Pastoral Care 

• Year 9 Rice Camp
• Movember Launch
• Supporting Mental Health - Black Dog Institute
• Year 12 Foundations for Success Masterclass

Year 9 Rice Camp

by Aren Mamigonian and Alessandro Siclari

Year 9 Camp has been an excellent experience. It was strongly focused on improving our mental and physical health through many exercises that got us involved in and connecting with nature. As we arrived at Workul Koo, we were warmly welcomed into the beautiful, beachside mansion that we soon became very comfortable with. We’ve met many people who helped us experience things we never thought we would and break out of our comfort zone. In our experience, the teachers have been so well with giving us powerful advice and constructive feedback to improve our skills. We especially noticed this with the amazing surf instructors, one of which who was named Sam, who helped us overcome both our barriers with surfing and enabled us to engage in activities we never thought we would be capable of doing. Overall, the camp was a joyful experience full of laughs, hard work, sweats, and lots of swimming. We met new people, made new friends, learned more about our peers and developed a stronger sense of teamwork through this amazing camp and walk away knowing we’ve developed new skills and friendships along the way.

Movember Launch

From your Wellbeing Prefects - James, Ryan and Jack

Gentlemen, 'the Mo' is calling. With November nearly upon us, men around Australia have put down the razor in preparation for another Movember campaign.

Now, you might be thinking, ‘What’s Movember all about?’

Movember is much more than facial hair, it’s about bringing awareness to men's health, both physical and mental.

Every November, men around the world grow moustaches to spark conversations about issues that often go unspoken: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health. These are not easy topics to discuss, especially for men. But that's the problem. Too many men stay silent.

Movember’s 2024 move for mental health remembers that 60 men commit suicide globally every hour.

There are three initiatives that Movember covers – grow a moustache, donate, or participate in a physical challenge.  The physical challenge is to run or walk 60km over the duration of November.  The college’s wellbeing team is also implementing a physical challenge before every PE lesson. The challenge is to hold a plank for a minute to recognise that a man loses their life to suicide every minute. We will also be organising a barbeque to raise funds towards Movember (keep an eye out for further details).

You can also donate!  Check out the QR code below and donate to this important cause.

We encourage everyone to be involved in these initiatives, whether it be growing a moustache, donating or participating in the physical challenge. Every little bit counts.

Look out next week for more facts about Movember.

Supporting Mental Health - Black Dog Institute

The Black Dog Institute is a proudly independent not-for-profit globally renowned mental health research institute connected to UNSW Sydney. They are the only medical research institute in Australia that investigates mental health across the lifespan—from childhood to adulthood. 

They believe in creating hope for those experiencing mental illness by improving mental health outcomes for all Australians.

Below are some links to pages on their website to assist you in supporting your child's mental health and your own.

Teen Mental Health

Adolescence is a period of massive physical, emotional, social and cognitive change that marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. Parents and carers play a crucial role in supporting young people to navigate this life stage.

Please see the link to the Black Dog Institute's webpage on upcoming webinars and articles to assist your teen's mental health and your own as a parent.

Mental Fitness Hub

This page contains links and articles to help you with your own mental health and how to support others.

Mr Martin Gillogly - Assistant Principal, Pastoral Care