Pastoral Care
Reconciliation Action Plan Committee Meeting
- Reconciliation Week Activities
- School Attendance
- 2020 House Cup
- 2020 House Vice Captains
- Year 8 Ski Pastoral Care Excursion 2021
- Parent/Student Well being Presentations
Well-being Anecdotes from the Student Diary Planner
"Positive emotions don't just make us feel good, they transform our minds, our bodies and our ability to bounce back from hard times." Barbara Erickson
"Don't follow the crowd, let the crowd follow your lead."
Reconciliation Week Activities
At the conclusion of Reconciliation Week and the anniversary of the Mabo High Court determination this Wednesday we acknowledge the First Nation people of this great country, and their struggle in the context of the troubling events throughout the world. In this context we can be very proud of the many students of St Pius X College who have “walked the walk” of an Inclusive Community for Justice and Solidarity as we submit our Narragunnawali Reconciliation Action Plan this week for endorsement of the many initiatives our students have led over the past 12 months. An incomplete list of Actions from our student team is included below for the record.
Attendees at the Reconciliation Action Plan Student Committee meeting were Ashley J, Reuben J, Caleb H, Jonathon W, Ben C, Will S, Harrison O, Ronan C, Mr Balboa and myself.
Some of the Reconciliation Initiatives actioned by our students 2019 - 2020:
- 2019 Red Dirt Expedition and Immersion
- Year 10 Immersions
- Year 9 Camp Indigenous Culture study with Stu McMinn
- Reconciliation Week Celebrations 2019 and 2020
- Use of appropriate flags, symbols, signs and Acknowledgements of Country
- Aboriginal themed Reconciliation Artwork worn by our touring teams as ambassadors for reconciliation
- Curriculum topics were completed in Year 5, 9 RE, 7, 8 and 10 History, 11 and 12 SOR
- Year 7 Induction Day
- Founder's Day Festival Social Justice and fundraising for communities
- Opportunities for written expression
- Year 10 Willoughby Council Bingara Exchange and visit to Myall Creek Massacre Memorial
- EREA Lets Talk Immersion
- Cammeraygal cave visit 2020
School Attendance
The New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) last week issued a very clear directive that the Flexible Learning Attendance “F” code used over the recent schools' isolation period can now only be used where a medical certificate is provided to show compromised immunity concerns. Wherever possible all students should be attending school as per the direction. Where there are any symptoms of sickness, please keep your son at home to recover and explain his “absence due to sickness” to studentmanagement@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au.
2020 House Cup
The 2020 House Cup takes on a very different feel this year with our Interhouse Athletics Carnival not proceeding due to COVID-19 Restrictions. Still, we look forward to including all manner of points for involvement in sport, music and House Competitions by our House Vice Captain leaders such that we can present the House Cup as Year 12 round off their HSC preparations and tenure of leadership in Term 3.
2020 House Vice Captains
Congratulations to the following students who were elected as House Vice Captains by their peers. Given the disrupted nature of the year their responsibilities will include running reduced House Cup Events and collating House Cup points in the lead up to House Cup presentation in Term 3. They will also then collate points and run House Cup Activities throughout Semester 2. They will also represent the school at events such as Remembrance Day.
We look forward also to recognising our new Year 8 and 9 House Vice Captains who join our student leadership training program next week.
Year 8 Ski Pastoral Care Excursion 2021
In an announcement which was very well received by Year 7 students on Tuesday, Mr Couani announced plans for the evolution of our Pastoral Care Camps and Outdoor Education program to incorporate the ski trip for Year 8 in 2021, with Year 7 2021 engaging in a community building Outdoor Educational Camp in Term 1. This exciting development ensures our students' progressive Pastoral Care journey maintains the integrity which generations of students have enjoyed, and that this much-celebrated ”rite of passage” through the school is strengthened. I look forward to working with Year 7 Coordinator, Mr Virgona, and our Year 7 students in leading this popular innovation.
Parent – Student Well being Presentations
Please see below some online workshops from Ryde and Land Cove Councils and renowned Child Psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Greg which are highly useful for parents:
City of Ryde and Lane Cove Council are bringing Dr Michael Carr-Gregg to your screens to provide 2 x FREE workshops to help parents during and post COVID-19.
Raising Resilient Kids in the Coronavirus Era
The spread of the Coronavirus has turned life upside down, almost overnight, for millions of people around the world. Being a young person is complicated even without a global pandemic in the mix, and many adults are struggling to navigate the new reality of remote schoolwork, lots of family time, and a ton of uncertainty about what happens next. This webinar offers practical, evidence-based strategies on what to say and what to do in these challenging times. It also includes information on managing remote learning and self-care.
Suitable for: Parents, grandparents and adult carers of younger children.
Parenting Teenagers Post Coronavirus Lockdown
In just a matter of weeks, the Coronavirus pandemic has turned our vibrant modern cities into virtual ghost towns, and thousands of Australians are without jobs and 24.6 million people were told to stay home unless they absolutely have to go outside. Hard enough as an adult, but particularly tricky if you are a teenager trying to tackle the tasks of adolescent development. This webinar explains the impact of the Coronavirus lockdown on teenagers, focusing their mental health and gives participants some skills to manage teenagers especially as they transition back to school in all year levels, deal with disappointment and try to regain their motivation.
Suitable for: Parents, grandparents and adult carers of teenagers.
For further information contact Andrew – amarselos@ryde.nsw.gov.au or Hayley – hrose@lanecove.nsw.gov.au.
Fide et Labore
Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal Pastoral Care and Well being