Pastoral Academic Care

Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) Focus

This week’s Pastoral Academic Care focus is: INTELLEGENT REASEARCH PROCESS

Wellbeing Element:           ACCOMPLISHMENT + OPTIMISM

Character Strength:      SPIRITUALITY

Strengths Booster: BREATHING STRENGTHS

Wellbeing Reality Activities:   INTELLIGENT RESEARCH PROCESS

Parent Wellbeing:      With your knees slightly bent, sway forward till your heels leave the ground and then sway back till your toes leave the ground. Feel your weight transferring and finding your balance for five minutes.

The main thing students will be doing in their lives in the 21st century is learning, and to do this successfully, they need to slow down enough to be in the moment to think hard about what they looking at. Google in some ways has taken the emphasis away from looking beyond first impressions; everything seems to be instant these days.

Teaching students to follow an intelligent research process enables them to slow down to think hard about each step they are doing. To support this process, you can ask them to describe how they are thinking using Habits of Mind. Also, using the brain pathway building structure of Thinking Tools, provides opportunities for them to analyse, evaluate and predict.

Adopting these approaches cultivates effective research habits which include knowing what to do when they don’t know what to do, relating how what they learn connects to their world and identifying and finding the information they need to learn more about. Their organisation skills improve by planning time targets, analysing their findings and looking for bias, patterns, inference and implied messages and presenting what they learned with clarity and precision. Once they have mastered these, they can make predictions from their findings.

Acknowledgement: Ericsson & Anderson

Year 7   

Mrs Kath Czinner

The Student-Led conferences have been completed this week. Thank you to the students who were able to share their learning experiences with their teachers and parents. I was very impressed with the level of maturity and confidence displayed. Some went in a little nervous and surprised themself as to how they went. Lots of positives were gained from the experience. Thanks to our PAC teachers for the preparation and guidance throughout the process. It was fantastic to meet our parents and thank you for your support. The connections made during this process were valuable and highlighted the importance of working in partnership to guide our students. Our staff are very open to communication and welcome any feedback. Subject teachers can also  be contacted at any point to discuss student progress.

I have visited many classes to check in on student academic progress and well being. I am always interested to see what the students are learning and how the classes have settled. I frequently reminded students to work on giving their best and to reach out if they are experiencing difficulties.

Kath Czinner (on behalf of the entire Year 7 PAC team)

Year 8 

Mrs Katie Biddle

Well it has been a busy start to the term! Thank you to all students, parents and teachers for their preparation and involvement in the Student Led Conferencing. It is a fantastic opportunity for students to have their voice heard and to take the lead with their learning journey. If you missed your SLC but would like to be involved, please contact your child’s PAC teacher to book a time for this. 

The focus in PAC periods last week and for the remainder of the term is R U OK? Students have started to review the things that can cause struggles and will soon begin to discuss signs to look out for and what they can do if they need support or notice someone who does. Students are encouraged to take care of all aspects of their own wellbeing and to look out for those around them also. Over the next couple of weeks students will discuss and practice how to ask for help and when to offer support to someone. Students are reminded that they can seek support from any teacher at school - especially their PAC teachers, their year leader (me!), the wellbeing officer (Mr Harper), the school counsellor (Emily) and the PAC leader (Mrs Bell). I would like to encourage parents to reach out if they have any concerns for their children also. We are always willing to help in any way that we can.

Here are some pictures of year 8 practising their SLCs and brainstorming what it may look and sound like when you are OK and when you are not. 

Sincerely

Katie Biddle and the Year 8 team

Year 10

Mr Peter McLeish

In the words of Mary Anne Radmacher (Author of ‘Lean Forward Into Your Life’) “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is a quiet voice at the end of the day saying . . . ‘I will try again tomorrow’.”

This is true not only for our students but also for us, as teachers, and probably also for you as parents. 

It is important to continue to encourage your children to try to do their best especially when the hurdles sometimes seem to be insurmountable.

Students have spent the past week coming to terms with their subject selections for next year. The first round of this task is now complete. There will be ample opportunity for them to change their minds before things are finalised in the form of next year’s timetable. But at least the process has begun.

As we approach the halfway point of this term, we are still working tirelessly on enforcing and reinforcing our theme for the year of RESPECT! I am pleased to report the vast majority of our students understand and exercise this concept very well. As for the handful of students still struggling with the whole idea of respect, “I will try again tomorrow”.

Student Led Conferencing - It is not too late to take advantage of the opportunity to be involved in this worthwhile process. Just contact us to organise a time. Don’t forget you can contact me or your child’s PAC teachers if you have any questions related to their education or well being. We look forward to hearing from you.

Congratulations go to Oluoma and Abbee who both became eligible for Principal’s Awards recently.

It’s garbage night again in my street and I just realised that it goes out more than I do. 

Have a great week and stay safe!

Peter McLeish (on behalf of the entire Year 10 PAC team)

Year 12

Mrs Vicki Channon

The College would like to wish all of the students the very best for their upcoming Trial HSC examinations. These are to take place in Weeks 5 and 6, with a few in Week 7 also. It is hoped that students have prepared well and can feel confident that their efforts will bear the fruits of their labour.

It is important to remember that students take care of themselves during this time, eat nutritious food, get plenty of sleep, keep social activities to a minimum, ask for help. The three weeks after the examination period are vital in consolidating course content, receiving feedback from teachers and continuing to complete past papers.

Many of the events that are so traditional and now ingrained in our school culture are going to look different due to COVID-19. It is ever changing in the advice for schools in regards to final graduation assemblies, formals etc… Our school is very keen to make sure we celebrate our Year 12 2020 in the best way possible and we are exploring many different avenues. We will keep you posted as to what the outcome will be.  

2020 has been a very tumultuous year for our Year 12 cohort and the majority have demonstrated amazing strength, courage and resilience during these difficult times. I would like to send a simple message to all of the students. Take care of yourself and each other and be kind. The following prayer will be the one that we will be using throughout the exam period. I encourage parents and carers to use it in their own daily private prayer for their children. 

Lord,We pray to you this morning with our hearts full of faith.Please bless and assist each one of these students who are undertaking their …. Exam.

Please help each student to be alert and have a clear mind & sharp memory, calm their nerves and help them to concentrate.Please help each student to feel quietly confident.and alleviate their mental pressure.Please help them to understand the exam questionsso that they can practically apply their knowledge.

Lord please enable all studentsto be able to quickly resolve all uncertainties.so that they can perform to the best of their ability throughout this …….. exam.

St Angela Merici…..

St John Baptist de La Salle………

Live Jesus in our hearts…..

Amen.

Vicki Channon (on behalf of Year 12 PAC Team)