Year 7 and 8 update

The importance of community in the wellbeing program at Year 7 and 8

I am very new to Shelford, but something I noticed almost immediately was the sense of community that permeates the daily life of this school. This feeling contributes to the way the students engage with each other and, certainly, to the way in which they engage in their classes. I learned quickly that this is something quite special at Shelford, and something which can have a great and positive impact on the lives of the students in Years 7 and 8. Developing further this feeling of connectedness is one of the goals I have for the wellbeing program at Year 7 and 8. 

One mechanism I am utilising to achieve this is the Year 7 and 8 Games Room. Each Friday, I open up Room 7 for the students to use. I have stocked it with a range of board games and even a Nintendo for the odd friendly game of Mario Kart. This, though a small measure in the midst of a busy school, aims to offer students a place for engaging and having fun with others outside the usual boundaries of the classroom experience. By engaging with others, students are known and can consider their impact. By this, in turn, students can develop a greater understanding of themselves and their behaviour. And by their considered acts, students contribute to the rich tapestry that is the life of Shelford Girls’ Grammar.

For a community to work, it must provide mechanisms by which people are known and valued as individuals, and it must provide a context of values. These values support the aspirational development of individuals. To that end, I have called for nominations from the Year 7 and 8 student body for Class Representatives – one from each class – who will meet with me on a semi-regular basis to relay concerns from the student body, discuss pertinent issues related to the Middle Years and provide role-models, by their advocacy and behaviour, for the students of Year 7 and 8. I look forward to working with the students to make their experience of Year 7 and 8 all the better for their involvement and advice.

Tristan Hill

Middle Years Coordinator