St Joseph's College, Echuca

Teaching and Learning

Consent & Respectful Relationships @ SJE

St. Joseph’s College, like many schools across Australia, has been listening to the concerns of our students, around the areas consent and respectful relationships. We understand that as a school community, we have an important role to play in shifting the way that young people understand and think about sexual consent through a thoughtful and formal approach to consent education.

 

We are currently undertaking a curriculum review in these areas to examine the content and depth to which these areas are addressed and to identify gaps or areas where we can improve this delivery, both now and as we prepare to move to dual campus provision. 

 

We recognise that schools are not  solely responsible for teaching young people about consent and respectful relationships. Parents, and the wider community, also need to be very much involved in this process. 

 

As such we believe that  it is important for our wider community to have an understanding of where we currently address these areas in our curriculum programs occuring in areas such as Religion and Health & Physical Education, as well as through extra curricular programs such as our retreats and incursions such as Real Talk. An outline of these programs is provided below. 

 

Lisa Saillard

College Leader - Teacher and Learning

 

Religious Education 

 

The Religious Education Curriculum utilises the Christian Education for Personal Development (CEPD) resource which provides guidelines and resources about:

  • Family and relationships
  • Life relationships
  • Identity, gender and relationships
  • Positive, powerful relationships.

In Religious Education, students explore Identity, gender and relationships in our Year 8 BFF’s unit where they explore distinctions between and the relative value of concepts including fairness and equality, and respect and tolerance and what it means to be in a relationship while also taking into account the Catholic Social Teachings of dignity of the human person. Friendships and family relationships are also explored as well as acceptance and inclusion in all forms of relationships we have. This unit also explores how Jesus shows us what it means to be in a loving relationship with God and with each other. Students investigate how Jesus shows us who God is and what it means to be human.

 

In the Year 9 Religious Education Curriculum, there is the unit called, How do you Decide? which focuses on making moral decisions. Students investigate the relationship between Christian values, conscience formation and decision making. This unit seeks to inform students about the Catholic Christian view of values and morality. Students also understand the role of Scripture, the dignity of the human person within the Catholic Social Teachings and the Church in the establishment of a personal and informed conscience.

 

For Year 10 students, the Power Connection unit explores the nature of gender-based violence and sexual assault in the context of power, social and institutional structures, and young peoples lives. It takes a broad view of violence, covering the physical aspects as well as looking at the emotional, social and economic implications of gender-based violence. This unit also helps students to understand the nature of consent and respect, and develop skills to take individual and collective action and responsibility for self and others.  

 

Kristen Watson

School of Culture (Religious Education Leader)

 

Our School Retreat and Personal Development Days

 

The CEPD curriculum also informs our the planning for and the content of our Retreat Days and our Personal Developments Days.  Retreat Days are part of the extra curricular programs across years 7 - 12.

 

In particular, the Retreat and Personal Development Days at Year 8, 9 and 10 have a focus on sexual health and consent.  These programs are delivered within a context of our Catholic philosophy of developing the whole person within a Christian context.  The presenters of these programs deliver the materials with a focus on the promotion of the dignity of the Human Person.

 

We make use of organisations such as:  Real Talk  https://www.realtalkaustralia.com/

 

And Choicez - https://www.choicez.com.au/about/

 

We encourage you to have a look at these sites to see if there are resources that may be of assistance to you in your role as parents.

 

Kirrilee Westblade

Catholic Identity Leader

 

Health & Physical Education

 

A major focus of our junior Health and Physical  Education classes is positive and respectful relationships and how these develop throughout our lifetime. 

 

In Year 7 students explore the units of Valuing Diversity and Personal Development. Within these topics students develop a greater awareness and understanding of diversity, our identity including gender identity and the factors in our lives that influence and shape our identity. Students also study important aspects of building relationships such as resilience and empathy. 

 

Year 9 students take a deeper look into respectful relationships through our Sexuality and Relationships Unit. Within this unit students further examine identity and sexuality as well as building an understanding of positive relationships including the qualities and characteristics of a positive relationship and the rights and responsibilities all parties have in a relationship. Consent is thoroughly discussed within this unit allowing all students to have a clear understanding that any form of sexual activity requires consent which is mutual, freely given, informed, certain and clear. Students also understand that consent can be withdrawn at any time. Students also learn about negative or disrespectful relationships including the characteristics and signs of these. 

 

Our Health and Physical Education units are building relationship capacity of our students and providing them with knowledge and understanding that will be used throughout their lives. 

 

Jacquie James

School of Reason

 

Senior School Subject Selection

Subject Selection for students in years 9, 10 and 11 is progressing well. Both students and parents have received a range of information from the Senior School 2021 Subject Selection Handbook, the Subject Selection website as well as conversations with teachers and our Pathways Coordinator-Beth Crossman.

 

Upcoming Due Dates

Wednesday 4th August: 

Year 9 and 10 students have submitted their completed Subject Planning Sheet (Career Planning Sheet on the reverse) by 9am to the General Office.

VCE/VET Acceleration and VCAL Application Form to have been completed online (link in Senior School Subject Selection Website)

 

Friday 6th August: Web preferences opened for students in Years 9 and 10, who have submitted their completed Subject Planning Sheet.

 

Tuesday 10th August: Web Preferences close at 9am for all students in Years 9 and 10.

 

Friday 27th & Monday 30th August: 

Year 10-11 Subject Confirmation Interviews. Parents and students are to book a 15 minute interview to discuss the student pathway and subjects selected. Information to be provided via Operoo.

 

Tues 31st August & Thursday 1st September: 

Year 9-10 Subject Confirmation Interviews. Parents and students are to book a 15 minute interview to discuss the student pathway and subjects selected. Information to be provided via Operoo.

 

Middle School Subject Selection

The process for students in Years 7 and 8 to select their subjects for 2022 will commence next week and is an exciting time for all.

 

On Wednesday the 11th of August, students in Years 7 and 8 will be able to view the 2022 Subject Selection Presentation during Period 1 via a video presentation in their Period 1 class. Here they will also receive a copy of the 2022 Subject Selection Handbook for their Personal Learning Program as well as their subject planning sheet students and parents to read and complete. This presentation will be recorded and a link will be sent for parents to view. 

 

The handbook will explain to students and their parents the subjects on offer at St Joseph’s College.

Then on Wednesday the 18th of August, we invite parents and students to attend the Year 7 and 8 Parent Teacher Student Interviews which will be held remotely, as were the Senior School Parent Teacher Student interviews yesterday. Details to be sent out shortly.