Sowing the SEADs of Success

From the Assistant Principal: Wellbeing & Engagement

SEAD

During the Term 1 school holidays this year I was lucky to present at the International Coalition of Girls' School Conference at Melbourne Girls Grammar. My presentation was showcasing Loreto College Marryatville’s Wellbeing program and was aptly named “Sowing the SEAD of Success”.

Upon reflection and working with the girls over the years at Loreto I looked at the definition of the two terms “Success” and “Sowing”. In and educational context I believe:

Success = knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and “sowing seeds” that benefit others.

Sowing = to spread abroad; disperse (beyond the classroom), to set in motion and begin an enterprise

Our girls have been exploring numerous activities around “sowing” to ensure that they are flourishing within a supportive environment while developing the 6 pillars of the SEAD framework below:

Identity and sense of purpose
Resilience, perseverance, and grit
Kindness and empathy
Social and emotional intelligence
Authentic relationships and connectedness
Responsible online engagement

Notably our award-winning SEAD program:

Includes regular time allocation in school timetable
Prioritises calendar activities
Is specific for girls’ development (cognitive and emotional)
Is consistently evaluated; not static
Is purposely planned using student data
Includes individual student tracking and reporting using College portalIs
Is not “off the shelf” program - tailored for Loreto College Marryatville students and community

Mission Australia Youth Survey 2023 Data has been helpful to feed the SEAD program to ensure it is meeting the specific needs of our senior schools.

Ms Emma Searle

Assistant Principal: Wellbeing and Engagement

SEAD – Year 9 and 10

With SEAD in Years 9 and 10, we continue to deliver a high-quality, socio-emotional program with checks and measures in place to provide meaningful education and support for your daughters.

Our Year 9 and 10 SEAD Focus areas for Term 2 are:

T H R I V E

SEAD VALUES:

Becoming an autonomous learner
Understanding my online identity and engaging safely, positively, and responsibly online
Having a positive identity
Developing self-regulation
Taking responsibility
Accepting and respecting others
Understanding and constructing positive relationships

Week 3, Tuesday 14 May, all Year 9s and 10s, as part of the SEAD program, took part in half-day Burn Bright presentations. The Burn Bright organisation helps develop the acquired leadership behaviours, wellbeing habits and character traits which help build meaningful, healthy, and positive long-lasting skills and friendships that will continue beyond the school years. In short, Burn Bright provides the fuel and the spark that ignites the potential within every student, leading to enhanced self-efficacy and a heightened sense of personal wellbeing. Below are student experiences…

“The IGNITE presentation we were shown today was one we all needed to hear and engage in. It was a great opportunity for the year ten cohort to understand and learn more about both each other and ourselves. This presentation helped me and others around me build an understanding of the type of people we base our characteristics and values on. Learning the importance and understanding that it’s okay to make mistakes is a key attribute in life. Being okay with making mistakes is important to learn from the mistakes we make and to keep on building on ourselves as a person and growing each day. Overall, I enjoyed this experience, and I can say my peers around me did, there were a lot of engaging activities, and it was a fun and insightful experience.”

Charlize Bailey (Year 10)

“This experience made me realise the importance of my strong values and how they impact my daily life and the life ahead of me. I learnt that there are some values that I am passionate about, but I am not good at implementing them into my life, and that they may need to be built on in the future, which is okay. I also learnt how important it is to have different relationships for the altitude of my school year. Bonding with people that I share many opposed opinions with also share few strong opinions with is so special.”

Portia Katsaros (Year 10)

“Participating in the SPARK program has been enlightening, offering valuable knowledge about both myself and my connections to others. Through its direction, I've discovered a greater strength inside myself, allowing me to navigate the aspect of growing up with renewed assurance. Understanding the importance of great connections, I've learnt to surround myself with supportive people that inspire and motivate me. Practical techniques, such as the game "Find the Mascot", deepened my bonds with my peers by demonstrating a high level of participation and teamwork. Also thinking about the culture I want for my social group, which includes positive outlook support, and respect, has become a guiding principle for my relationships. I want our group to be a secure environment in which everyone is valued and encouraged to express themselves honestly. SPARK has not only given me the skills I need to negotiate growth with resilience, but it has also established in me a strong awareness for the value of genuine connections. As I move on, I bring with me lessons I have learned, ready to face life's obstacles with confidence and create lasting friendships along the way”.

Zara Wucsko (Year 9)

“I discovered a lot about myself and my friendships today in the Burn Bright SPARK workshop. It was interesting to find that, despite our differences, my peers and I had some similar values and interests. This creates a closer bond between us. I came to the realisation that I enjoy establishing connections with others and engaging in conversation about those topics, which makes me an honest friend.

The conversation we had about creating a positive culture in our friendship groups was one that truly connected with me. I want everyone in my year level to feel happy and supported. I believe that spending more time with my cohort one-on-one will help me become a better friend. Today made me realise how crucial it is to consider how we treat one another and how we may support one another in becoming stronger. I can't wait to put all I've learned to use and improve my friendships!”

Alessia Antonino (Year 9)

For now, we experience much singing, music, dancing, and joy with rehearsals, ready for our exciting Performing Arts Festival. We look forward to the evening and wait with anticipation for an exciting experience where our students take centre stage.

Mrs Fi Donnelly

Leader of Student Wellbeing and Academic care

Psychological and Health Services

The College is committed to fostering open dialogue and education about menstrual health. We are thrilled to be partnering with TABOO to provide a parent workshop on Tuesday, 28 May, from 6pm to 7pm in the Lecture Theatre, Senior School.

This event is open to all parents, from Reception to Year 12. The session will be led by Eva Jakob, an accredited exercise physiologist with a Masters in both Women’s Health Medicine and Reproductive Medicine.

Please see below an outline of the parent session:

First period stories: How to support my child before their first period.
Misconceptions about teaching your child about periods and when is the right time to talk to your child about periods.
Understanding your child’s pain throughout a menstrual cycle.
Safe & reliable options for period management.
Endometriosis and Pain Management.
Open discussion: The stigma surrounding periods.

Please register via Humanitix link below:

https://events.humanitix.com/lc-menstrual-health-workshop

Thank you to Alice Graljuk, College Nurse, and Lydia Baccanello, Director of Wellbeing Programs, for their organisation of this important event.

As always, if you have any specific concerns about your child or young person, please contact your daughter’s Classroom Teacher, or Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School in the Junior School, or the relevant Leader of Student Wellbeing and Academic Care, or Mentor/Subject Teacher in the Senior School. You can also contact the Psychological Service, Health Care Centre or engage with external health and/or mental health support.

Monica Bignold

Leader of Psychological and Health Services