Pastoral Academic Care

(PAC) Focus

Skills and Achievement - GRIT AND LEADERSHIP

Wellbeing Element: MEANING AND PURPOSE

Character Strength: HUMOUR

Parent Wellbeing: Think of three things which consistently push your emotional buttons. For each, come up with two off ramps to reduce the intensity of your emotions.

Focus - GRIT AND LEADERSHIP

Building students’ leadership capabilities will assist them to stay focused on the job at hand and ignore distractions. Using the strengths leadership, bravery, self-regulation and perspective will connect them with the moment, enabling them to do the right thing and do the thing right. It’s about developing grit = passion + long term persistence + self-regulation.

Teaching students the difference between activity and action will benefit them. Activity is being involved in things with little meaning and purpose. Action is being decisive with things that matter and following through with meaning and purpose. Leaders know that difference and show it in their every thought, word and action.

Key ingredients which make up leadership are believing that other people matter and having a higher purpose in life to make a positive difference. Leaders understand that the right thing to do is nearly always the hard thing to do and then being prepared to do it. They welcome challenges and overcome them by using their strengths and growth mindsets to learn new and try approaches to build their brain’s abilities.

Leaders know the way and show the way. Leadership for Relationships Week is a perfect opportunity to practise showing grit and leadership.

“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Year 7

Year 7 are almost finished their first year of High School! How fast has this year gone? The upcoming weeks would be a fantastic time to reflect with your children about how the year has gone. Ask questions that inspire thought for how they have gone and what they can do to move their learning forward as they look towards Year 8.

Another reminder about uniform. Term 4 brings with it the return of the summer uniform. A reminder that students are required to wear O’Connor sports shoes with plain white or black socks while in their sports uniform. In their formal uniform, students are required to wear navy socks and black leather shoes. Wearing the uniform correctly ensures we are representing O’Connor Catholic College with pride. The sports hoodie jumper is to only be worn with the sports uniform, while formal uniform students are to wear the school jacket. Attached is a photo of the correct summer uniform for your reference.

Year 7 have a week of Swim Survive coming up towards the end of this term, which will be an invaluable opportunity for students to develop skills in the water that could save lives. It is imperative that notes are signed and returned promptly so students can be placed in groups to match their ability. Swim Survive week is a normal school week so students are required to attend. If your child has missed out on receiving a note please email the school office and a copy will be sent to you. These are to be signed and returned as soon as possible.

At the end of this term we have a week labelled ‘Term 5’. During this time students can select from a range of activities to undertake for the week. Some activities will be free and some will require a small amount of money. Students will need to start thinking about these activities soon. It is a fantastic time for students to interact with peers and students from other years in a fun, safe and supportive learning environment.

Finally congratulations to those students who have received commendations this fortnight.

Year 8

Term 4 brings with it the return of the summer uniform. A reminder that students are required to wear O’Connor sports shoes with plain white or black socks while in their sports uniform. In their formal uniform, students are required to wear navy socks and black leather shoes. Wearing the uniform correctly ensures we are representing O’Connor Catholic College with pride. Your support in ensuring the correct uniform is invaluable and if this causes any difficulty please contact your PAC teachers or myself.

Year 8 has a week of Swim Survive coming up towards the end of term, which will be an invaluable opportunity for students to develop skills in the water that could save lives. It is imperative that notes are signed and returned promptly so students can be placed in groups to match their ability. Swim Survive week is normal school week so students are required to attend.

Finally, congratulations to all of the students who received commendations so far this term. Your hard work has not gone unnoticed and I thank you for the fine examples you have set for the rest of Year 8.

Year 9

We are almost half way through the Term. Where has this year gone? I am certain the older we get, the more quickly time flies. At my age it is literally zooming by.

Students will be assessed through a variety of means over coming weeks. They should be taking every opportunity to engage in the learning process and support their effort in class with home learning. This learning period will culminate with their Reports being issued in about Week 7 or Week 8. Every student needs to be focussed on learning this Term.

This week’s PAC focus is GRIT AND LEADERSHIP.

The Aim is to boost our Meaning and Purpose by using our strengths to lead and showing grit.

