From the Office

From the Chaplain

What an intense past two weeks I have had with my family and it all happened in a blink of the eye.

Just after basketball training my son was playing with some of his bigger brothers friends when I saw him hit the ground, hard. At first he didn't react too badly but then he let out an almighty scream.

As my son came over to me holding his arm I knew something was up as it was shorter and slightly bent (affectionally called by his brother ‘banana arm’). We raced to the hospital together and then thankfully we were in the hands of the professionals. It is hard seeing your child in such pain and there is nothing you can do to help. At that moment I knew I had to trust in the process.

The process was filled with listening and following the doctors orders and guidance as we negotiated the next two days in hospital. At the time it was hard to give control over to someone else, especially when it related to one of my kids.

No matter what the situation is it can be hard. The question to be aware of is how are you managing in the process and who are you turning to for the right support? My son is now home safe and sound sleeping contently and life is mostly back to normal but if you had have asked me last week it would have seemed like the world was ending.

Thankfully for the support of close friends, family and a committed church community we came through really positively. Who is your support network?

Adam Bryant

College Chaplain

P.S Great news we have a Mentoring program run through Big Brothers Big Sisters starting at the school shortly. It will be established to support students with some of the struggles associated with managing secondary school.

Big Futures – In-school mentoring

Big Futures is a school based mentoring program. In the program participants will be matched with a member of the community who they will connect with on a regular basis throughout the school year.

The Big Futures in school mentoring program has been set up to give you support and encourage you to reach YOUR full potential!

A mentor is a resource who can help you:

Become the best person you are capable of being and achieve results that are in your best interest.
Work out what is going well at school and what you could improve on
Identify your strengths and weakness.
Identify what your goals are.
Support you to take full advantage of what is offered here at school.

Your mentor will be volunteer who is only here because they want to be here!

Your mentor is NOT a teacher, parent or a counsellor!

No matter what your age or interests are your mentor is there to support you and be your friend!

Making the most of the connection

The connection that you have with your mentor will be two way. For you to get the best from the experience you will need to :

Have a good attitude!
Be willing to talk and listen
Be honest
Show respect to your mentor, as you would a friend
Make sure you are reliable - BE ON TIME!
Let the school know if you are not going to be here for mentoring so that your mentor is not let down
Greet your mentor by name

Commonly asked questions

Who are the mentors?

Mentors are community members who come from a wide range of backgrounds and are interested in supporting young people.

Do the mentors get paid?

No mentoring is a voluntary service.

Why would I want a mentor?

Having a mentor will give you an opportunity to build up a connection with a caring adult, who will support and encourage you in decisions you make in your life.

Do the mentors report back to the school or my parents?

The school and parents are very supportive of students involved in the program. The mentoring relationship is between you and your mentor and there is no reporting, as such.