Pastoral Academic Care

Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) Focus

This week’s Pastoral Academic Care focus is: CONNECTED, PROTECTED AND RESPECTED

Wellbeing Element:  RELATIONSHIPS + EMPATHY

Character Strength:     FORGIVENESS

Strengths Booster:    EMOTIONAL STRENGTHS

Wellbeing Reality Activities:    CONNECTED, PROTECTED AND RESPECTED

Parent Wellbeing:

Core values are what you stand for, so you can live a good life. Your strengths action your core values. From Character Strengths choose six of your core values and the strengths you could use to action them. 

The single biggest influence in students having a healthy state of wellbeing is to experience positive emotions through having strong feelings of social connectedness; they feel they belong. Strengths for Relationships weeks every term, provide students, parents and teachers with opportunities to share and care with each other. Key ingredients for respectful relationships are: Connected by sharing and communicating equally and openly to experience positive emotions and oxytocin. Protected by having optimism and hope that your relationship will protect you physically and emotionally. Respected by thinking others value all of you including your strengths, shortcomings and feelings, to experience serotonin. Building wellbeing through frequent little positive actions is the key to the school community looking to the future with hope. These could include: welcoming gestures, smiles, hellos, pats on the back, friendly texts, saying thank you and sorry, asking how they are feeling, giving compliments, doing five minute mindfulness activities, using positive self-talk, doing selfless acts of kindness, sharing their strengths to help someone overcome a challenge, choosing two positive personal descriptors to live by each week, spotting different ways of thinking in themselves and others, monitoring their and others’ emotions, using assertive language when they need to and recognising when they need to seek help. Acknowledgement: Diener, Biswas-Diener & Dutton

Year 7   

Mrs Kath Czinner

Year 7 have begun the term with enthusiasm. Many of our students have taken up opportunities to extend themselves. Term 4 offers many extracurricular activities such as Debating, Praxis, Extra Music lessons, Youth group, Swimming and Life Saving and Term 5 activities and various sporting events. All students are encouraged to explore their interests and build on the experiences of school life.

At the moment the Year 7 Camp is being investigated. With the restrictions easing and COVID safety plans in place the camp opportunity may go ahead.

Teachers at our College are committed to providing the best learning opportunities for our students. Together with the students we work to bring learning forward. Teachers may be involved in ‘learning walks’ where students will be asked to articulate their learning experiences. I am always impressed with the vast array of learning experiences that are offered to students and equally as impressed with their ability and confidence to discuss their progress.

Students are asked to ensure that they are always fully prepared for the day of learning. Please check that pencil cases are fully stocked with pens, pencils, ruler and a calculator. Devices are fully charged and perhaps workbooks need to be replaced. Also check when the students have PDHPE to ensure that the correct uniform is worn.

Next Thursday the year group will have their next immunisation. Students are to wear their sports uniform for the day.

Wishing our group a great Term 4.

Mrs Kath Czinner 

Year 8 

Mrs Katie Biddle

Welcome to term 4! It is hard to believe it is that time of the year already. Year 8 has had a busy start to the term. Year 8 students and teachers extend a warm welcome to Sam, Harmony and Lilly who have joined year 8 this term. 

Senior Constable Porter spoke with some classes of Year 8 girls on Friday about cyber safety and appropriate social interactions online. We have broken the grade into smaller groups for her presentation so to allow lots of interactions and discussion time. She will speak with some boys during our next PAC period and work through all students over the course of the term. A big thank you to Constable Porter for her time and expertise. 

Students in Year 8 are encouraged to check that they have all the equipment necessary for learning each day. Please ensure that devices are charged overnight and that all books and pens are packed each day. 

In Pastoral periods this term, Year 8 is focusing on safety online and building strong and positive relationships with their peers. 

Here is a link to the Beyond Blue website with some useful information on self talk and self awareness that parents and students may find helpful and interesting: Self-talk and self-awareness

Katie Biddle and the Year 8 PAC team

Year 10

Mr Peter McLeish

Let’s go Year 10, let’s go. Year 11 beckons. But first, we have a few things to do to ensure we finish this year on as strong a note as possible. As Oprah Winfrey once said “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” Wise words indeed. Learning some strong study habits now, will prepare us to do our very best in our senior years. And who doesn’t want to do their very best at all times? It’s a no brainer!

Our PAC focus this Term will be concentrating on “Study skills and How to study”. Many students go through their school years without knowing how to study effectively. I know I did. My parents used to say “Go to your room and study” but no one ever showed me how. My team and I intend to provide the skills necessary for your child to be successful in their senior years by helping them to learn how to study effectively.