Grit is our long-term persistence and self-regulation to achieve something that we are passionate about. When we combine leadership and grit, we focus on using our strengths in our every thought, word and action and we use resilience skills to push through to achieve our goals.

Accept our full range of emotions and do good to feel good. Do the right thing and do the thing right. Have meaning and purpose for what we do and walk the talk by following through. Believe and show others matter by our words and actions, value in person quality relationships and enjoy celebrating others’ achievements.

Congratulations to Tommy, Joey, Ty, Riley, Tom, Kaitlyn and Azalea who received Commendation Certificates and Ty, Azalea and Bridie (absent) who also received Year Leader Awards this week.

Peter McLeish (on behalf of our PAC team)

Year 10

Year 10 have had a very busy start to the last term of 2019. Term 4 is usually a very busy term in terms of commitment to their academic pursuits and often there is a significant amount of extra-curricular activities on offer. It has also been a time for students to become involved with the Lasallian Youth program and for Year 10 students to nominate themselves to be ambassadors of that program in Year 11. It is a real opportunity for LYL’s to work with younger students in the school community and act as role models for those students. Also a reminder to students that it is an academic reporting term and for students to remain on top of their work for their various subjects, and continue to work to the best of their ability in every lesson. I encourage all Year 10 to keep up the good work that they have demonstrated so far this year.

Mark Fulloon

Year 11

Newly appointed House Captains were named at last week’s College Assembly. They are as follows:

Benilde

Dom Flanagan- Isabella Kennedy

La Salle

Ricardo Lawson- Chloe Brown

Merici

Henry Schultz- Lara Walters

Ursula

Henry Moore- Caitlin Honeysett

We also appointed Abbey Thomas and Jacob Lynch to represent the SRC.

Congratulations to all of these students.

Ms Menz spoke to all Year 11 students last week about the procedures and protocols that accompany the HSC. A booklet was distributed containing this information, as well as a copy of the assessment schedules attached. There were several other things that were made quite clear to the students in regards to their responsibilities as senior students.

If driving a car to and from school, there is an agreement that has been developed by the executive in order to keep everyone as safe as possible, and it is expected that students complete this and return it to me. If parents/ carers have not seen this document please ask for it.

Students who are leaving a course MUST fill in the change to patterns of study form. This is a NESA requirement.

Study periods are to be used as the name suggests STUDY. If students have a study period they are to go to the library and make full use of this time. In some circumstances, students may make arrangements with teachers (prior to) to study in a nominated room around the school.

There are reasons as to why we have rules in place and we wish to make it very clear that these need to be followed to allow maximum learning to happen, and hence greater success in the HSC.

Year 11 celebrated Mass last week with Father Roel in the Chapel. Thank you to those students who assisted in some way.

Also, a big thank you to students who have helped with the Multicultural and Youth Mass in recent times. There are so many opportunities in which students can participate and help out; in our school, parish OR wider community. Now is the time to step up and say ‘yes’, instead of finding lots of excuses to say ‘no’.

The Year 11 students have really shown how they can work together by planning and organising the stalls for Mission Week. They have been working in their house groups to come up with some fun and yummy stalls to run on Tuesday of Week 5 during Break A. All of the money raised will go to Catholic Mission. House Captains need to make sure their group is aware of their commitment on the day so that it runs very smoothly.

Vicki Channon and the Year 11 PAC team.

Year 12

Over the past fortnight our Yr 12 students have continued to complete their HSC Exams. We have been very impressed with their ongoing attitude and management of this difficult, high pressure period. As HSC Exams approach their final week, anticipation for the 2019 Yr 12 Formal is building. The Formal takes place once all HSC Exams have been completed, on Friday 15th November. This is a wonderful event conducted by the College and a fantastic way for O’Connor staff to celebrate our Yr 12 students with their families and friends. Please remember that this is a school event and we are guests at the Servies. We look forward to a dignified and really positive closure to the senior school year. Pre-formal photography will take place at the Old Teachers College commencing at 5:00pm, before heading down to the Servies to be seated by 6:30pm. The Yr 12 PAC Team are really looking forward to celebrating with all of you.

James Russell