From the Deputy Principal

The recent Nagle Education Alliance of Australia (NEAA) Staff Conference was an opportunity for St Mary's College to share details about our evolving Pillars program, one that seeks to promote social and emotional wellbeing. Recent data shows that the rate of unhappiness and depression reported among adolescents has increased significantly over the past 10 years. Regrettably, our school data mirrors the national trends; too many students feel anxious, disengaged and are not ready to learn. 

As previously communicated, 'our goal is to foster happy, productive and resilient individuals who fulfill their potential, and who contribute positively to communities now and in the future.' (Learning Engagement Framework). 

With all this in mind, what is the current focus for our Year 7 to 10 cohort? In the coming weeks the Year 7 classes are focusing on social media and, in particular, they will: 

• evaluate personal stressors using social media and strategies to reduce their impact
• understand factors from social media that make them feel upset, stressed, overwhelmed or anxious
• identify strategies to support them to feel less stressed online. 

I encourage parents and carers to access the many resources offered by School TV: School TV: Cyber Safety Series

The Year 8 students recently enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a half-day Live Life Whole workshop facilitated by founder, Megan Dickinson. The session focused on three modules: Nurture and Connect, Align with Love, and Believe in Your Why, with follow-up activities in Pillars classes. 

The Year 8 students will also use their upcoming Pillars lessons to prepare activities and opportunities to be included in the College’s Sustainability Fair.

Last week, two Year 9 classes travelled to the Tasman Peninsula for their Pillars experience, with the remaining two classes to follow in Week 7. We have consciously moved away from traditional whole-year groups camps, instead, opting to take smaller groups to facilitate genuine connection, resilience and problem solving away from the comforts of home. The Year 9s will also embark on a Service-Learning Project this term as they are challenged to consider who they could be in the local community. Making a positive difference helps students to develop empathy and compassion, and social responsibility. Critical to this is the development of a 'benefit mindset':

In a benefit mindset, we understand we are not separate individuals going it alone. We are interdependent beings who belong to a massive global ecosystem—the community of life—and everyone has a unique and valuable role to play in creating healthy conditions on the planet. Therefore, more than believing we can develop, we take responsibility for realising our potential in a way that affirms life and supports others with doing the same. (Ash Buchanan)

In response to student input, the Year 10 students will embark on a series of Life Skills Workshops, with completing a tax return, managing a budget, basic car maintenance and social etiquette among the topics to be covered in the coming weeks. 

The Year 8, 9 and 10 students have also participated in an Academic Integrity presentation delivered by Ms Cheslea Mouritz, Director of Curriculum. It is critical that students understand how to use academic material appropriately, including the correct way to reference Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the emergence of highly intelligent programs such as ChatGPT.