Year 8 Pastoral Guardian
We have made it to the end of another term, and we are now halfway through the year. It has been a busy few weeks with assessment and your child may be feeling a little stressed or anxious, but it is important to normalise these feelings. According to Canadian psychologist Dr Lisa Damour, we need to reset the discourse around anxiety and stress. She says that we need to think of anxiety as a normal healthy emotion that is fundamentally protective – ringing an alarm when something isn’t right and designed to keep us safe. We experience the right feeling at the right time and pay attention to that feeling, learning to manage it effectively. In other words, anxiety is our friend.
Dr Damour then goes onto say that stress shows up when we are working at an intellectual discomfit and it may not be pleasant but, if we push through and follow it with rest and recovery, we will experience growth and expand our capacity. Stress and rest = growth. Conversations and acknowledgement of stress as a normal feeling have been shown to decrease the levels of stress, so I have been encouraging the students to acknowledge the anxiety and the stress and to work through it. It would be beneficial if you could continue these reassurances at home, especially at this time of term.
In Personal Development we have been encouraging the students to look at the skills they need to develop to be an active listener. One of the most common issues I deal with is friendships, when their relationships are negatively affected by their poor listening skills, and this can lead to many issues in the social setting of a school. Being an active listener enables them to understand and learn to read other people's perspectives.
Another area we have been working on is the need for students to view themselves in a positive way in order to develop their own self-image. By identifying their personal strengths and learning how to present a positive view of themselves to other people, they will be better able to promote themselves. This was looked at in conjunction with ‘Synergy’, where we value other people's strengths and learn from them. It is about getting along with others by seeking out other people's ideas to solve problems. It is about recognising that you become a better person when you let other people into your lives. The phrase 'Two heads are better than one' was explored and developed. This was also emphasised at camp, when the students worked together to solve problems and overcome obstacles and is carried through to the classroom.
I love my STEM girls. They have worked hard this term on the Biosphere construction and the testing of the animal in their microcosm. We have tested a range of macroinvertebrates from worms, caterpillars, snails, and spiney leaf stick insects in each biosphere, and reviewed each other’s design as well as analysed emission data collected, making inferences about the abiotic and biotic requirements of their chosen animal.
The Francis School Captains have been working extremely hard over the last month or so bringing their fundraising idea, Maccas Games Night, to life. This Friday afternoon, from 3.30pm until 6.00pm, will see 80 Years 7 and 8 students participating in a fun games afternoon, followed by a shared Maccas dinner. The money raised will be going to support mental health. Thanks to the girls for all their hard work and to the teachers who are giving up their time to supervise the activities.
Student Achievement
Maeve Riley (and her horse) achieved show jumping success on the weekend. She has progressed through to compete in the State competition, to be held in Maryborough during the upcoming school holidays. Congratulations, Maeve, on your hard work and dedication. Good luck in Maryborough!
It has been a busy term where the students continue to develop both academically and emotionally. It is wonderful to see the progress they are making as they face new challenges and rise to meet them head-on.
Colleen Goodin
