Assistant Principal

Student Wellbeing

Doug Belton

Assistant Principal | Student Wellbeing

From the Assistant Principal, Student Wellbeing

May I first join our Principal in expressing my appreciation to our Parents/Carers for their efforts in assisting our students when learning via online connection at home. Our talented staff have shared and shaped ideas to support our students from a distance and some of the communications I have received indicates we have been doing well – thank you to those who have taken the time to give us feedback.

Our staff have recognised the fantastic efforts of many students in the first few weeks of isolated learning by issuing the new electronic merits. We believe the merit system is an important aspect of our pastoral care program and so adapting it to be able to issue merits remotely was essential and has proven to be effective. A big thankyou to our Responsible Thinking Process Officer, Bernie Wagner, for being the chief processor of the 500+ merits that have been issued so far. The new system is automated to the extent that it keeps track of the Merits issued which means we will no longer expect students to come forward to upgrade their Merits to Head of Year Certificates, Principal’s Certificates and College Medallions. I believe this is a superior system, as progressive recognition should be initiated from the staff who are appreciating the positive efforts of students. Just like being thanked for doing something to benefit another, it doesn’t really feel like true appreciation if one has to ask to be thanked.

As students return to school, we will ask for Merits issued in Term 1 (the old system) to be brought in so they can be counted into the new system. Likewise, we will ask for Head of Year Certificates and Principal’s Certificates to count them towards upgrades. When these are counted in, we will be fully into the new improved Merit System.

Our counselling team has been fully operational assisting students and families online, over the phone, and sometimes in person. If there is an emotional concern you would like support with, or you are simply looking for advice in supporting your child, the most effective way to contact our counsellors is by email:

smw.counselling@cns.catholic.edu.au

One of the team will get back to you with a time to discuss/meet. I also thank our counselling team for working with our Heads of Year to tailor some relevant Social Emotional Learning material for our students to engage with during their isolated learning.

When students return to school, I am anticipating a strong sense of relief and excitement as social interactions are restored. I don’t imagine that the excitement will translate into non-compliant behaviour but I do ask parents/carers to ensure their children are dressed well and that they understand that teaching and learning will commence from the very first lesson. If bad habits have been formed during online learning, for example getting out of bed at 8:25am to throw on a school shirt to get ready for Pastoral Group (as has been reported to me from some sources), now is the time to start transforming back to the school week schedule (after a good night sleep with phones and laptops locked away, be up out of out of bed in time to clean up, dress proudly, eat breakfast and pack bag with enough time to travel to school with a good time buffer to respond to the 8:25am warning bell – in my house, that is out of bed at 7:10am for a particular 14 year old that happens to live there).