In other news, we are still hopeful of pulling together a Work Experience Week for our students. To this end, it is imperative students start to sound out prospective employers about the opportunity of spending a week with them to have a taste of a possible future career. Get to it Year 10, don’t miss out. More information to come as it becomes available.

Congratulations to Lila Bolger who has qualified for a Year Leader’s Award this week and Grace Everett who has earned her second Year Leader’s Award. Great work girls.

PHOTO:  Awards abound for Year 10 this week.  (L to R)  Emma, Grace, Abby, Ella, Abbee, Jenna, Sari, Aaron, James, Jean, Millie, Lauren and Oluoma.

GALLERY: Year 10 briefing and awards.

I want to leave you with this little gem from an anonymous genius; “No matter how educated, talented, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat people, tells all. Integrity is everything.”

Have a great week!

Mr Peter McLeish (on behalf of the Year 10 Pastoral and Academic Care Team)

Year 11 

Mr Mark Fulloon

Welcome back to students in Year 11 who now officially start their HSC course work in classes. At the start of Term 4 the new College Leadership was announced after the voting was completed in the final week of Term 3. I would like to congratulate all students for their nominations and speeches, every nominee should be proud of their efforts.

The Leadership Team 2021 is:

Lara Moloney and Hamish Biddle (College Captains)

Sophie Troon and Nikolai Tursan D’Espaignet (College Vice Captains)

Ema Suluma and Fletcher Chappell-Davis (Sports Captains)

Meg Lawry and Charles Fittler (Arts Captains)

Emelia Rice and Alexander MacMahon (Faith and Service Captains)

We look forward to see their leadership and their vision for the school for the rest of this year and into the next. As always it will be a busy term for our students with plenty of challenges ahead, but with careful planning and hard work these challenges will be overcome. I hope all Year 11 can put their best foot forward starting their HSC and Year 12 work.

Mark Fulloon (on behalf of the entire Year 11 PAC team)

Year 12

Mrs Vicki Channon

Wow, what an emotional few days of last term…. I could not be prouder of the Year 12 cohort in the manner in which they conducted themselves over the last week of Term 4. There were many celebrations and events which were very different from previous years, including the Mass and the Final Assembly. I would like to thank all of the staff members that contributed to the smooth running of these events. I would like to thank all of the parents and carers for their kind words and their patience and support throughout this year. It must have been extremely tough to witness the beautiful assembly via zoom, go to the final Mass in two groups instead of one, not be able to gather as a parent body and celebrate these special events together. You are all amazing. You are in our thoughts and prayers as we go through these milestones.

Well, the HSC exams have commenced, and although the first one is always a little daunting, the Year 12 students have taken them in their stride and are tackling them head on as the resilient bunch of young people that they are. As I write this, the first week is almost upon us and many of the students have commented on how time flies!!!! That it does:) 

PHOTO: Father Roel blesses the Year 12 cohort prior to their first exam.

GALLERY: First day of HSC exams.

Due to COVID-19, there have been many protocols put into place for the exams. One such precaution is the  checking of temperatures before entering the exam room. Just another add on that the students have accepted without fuss - again a testament to the students and the reality of the world that we are now living in. We then gather for a prayer, which is a lovely way to calm the mind and gather their thoughts.

Our thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of our students, whether they are sitting exams, or for those that have started employment already. 

Preparations are excitedly underway for the Formal Graduation Dinner. This will be held at St. Albert’s College at 6.30pm for 7. Photos will take place at The Old Teacher’s College at 5.30pm sharp. Family members are welcome to attend the photo session, but it is important that they practice social distancing. Tickets are now on sale and are available at https://compasstix.com/e/v6icy1dgfr . Just a reminder that it is only open to Year 12 students and 1 date.  The event is obviously going to look a lot different to every other year, but I am sure we will make the most of this evening as we gather with our cohort, enjoy each other’s company and reflect on the last 6 years of high school. 

I am in the process of trying to organise RSA/RCG and CPR/First aid training for after the HSC exams. If you are interested in participating please let me know via the google classroom. A certain number is required to run these events, so it will all depend on if we reach this.

Students keep focussed and working hard on the end goal - the HSC. Well, I guess it is a medium goal as you are all going to do amazing things after the HSC and beyond. However, study hard, eat and sleep well. Utilise your teachers and we will get through the next 3 weeks together.

Thanks so much everybody. 

Vicki Channon (on behalf of the entire Year 12 PAC team)