Year 9 Pastoral Guardian
Welcome to Year 9, and a very warm welcome to our new students (Stevie McCallum, Hazel McIntosh, Lexie Muldowney, Anastasia Schultz, and Lois van Beusekom), and parents who have joined our community. I have had the opportunity to meet with the Year 9 cohort twice since returning to school and they are excited and motivated. They have shared with me their goals for 2021: to work hard, to meet new people, and to be united as a cohort. They are looking forward to electives, new learning groups, and taking on new opportunities. It has been a positive start to the year, and I am looking forward to guiding and supporting them through Years 9 and 10.
In my experience as Pastoral Guardian and as a teacher of Health and Physical Education and Science, Year 9 students are at their best when they feel connected, accepted, and respected. Therefore, each term, the cohort will have a particular focus on a need and an action that will bring out the best in each student. For Term 1, the need is: ‘CONNECTEDNESS’ and the action is ‘BE KIND’. Students have been encouraged to show a small act of kindness and gratitude to at least one other student in Year 9. These small acts of kindness, combined, will bring connectedness for all. We have also created ‘kindness zones’ near the lockers, and symbolised our year by planting a rosemary tree.
Adolescents desire to be connected and accepted. They question their sense of belonging, harness their emotions, and begin to shape their views and opinions. To support your child during this time, I will conduct wellbeing check-ins with each student. The focus of the check-in is to discuss their current state of wellbeing by applying the Healthy Mind Platter. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on their daily habits and to strategise how to improve their wellbeing. The Healthy Mind Platter is also an excellent model for parents to incorporate at home.
Dr Siegel proposes that a healthy mind can be achieved as a result of ‘integration’ – connections between different parts of our brain and experiences, as well as connections through relationships and with our community. According to Dr Siegel and Dr Rock’s concept - the Healthy Mind Platter, the seven essential mental activities (described in this weblink- Healthy Mind Platter for New Parents | Centre for Perinatal Psychology) is an integration process, and that, by engaging in these activities every day, we can maintain healthy relationships and integrate your brain.
The home-school partnership is an extremely important aspect in the development of an adolescent. Together, we can support one another to promote good mental health and wellbeing, enabling students to thrive in their adolescent years. I invite you to be engaged and involved in your child's daily life at Mount Alvernia. Research indicates that parent/ guardian involvement in their child's education can significantly impact their wellbeing and academic success. We warmly welcome you to be part of our wonderful community.
I look forward to working with your children over the course of the next two years, as they journey through Clare School. Keep an eye out for Parent Corner, as it is an opportunity to share up-to-date research, information, resources, and the achievements of the cohort. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Tamara Richardson
Resources to Support You and Your Child
- Rebecca Sparrow
She provides useful resources and podcasts for both parent and teenager (weblink: Home - Rebecca Sparrow).
Over the past 25 years Rebecca Sparrow has earned a living as a travel writer, a television publicist, a marketing executive, a magazine editor, a TV scriptwriter, a radio producer, a newspaper columnist, and an author.
Since 2009 Rebecca has focused on writing non-fiction books for teenage girls to help them navigate those tricky high school years. Those books include Find Your Tribe (and 9 other things I wish I’d known in high school); Find Your Feet (The 8 things I Wish I’d Known Before I Left High School), and the best-selling Ask Me Anything (heartfelt answers to 65 anonymous questions from teenage girls).
- Reach Out
Reach Out offers a variety of support for parents and teenagers Welcome to ReachOut.com | ReachOut Australia