Clyde North Campus News
Wisdom or being wise, what does it really mean, is it a gift, a talent or learning experience?
This week year ten students attended a Be Wise presentation from the Pat Cronin Foundation. Many of you will know the tragic story of Pat and how his young life ended so quickly by one senseless punch. To honour his life, his family formed the Pat Cronin Foundation, which seeks to educate young people through conversation and discussion about the dangers of senseless actions, in other words how to be wise when confronted with challenging situations.
Let us consider some definitions:
Being wise: having or showing good judgement, or the ability to make good judgments, based on what you have learned from your experience.
Wisdom: Three types: cognitive wisdom – involves knowledge and the ability to think critically, reflective wisdom – involves introspection and self-awareness, and. compassionate wisdom – involves empathy and concern for others.
The critical ingredient to these definitions is the ability to learn from experience.
The mission of the Pat Cronin Foundation is to end violence through education. Pat’s life may have been short, but he and his family have left a tremendous legacy for all of us. Take a moment to look at the statistics presented below, particularly the one referring to changing student opinion.
After just one presentation to one group of young people, 39% of young people changed their attitude to violence after hearing Pat’s story.
Education based on truth, and real life can influence the attitude of our young people to change their behaviour and attitude around all forms of violence and abuse. Please keep the conversation going with your family. I have included details of the Foundation’s app which is available for our young people and parents/caregivers providing quick and easy access to helpful tips and strategies to stay safe and be wise.
College Captains 2024 Process and House Captains 2024.
We encourage the student leaders to live by our College Student Motto, “Be Not Afraid’.
Developing confidence in their own leadership style and their ability to work for the good of others.
Over the past two weeks we have witnessed the critical and wonderful events that are the College and House Captains nomination and election process for 2024, involving year 10 and 11 students.
We know that when students experience leadership opportunities during their schooling, they begin to learn the art of building relationships within teams, defining identities, and achieving tasks effectively. It also provides an opportunity to learn to identify and display effective communication and interpersonal skills. When we provide students the opportunity to find their own voice through supportive school programs, they are more likely to develop a confident voice, a capacity to act in the world and a willingness to lead and serve others. Student engagement is enhanced when students feel able to exert influence and participate more fully in the classroom, school, and community.
This year there was an exceptionally high level of interest and nominations for House Captain from all Houses. The speeches held this week illustrated the level of commitment and passion our students have for taking on leadership roles. After the speeches, all students in House voted and following this, candidates will be shortlisted to then be interviewed by their House Leader and the 2023 House Captains. We look forward to the coming days with the successful candidates being announced. To all students do not forget you have the opportunity to nominate for House Forum Leader and being part of the SRC in 2024. I look forward to introducing all student leaders for 2024 at our final Campus assembly on the 21st November.
The 2023 Clyde North Debating Team
Another fine example of student leadership comes in the form of a willingness to represent the college in SIS competitions such as Debating.
St. Peter's College Clyde North had another remarkable year in the Southern Independent Schools Debating competitions. With two outstanding rounds marked by numerous wins and best speaker commendations across the junior, intermediate, and senior teams, our students were thrilled.
The competition was fierce, and the debates were nothing short of passionate. Our senior team, Jonathan Evans, Paige Campbell, and Reeya Kumari displayed exceptional prowess. Their journey to the finals was marked by a victory in the semi-final against Flinders College Tyabb, where they argued that “Reality TV does more Harm than Good” as the opposing team.
In the Grand Final, our senior team claimed second place after being narrowly defeated by Casey Grammar by 3 points. The topic of the debate was "We Regret the Rise of the Buy Now Pay Later Schemes," arguing as the affirmative team. What truly set our senior team apart was their meticulous preparation, teamwork, and public speaking skills. Their ability to craft well-structured arguments and offer compelling rebuttals was the hallmark of their capabilities. St. Peter's College Clyde North teams proved that excellence in debate results from dedication and teamwork
I wish you all a safe and productive week and remember with gratitude, optimism is sustainable.
Mrs Julie Banda
Head of Clyde North Campus