Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) 

Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) Focus - EMOTIONAL THINKING

Well Being Element -  Positive Emotion + gratitude

Character Strength - Perseverance 

Parent Wellbeing:  What is awesome in your work place or at home? How could your          strengths come alive in your work place or at home? Describe a time you felt really excited at your work place or at home? Looking for awesome things rewires your brain to seek out things which will generate positive emotions in you.  

Adolescence can be an emotionally turbulent time in students lives and it will benefit them to understand what affects their thinking, which is influenced by two competing parts of their brains, the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex.  

• The amygdala is the unconscious part which generates emotions. It is well developed in students and causes fight or flight reactions, depending on the intensity of positive or negative emotions produced (called fast  track responses). 

• The prefrontal cortex is the conscious rational part which controls the intensity of their emotions to make better decisions (called slow track responses). It is not fully developed till they reach their early twenties, meaning their responses to what they experience may vary considerably. 

When their amygdalas are in charge of their feelings, good decision-making is difficult; often called emotional hijacking.  The key is to raise their self-awareness of this so that they are able to self-regulate their emotions. Cultivate this by: 

• practise colouring in using repetition, patterns and control. 

• initiating discussions about positive, negative, mixed and hidden emotions and their intensity.

 • helping them create their own positive coping and self-calming strategies to reduce emotional intensity. 

• exploring common thinking traps each week (see website). 

• learning how to use assertive and positive self-talk to combat hijacking 

• doing Mindfulness Activities to reconnect with themselves and the moment. (see website) Acknowledgement: Canon & Cherry

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” Buddha 

Year 7

Ms Natalie Mellowship

A huge welcome back to our Year 7s and their families! Moving into Term 4, Year 7s have been fantastic in adapting back to the normal routines of everyday life. I know that many students were excited to get back into the classroom and continue with their learning after completing connected learning for 5 weeks. If students are feeling anxious or finding it difficult, please reach out for some support. With restrictions easing this term, we hope that all Year 7 students are looking forward to the many opportunities they have upcoming this term including the retreat days. 

In this week’s PAC period, ‘Kindness’ and ‘Relationships’ has been our focus. The Year 7 cohort completed an activity which had such a strong impact on their understanding of empathy and how their actions can have both positive and negative consequences. We looked at what’s called ‘The Baggage Activity’. Students were asked what it means to have ‘baggage’. They then were asked to write down on a piece of paper what was bothering them, what was heavy on their heart etc. The papers were then scrunched up and thrown across the room. Each student took turns in picking up a paper and reading aloud what their classmate had written. The idea was for our students to learn to judge a little less, love a little more and forgive a little faster. See below for 7PAC2 completing the activity.

As we remember to be kind, we should also remember the core values and ideas of our Living Well, Learning Well framework:

I AM SAFE

I AM VALUED, RESPECTED & CARED FOR

I AM A LEARNER

It’s important to always, ‘Choose Kind’.

Ms Mellowship and the Year 7 PAC team

Year 8

Mrs Kath Czinner

As I continue to do learning walks around the Year 8 classes I see a plentitude of quality learning. Students are able to articulate the learning experience that they are involved in. The learning walks allow me the opportunity to reach out and talk to the students individually. On the main, most of our students mention that they are going well and are Ok. 

At times I get a ‘grunt’ or minimal conversation. I have noticed the times when students are not doing so well and have struggled to cope with the routine of school life. Many were keen to get back to the regular school setting after the extended period of connected learning from home. With regular school life comes the responsibility to the rigours and routines of school life. We are often challenged by the extended periods of concentration and the interaction of various personalities all of whom have unique characteristics. As teenagers the navigation and balance of academic and social learning are difficult. The changes occurring in the developing mind are at the forefront and often decision making and emotional regulation are hard. Students are reminded to reach out and ask for assistance when needed.

At O’Connor, we strive to “Live well and learn well”. We are reminded that we strive towards valuing all individuals in our community in the key ideas of :  I am safe, I am valued respected and cared for and I am a learner. 

SUCCESS BRINGS SUCCESS: Nevaeh Bateman and Seth Dwyer receiving their Principal's Awards

Year 10

Ms Amanda Bell and Mr Frank Patricks

As 2021 slowly moves to a close and our Year 10 cohort moves ever closer to beginning their senior studies we are working hard as a learning community to take every opportunity we can to prepare them for the challenges that lay ahead. 

