School Life & Wellbeing
Wellbeing - Champagnat House Assembly
On Tuesday 24 June Champagnat House hosted the college assembly on the theme of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. House Captains Lucas Demicoli and Alana Magyar led the assembly with a brief description regarding the character strength of appreciation of beauty and excellence.
From Lucas:
“Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence is about recognising and celebrating the wonders of life — whether it’s the beauty of nature, the excellence of a creative work, or the effort and achievements of others.”
And Alana:
"This character strength isn’t just about admiring the finished product. It’s about valuing the process, the hard work, the small moments of grace that often go unnoticed. It reminds us to slow down, to appreciate excellence wherever it appears, and to celebrate the talents and efforts of others.”
Whether your goal is to enhance self-awareness, strengthen relationships, or make a more meaningful impact on your team or project, cultivating this quality can be a powerful way to engage more fully with life.
As this strength develops over time, people often gain a deeper appreciation for both their internal experiences and the world around them. Noticing excellence in others shifts from being a simple observation to an opportunity for growth, collaboration, and striving toward one’s highest potential.
Tips for Cultivating Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
1. Practice Mindful Observation: Slow down and take time to truly notice your surroundings in nature, architecture, music, art, or even a well-executed task.
2. Keep a Journal: Each day, write down one thing you found beautiful or excellent—this could be a sunset, a kind gesture, or a brilliant idea. Reflect on why it struck you and how it made you feel.
3. Engage with the Arts: Visit galleries, listen to music, read poetry, or watch films that are known for their beauty or craftsmanship.
4. Celebrate Others’ Strengths: Make it a habit to recognize and praise excellence in others. This not only builds your appreciation but also strengthens your relationships.
5. Learn About Great Achievements: Study the lives and works of people who have achieved excellence in various fields such as science, sports, art, and humanitarian work. Reflect on what made their contributions beautiful or admirable.
Achievement and Recognition: Colour Awards Assembly
The Champagnat House assembly coincides with our Colour Awards presentations.
To achieve a particular Colour Award, each student must not only show their ability, skill, and passion in certain fields, but must also demonstrate a high level of participation, consistency, and distinction towards their work ethic, over a number of years.
Furthermore, the awardees must satisfy the endorsement of their House by meeting general requirements including being a positive and supportive member of the College Community. Colour Awards are awarded to students in Years 10, 11 and 12 and are based on achievements over all their years as a student of Marist-Sion College.
Recipients can be viewed in the Student Learning & Growth Article. Congratulations to all the recipients!
Wellbeing – A message from our medical team.
As part of our commitment in First Aid to ensuring the health and safety of all students during school hours, we kindly ask that you notify the school promptly if your child has sustained any injuries outside of school that may require attention or special care while at school.
Informing us about such injuries allows our staff to provide appropriate support, monitor your child’s well-being, and respond effectively should any related concerns arise during the school day.
Please communicate any relevant information to the medical team and tutor as soon as possible after an injury occurs. This can be emailed to medical@mscw.vic.edu.au and Tutor’s email.
Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us maintain a safe and caring environment for all students.
Wellbeing – Safety in the yard
Recently, our medical team has been reporting an increase in the number of students sustaining injuries mostly as a result of some over-exuberant tackles or playful rough housing in the yard.
While we encourage active participation in physical activity during break times, students have been informed that overly rough play at break times may see them removed from the yard for a period of time. An example of this is where a student playing football is thrown to the ground. Not only does this behaviour cause risk of injury, it also leads to items of uniform being damaged considerably muddied due to the recent wet weather.
Where to access support?
The College has a support network for all students to assist in managing their mental health and wellbeing. Students are encouraged to seek wellbeing support from the Counselling and Wellbeing Services Team. Mrs Joanna John (Psychologist) and a team of counsellors are available five days a week to meet with students and families.
Additional support is available by contacting Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, Parentline Victoria on 13 22 89 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.
Mr Daniel Nisbet
Deputy Principal: Wellbeing Partnerships and Safety