Wellbeing - Whole School

R U OK? Day – Ask R U OK? Any Day

This week, our College community will come together to recognise R U OK? Day, an important reminder that checking in with one another should not be something we do on just one day of the year. The 2026 theme, “Ask R U OK? Any Day”, encourages us to trust our instincts, start a conversation and make genuine connections with the people around us.

The message is particularly important for our young people. The latest Australian data tells us that almost 39% of Australians aged 16–24 experienced a mental disorder in the previous 12 months, the highest prevalence of any age group. These statistics remind us that mental health and wellbeing are not issues that sit somewhere outside the school gates. They are part of the lives of our students, families and wider community. Just as importantly, they remind us that connection matters.

This week, our students will also be encouraged to wear fun socks as part of our R U OK? activities. While the socks are designed to bring some colour, fun and energy to the College, there is a deeper purpose behind the initiative. They provide an easy conversation starter - something small that can open the door to a smile, a question or a connection. Sometimes, checking in with someone does not begin with a serious conversation. It can begin with, “I like your socks,” “Why are you wearing those?” or simply noticing that someone seems a little different from usual.

Also, across our Assemblies and Pastoral Care Lessons (PCLs) this week, we will spend dedicated time exploring what it really means to look out for one another. Students will consider how to recognise when a friend may not be themselves, how to ask a genuine “Are you OK?”, how to listen without judgement and, importantly, when to involve a trusted adult. The message is not that our students need to solve someone else's problems but, it is about giving them the confidence to notice, care and connect. 

At St Patrick’s, we want our students to understand that wellbeing is part of who we are and how we live Shining the St Patrick’s Way. For parents/carers, this is also a valuable opportunity to continue the conversation at home. Ask your son how his friends are going. Ask who he sits with at lunch. Ask whether there is someone at school who might need a little more support. Most importantly, create the space for him to talk and listen when he does. 

Because sometimes... a simple conversation can make a very real difference.

Alexandros Sinadinos                                                  Robert Simpson

Director of Middle School                                             Director of Senior School

Passing It On…

There is something special about our oldest students taking the time to support those who are just beginning their high school journey at St Patrick’s College.

On 3 September, during a Year Coordinator Meeting (YCM) with our Year 6 boys, Year 12 College Captain Francesco M and Athletics Captain Cameron M led an initiative focused on preparing students for their transition into Senior High School. They spoke about their own journey from Junior School through to Year 12 and shared some of the things they have learnt along the way.

The idea came from Francesco and Cameron themselves. They wanted to give the Year 6 boys the advice they wished someone had given them six years ago. What made their presentation so valuable was its honesty. They weren’t there to tell the younger boys what they should do. Instead, they talked about their own experiences - the challenges, mistakes, friendships and moments that helped them grow.

And sometimes, that is exactly what younger students need to hear.

For a Year 6 boy looking towards high school, Year 12 can seem a very long way away. Older students can also seem incredibly confident, as though they have always had everything figured out. Francesco and Cameron reminded the boys that this simply isn’t the case.

Their message was simple: you do not need to have everything figured out when you begin high school.

A lot can change in six years. The quiet student can become a confident leader. A boy who finds Year 7 difficult might discover a sport, subject, friendship or interest that completely changes his experience of school. Friendships can change too. New ones form, interests develop and, somewhere along the way, students begin to work out who they are and where they belong.

Francesco and Cameron also spoke about the importance of looking out for one another. Some primary school friendships will last for years, while others will naturally change. Their advice was simple: be yourself, be open to meeting new people and notice the people around you.

Sometimes wellbeing really can begin with something as small as saying hello to someone who is sitting alone.

They also encouraged the boys to get involved. Try the sport you have never played before. Join a club. Go to the camps and carnivals. Put your hand up for something, even if you’re not completely sure about it. Have a go.

Not everything will become a lifelong passion - and that’s okay. But these experiences are often where confidence grows, friendships are made and some of the best school memories begin.

Perhaps the message that stayed with me most was their reminder to enjoy it.

Six years sounds like forever when you’re in Year 6. Ask a Year 12 student, though, and they will probably tell you it went much faster than they expected. Francesco and Cameron encouraged the boys not to rush through the ordinary days, but to enjoy the friendships, the laughter, the challenges and all the little moments in between.

As parents, carers and educators, we can give young people plenty of advice. But there is something particularly powerful about hearing it from someone who has recently walked the same path.

For our younger students, our senior students are more than just older faces around the College. They are role models. They show our younger boys what is possible and, through their actions, help shape the culture and values of the College. Francesco and Cameron demonstrated that leadership isn’t simply about having a title or wearing a badge. Sometimes leadership is looking back, remembering what it was like to be younger, and taking the time to make the path a little easier for someone coming after you.

For our Year 6 boys, the Senior High School journey is about to begin. For our Year 12 students, theirs is almost complete.

Bringing them together was a lovely reminder of what school community can be at its best - growing up, looking out for one another and, when the time comes, passing on a little of what you’ve learnt.

Thank you to Francesco and Cameron for their initiative, generosity and leadership, and for showing our younger boys another way to ‘Shine the St Patrick’s Way’.

Rana Salloum 

College Counsellor