Senior Years and Wellbeing

Pastoral Care

As Outlined in the Principals letter, we have now banned the use of mobile phones between the hours of 8:30am-3:30pm. If students must bring them to school, they are to remain locked in the student’s locker. If there are any urgent matters where you need to contact your son/daughter during the school day, please contact front reception.

Mobile phones will be banned in all Government schools by the start of the 2020 school year. We are, however, keen to implement this ban earlier as we feel the academic and wellbeing benefits far outweigh any negatives. This decision has not been taken lightly. There have been discussions with our SRC, Student Wellbeing Committee and the Parents and Friends Association. Allowing students to have time out from the pressures of social media, removing the constant distractions of phones in the learning environment (even when on silent) and issues relating to cyber safety were all factors taken into consideration.

I am more than happy to discuss this decision with any families.

Thank you in advance for your support of our new policy.

Kristen Waldron

Deputy Principal Senior Years and Well-Being

Your Best Self

We all know the benefits of regular exercise, eating well and getting enough sleep. The practice of Positive Psychology also benefits our wellbeing. Positive Psychology is explicitly taught in the Junior and Senior Campuses. This term in the Senior Campus we will be focusing on the theme of “Your Best Self”. This theme will run through our Mentor system and Health and Wellbeing Classes.

We want to help every student become their best. We tend to have many ‘versions’ of ourselves which we present at different times. Sometimes we are our “worst selves” and we often give our worst version to the people closest to us, to family who love us unconditionally.

The question we need to ask is “When are you at your best?”. It may have been when you were doing something you love, or being a great friend or making a hard choice. You may have been alone or with others.

We tend to clearly remember when we are at our best; this is when we use our personal resources, intellect, emotional competencies and life experience. We feel good and we rise to the challenge. We all know when we are at our best, and it is something we should strive for. There is no definitive instruction on how to be at our best, but there are a few areas we can focus on;

Focusing our attention on what is good and what is possible.
Thinking and writing optimistically about the future.
Developing an optimistic viewpoint.
Visualising the person you want to be, and the skills that you want to have. Imaging that you have worked hard and have all that you have hoped for.
Using your strengths, in activities, relationships and learning. This energises you and makes you feel most alive and helps you make a meaningful contribution.
Foster and focus on positive emotions and feelings. This builds positivity.
Focus on what you have rather than what you don’t have. This is gratitude.
Accept that life is hard, but you can always make it better.
Become your own person, take responsibility for your life and the direction of your life.

Your son’s/daughter’s Mentor will be emailing you a “Best Self” questionnaire to complete. The aim of this is to support the Mentor and teaching staff in getting to know your child a little better. We want to know not just their strengths and weaknesses but their passions and their dreams. We fully understand if you do not wish to complete this form but would value any information you feel comfortable allowing your son’s/daughter’s Mentor to read. This information will be kept confidential by the Mentor and Head of House.

Recommended books:

“Flourishing” Maureen Gaffney, Penguin, 2011.

“Making Wellbeing Practical” Luke McKenna, Publicious, 2019.

Kristen Waldron and Julia Winter Cooke