Assistant Principal (Years 7/8) Report 

Report from Assistant Principal Alice Paget

Dear Westall SC community,

Well, Term 3 has flown by and we are just starting to see some lovely Spring weather creeping in, just in time for the holiday period. 

I would like to highlight some of the amazing work that has been happening in some of the offsite iCreate subjects during Term 3:

• Hip Hop Dance: Students walk down weekly to the Ascendant Dance Company, in Clayton South, for a weekly Hip Hop dance lesson (facilitated by a professional dance teacher). These offsite lessons provide a space where students can peruse their passions and be mentored alongside like-minded students. Students explore the art of Hip Hop Dance, whilst learning choreography and designing their own dance routines. 
• Taekwondo: iCreate Taekwondo students take part in a weekly excursion to the United School of Martial Arts in Clayton. Each week students learn an array of patterns, self-defence, kicking, punching and blocking techniques. Throughout the lessons, the Master Sensei Spiro, maintains a focus on discipline, etiquette, respect and self-confidence.

Our iCreate Program, that runs every Wednesday afternoon, provides students with an opportunity to connect with their school community on an area of passion or interest they wish to explore further. It has been great to pop into some of the iCreate subjects this Term, to see some of the amazing programs and engagement across the College!

Curriculum Day (Term 3):

On the 6th August we had a Student Free Day where staff had a focus on their own Wellbeing. There has been a great focus on student mental health and wellbeing at Westall and we endeavour to make this a priority for staff at the College as well. 

On the Curriculum Day we invited a guest speaker from the Resilience Project to run a workshop with the staff on ‘looking after yourself’. One of the key takeaway messages was around wat we can do for our own self-care, so we can show up for those important people we care about in our lives, including our Westall community. We reflected on self-care practices such as gratitude, empathy, mindfulness, connection, screen-time and healthy habits.

Wellbeing at home (Resilience Project):

The Resilience Project is committed to teaching positive mental health strategies to prevent mental ill-health and build young people’s capacity to deal with adversity.

This Semester in Year 7 and 8 Brain Care class, teachers and students will engage in weekly lessons and activities around the key principles of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness, and Emotional Literacy to build resilience.

Let’s have a closer look at Gratitude, including small achievable practices we can incorporate in our daily practices:

Working on gratitude helps us to be thankful and appreciate what we have in our lives, rather than focusing on what we don’t have or what we want. When we practise being grateful, we start to scan the world to look for positives – this only takes 21 days! Practising gratitude every day increases our levels of energy, and helps us to feel happier and more focused, determined and optimistic. It even helps us have better sleep, lowers levels of anxiety and depression and we are less likely to get sick. So many benefits – let’s all try to be grateful for the things and people in our lives every day!

Some benefits of practising gratitude are:

• After 21 days, you start to scan the world for positives.
• After 42 days you become:
  • More optimistic, energised & focused
  • Less likely to get sick
  • You will sleep better
  • Anxiety and depression decreases

A few quick and simple ways to practise being grateful are:

• Journaling; each night write down 3 things that went well for you that day or purchase a gratitude journal with gratitude prompts.
• Write a gratitude letter to someone special, telling them why you are grateful they are in your life.
• Have a family discussion on the way home from school or around the dinner table about the things that went well that day or made you smile.

Upcoming events in Term 4:

• Year 7 Welcome Night (Year 7s of 2025): We are looking forward to welcoming our new Year 7s at our Welcome Night on Tuesday 19st November 2024, from 6.00pm. This is an opportunity to find out more information regarding your child or young person’s transition to Westall SC, including booklists, uniform, key contacts ect. 
• Year 7 Orientation Day (Year 7s of 2025) will take place on the 10th December, 2024. I would like to extend a warm welcome to the new students and parents of the College and we look forward to making the transition for your son, daughter or young person a positive and supportive experience. 

I hope you have a wonderful break and look forward to what will be a jam-packed Term 4!

Alice Paget

Assistant Principal (Years 7/8)