Pastoral Care & Wellbeing

Welcome to Term 2 SPC community, I hope that the Easter break with your family and friends was enjoyable and that you’re looking forward to an exciting term with plenty of opportunities for our boys in a range of different areas.

93rd Anzac Commemoration for Students

Some of our students have already participated in one of these rewarding opportunities this week when Taj Bobrowski, Archer Mohr, Kobi Jones and Hunter Vansomeren attended the 93rd Annual Anzac Commemoration for Students. Our boys had the opportunity to join other secondary and primary schools from Victoria in keeping the Anzac spirit alive by commemorating Anzac Day and the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who have served our country.

There were many different honorary guests and dignitaries that addressed the students, and the ceremony included the Defence Force Cadets, school band and choir and an RAAF fly-over. The event was held at the Shrine of Remembrance and our students had the opportunity to lay a wreath at the eternal flame to pay our respects. Once the ceremony was over the students all made their way into the Shrine and were able to spend some time reading through the history of the ANZACS and visiting the different presentations that were on offer, a very special occasion that was an honour to be involved in.

Term 1 PULSE Wellbeing Data

Across Term 1, our students have been completing wellbeing surveys each week which has allowed us to see real time data on the wellbeing of the boys here at St Patrick’s College. This data has enabled us to provide tailored support to the students and get a better understanding of the areas of concern for them.

An important part of the process with these surveys is to share some of this data with parents and the community. Below are some samples of the data which show different domains and areas that are covered within the surveys. The way this data is collected is through students answering many different questions over the whole term, these questions relate to a range of different areas which enables us to see a holistic view of wellbeing here at SPC.

Below is a report of some of the data and some of the areas that are really positive for the school and some areas for improvement.

Wellbeing Domain Analysis (ARACY Framework)

Valued and Safe

• High ratings across indicators:
  • Bullying: 93% positive (24% "agree", 69% "strongly agree")
  • Home Climate: 93% positive
  • School Climate: 78% positive
• Overall sentiment: 84% positive responses

Healthy

• Positive Emotions: 84% positive
• Challenging Emotions: More mixed, with 29% reporting frequent challenges
• Physical Activity and Food Security: Very strong, with 90%+ positivity
• Overall sentiment: 79% positive

Material Basics

• Strong indicators:
  • Access to necessities & home environment: ~90% positive
  • Breakfast consumption and nutrition: 80–90% positive
• Overall sentiment: 90% positive

Learning

• Students feel generally engaged:
  • Emotional engagement with teachers & perseverance: 84% positive
  • Learning practices & cognitive engagement: 78% positive
• Overall sentiment: 80% positive

Participating

• Very positive relationships and engagement outside the classroom:
  • Friendship intimacy: 89% positive
  • Connectedness to adults at home: 93% positive
  • Resilience is slightly lower: 77% positive
• Overall sentiment: 85% positive

Positive Sense of Identity and Culture

• Peer and school belonging: 80% positive
• Meeting expectations scored notably lower (only 60% positive), possibly pointing to self-doubt or performance pressure
• Overall sentiment: 82% positive

Key Strengths

• Strong sense of belonging, safety, and positive relationships both at home and at school
• High levels of gratitude expression and engagement
• Low levels of reported bullying and good access to basic needs

Areas to Monitor

• Challenging emotions and emotion regulation need attention (25–30% of students report struggles)
• Help-seeking behaviour is low — consider encouraging students to use this support feature
• "Meeting expectations" scores suggest a group of students may be struggling with self-perception or academic pressure

This report will enable us to better cater our wellbeing programs to our students to provide them with the most positive experience we can here at St Patrick’s College.