meter
The four S.T.A.R. values — the school’s shared character language — as a 2-axis meter. Top to bottom: Me (on my own) to We (with others). Left to right: Do (what I do) to Be (how I am). The four values are equal; there is no corner to reach.
Me· On my own
DoWhat I do
Strive to do your best
On my own, What I do
I push myself. I keep going when it’s hard. Effort matters more than outcome.
- Set a simple goal
- Learn from mistakes
- Stay focused
- Be a good sport
- Practice makes progress
- Ask for help when stuck
- Do more than the minimum
Take Responsibility
On my own, How I am
I own my actions and my belongings. Every choice has a consequence.
- Be prepared for class
- Admit when I'm wrong
- Be reliable
- Return things I borrow
- Own my actions
- Complete homework on time
- Think before I act
Always Work Together
With others, What I do
I collaborate. I share. I help. Community is a skill — it is taught, not assumed.
- Cooperate with others
- Encourage my group
- Solve problems together
- Compromise
- Welcome new friends
- Celebrate others
- Offer to help
Respect
With others, How I am
I treat people, places, and things with care. Respect is the foundation of every relationship.
- Listen to understand
- Respect opinions
- Ask before borrowing
- Be polite online
- Use an inside voice
- Wait my turn to speak
- Accept differences
BeHow I am
We· With others
Skills of the Mind
Meta Meter
Your brain is a muscle — and like any muscle, it grows when you use it. Two questions locate the learning state: am I receiving or producing? And am I doing this to look good, or to get better (fixed or growth)? Still does not mean lazy, and busy does not always mean learning.
Receiving· Listening, watching, taking it in
FixedTo look good
Snooze Zone
Receiving little, Fixed
Still and not learning — switched off, putting it off or hiding. The moment a child needs a way back in, not a consequence.
- Unmotivated
- Distracted
- Lethargic
- Disengaged
- Zoning out
- Helpless
- Frozen
Stretch Zone
Receiving, Growth
Still and learning — listening, watching, reading, taking it in. Receiving is real learning, and it takes effort.
- Considering
- Reflecting
- Organising
- Questioning
- Mulling over
- Preparing
- Noticing
Flex Zone
Producing to look good, Fixed
Busy and not learning — lots of activity, but the effort goes into looking good rather than getting better.
- Competitive
- Needing praise
- Interrupting
- Inflexible
- Fear of failing
- Demanding
- Impatient
Workout Zone
Producing to get better, Growth
Busy and learning — real practice, real effort, the brain getting stronger.
- Engaged
- Persistent
- Collaborating
- Resilient
- Experimenting
- Discovering
- Growing
GrowthTo get better
Producing· Doing, making, trying
The strategy library
A strategy for every zone.
Once a child has named where they are (the amber light), the strategy library offers a helpful next action for that zone. Each meter has its own strategy bank — children pick the one that matches the zone they just landed on. These are the Grade-1 entry strategies; older children unlock more sophisticated ones each year.
Heart
Mood Meter strategies
- Storm Zone· Ride it out safely
Balloon Belly
Slow belly breathing to calm down when upset or angry.
- Sunshine Zone· Channel the fizz
Bubble Breathing
Slow, gentle breathing to channel excitement into focus.
- Cloud Zone· Look after myself
Star Stretch
Finger tracing with deep breaths to gently energise when feeling low.
- Calm Zone· Enjoy the calm
Feather Breathing
Ultra-gentle breathing to sustain and savour a calm state.
Character
S.T.A.R. Meter strategies
- Strive· Push myself
My Best Work Check
Look at your work and ask "Is this my best?" — then add one more thing.
- Take Responsibility· Own it
Own It Words
Practise saying "I did ___. Next time I will ___." — owning actions simply.
- Always Work Together· Team up
Partner Handshake
Find someone new, complete a task together, celebrate with a handshake.
- Respect· Show care
Freeze Frame
"Show me what Respect looks like RIGHT HERE" — freeze and discuss.
Mind
Meta Meter strategies
- Snooze Zone· Find a way back in
Brain Dump
Empty your busy head onto paper so your brain has space to focus.
- Stretch Zone· Take it in
Curiosity Spark
Fuel a ready brain with a question to keep the learning momentum going.
- Flex Zone· Aim for growth
STAR Learner Ready
A quick body-and-brain reset to shift from showing-off to growing.
- Workout Zone· Keep practising
Learning Snapshot
Pause to mentally capture what you just learned before moving on.
The library holds 72 strategies total — 24 per meter, banded across Grades 1–6. Younger children meet a small core set; older children unlock more sophisticated ones each year. After a strategy runs, children notice again — no colour has to change, and no zone is “bad”. Noticing again is what closes the loop.
The three lights and the three meters and the strategy library work together. The Red traffic light says stop and acknowledge. The Amber light says slow down and identify your zone on a meter. The Green light says go — make a choice: use a strategy that helps, then notice again. The routine is taught explicitly from EY2, practised every day, and reinforced through the S.T.A.R. Coins recognition system.
Every zone holds eight word families, and every family holds eight words — from the earliest, most usable word to the most precise. All eight stay visible at every age; what grows is how children use them, from pointing and naming in the Early Years to choosing precisely and leading others in Grade 6. The traffic lights, the zone names and the axis labels never change.