Many students may be starting to feel nervous or apprehensive about their jump from Year 10 to Year 11 and conversations surrounding these emotions are beginning to happen. The Year 10 Pastoral Academic Care team is utilising their time with the Year 10 classes in our morning PAC classes, especially our Wednesday morning literacy focus, and our PAC periods for the term to begin to build some of the necessary skills of capable senior students. Year 10 will begin this week with starting to think about time management and how to find balance in their lives with their studies, work and social lives, before spending some time later in the term strengthening their study skills. These skills will be complemented nicely by the student retreat days which are taking place in two groups split over the Thursday and Friday of Week 4 (October 28 and 29th). The focus of these days will be Leadership. Please keep an eye on Compass for the permission note, to be shared in the coming days. 

It has been a joy to watch Year 10 come back to school and engage enthusiastically in their learning this term. Students have recently shuffled their English classes to reflect their course choice for Year 11 and by all accounts, this is going really well and providing students with the opportunity to really ensure they made the best choice for them. A big thanks to both the students and the English staff for allowing our student community the opportunity to do this. 

We hope all students are looking forward to the many opportunities they have upcoming this term including these retreat days and work experience. There are lots to be excited about as we move closer to 2022!

Ms Amanda Bell / Mr Frank Patricks (on behalf of the Year 10 PAC team)

Year 11

Mrs Vicki Channon

Congratulations to all of the students who applied for leadership positions and well done to those who were elected for the 2021/22 Leadership Team. We still have positions available for SRC which will be organised at the start of 2022. We have such an amazing array of talent/knowledge/skills/community-minded students in our year group and I feel privileged to be a part of this team and carrying them through to their HSC and final year of schooling. I mentioned to the students that as Year 12 students it is important to think of themselves as ALL leaders, who can make a difference in the lives of our cohort, school and community. 

The team have met on a couple of occasions since returning to school this term and we have had useful discussion on a number of fronts. They conducted a SWOT analysis on their team - honest and open discussion on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that they see as a team, and ways in which some of this information could be taken forward as we move into the HSC year, as well as encouraging their cohort and the school as a whole in moving with them in their aspirations/goals/ideas for the school. 

Just a reminder that students need to be on the school premises for the whole day. If they have a study, they are to go to the library. It is not an opportunity to show up late or leave early. There will be discussions on a case by case nature with students, myself and Ms Menz in regards to this. If students have to leave the school premises they must be signed out by a parent/carer at the front office. These protocols are in place to keep everyone safe and accounted for.

Also, students need to be parking in the student car park (if possible). Once Year 12 students leave school there will be more room for Year 11. It is important if Year 11 students now have their licence and are driving to school, they need to complete the driving agreement and give it to me. Once at school, students need to come onto the school grounds and not hang around in their cars. Thanks so much for your support in this matter. 

The flexible learning arrangements on a Tuesday Week B are still in play for this term. The students are asked to sign out at the office before they leave and they need to have completed their learning plan for this time. This can be found on the Google Classroom. Many students have been remaining at school and working in the library. This is very acceptable and may be even more beneficial for many of them as it is a productive working environment where time is not wasted. Just something to think about as students commence the HSC year, as it will help to develop a good study habit from NOW. 

Year 12

Mr Mark Fulloon

Well done to the Year 12 students who have completed their practice exams this week, it has been great to see the level of participation in this process practising for their HSC exams which start in Week 6.

On that note with exams beginning in Week 6 it is still a time for students to stay in touch with their teachers in regards to their learning, and I encourage all of Year 12 to continue to follow the timetable which has been set up for them to follow.

With Week 3 seeing the end of formal lessons we look forward to Year 12 and their long overdue final official week of school, with plenty of fun activities planned including the live streaming of their graduation from the school chapel next Friday.

Week 4 will see their final mass happen at the Cathedral and this will be an occasion for our students to celebrate the faith journey and religious aspect of their school lives. 

Keep up the good work Year 12 and stick with it,  as we are nearly there. “NOW” is your time to shine.

Mr Mark Fulloon (on behalf of the entire Year 12 PAC team)