O'Connor Catholic College Newsletter

Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) 

Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) Focus - KIND TO YOU

Well Being Element - Health + strengths

 

Character Strength - Kindness

 

Parent Wellbeing: Your breathing is the key ingredient in you feeling calm and confident. Try this to feel great. For 10 deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, stand up and imagine there is an invisible wire holding your head upright, push your shoulders back and tighten your buttocks. Do this several times daily. 

 

Good questions to ask yourself and students are, “do you treat yourself as well as you treat other people?” and, “when you say yes to other people, are you really saying no to yourself?” Being kind to yourself isn’t being selfish, it’s valuing your greatest asset, you. Research has shown that showing self-kindness and self-compassion results in optimism and hope for the future, better problem solving and critical and creative thinking abilities and less anxiety. Impress upon students that they are their own greatest assets. Strategies to use with students to build their willingness to be self-kind could include: • write down achievements they are proud of, how they felt and the strengths they used. • enjoy JOMO and give social media a rest often. Reading others’ fake messages often creates uncomfortable social comparisons. • write a positive mantra to live by each week, e.g. I will do five kind acts for others today to build their wellbeing. • use encouraging self-talk and bin the self-put down thoughts. • journal what they are looking forward to and what they are grateful for. • exercise daily, eat healthy, sleep for at least 9 hours and look on the bright side of life. • spend quality time with positive people and nature every day. • Write down their goals and break them up into two week self-expectations. Acknowledgement: Neff, McGehee & Ford

Year 7

Ms Natalie Mellowship

 

Year 7 students have adapted to connected learning extremely well, with fantastic attendance on Zoom meetings. Every week, we have been having a virtual Year briefing to collectively meet together and PAC teachers have been checking in with their classes too with a regular, weekly Zoom. It’s been great to see how well the Year 7s have transitioned to online learning and how well they have been playing active roles in the O’Connor community by participating in the Daily and Weekly School Challenges, along with Year and PAC Challenges.

 

“We’re not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm”

 

Things can be tough when in lockdown, but please remember that you are not alone! Reach out to us at OCC as we can help support you. Are you OK? If you need help please reach out to us: 

  • Leader of Learning (Wellbeing and Pastoral Academic Care) Mrs Bell - you can text/call work number - 0467 838 014
  • PAC teachers and Year Leaders of Learning
  • Mr Harper, Wellbeing Officer
  • Jason Newcombe - can connect via Centacare direct on 6738 7200
  • Mrs Biddle - you can text/call 0467926452

 

Kids Helpline https://kidshelpline.com.au/ phone 1800 55 1800

BeyondBlue Chat line https://cmwssonline.beyondblue.org.au/#/chat/start or phone 1800 512 348

Headspace https://headspace.org.au/eheadspace/

ReachOut https://au.reachout.com/ 

Continue working hard and looking after yourselves Year 7. We can’t wait to see you all in person, hopefully very soon.

 

Ms Mellowship and the Year 7 PAC team

Year 8

Mrs Kathryn Czinner

 

Another week of remote learning completed and a further week to come. Remote learning has been challenging for many of us and at the same time tested our resilience and our ability to work independently.  We have been able to achieve so much that perhaps we didn’t know we were capable.

 

As remote learning may be our norm for the moment, we need to continue to challenge ourselves to get the best learning outcomes. If you are overwhelmed please reach out and email your teachers. Varied and different work can be set to suit your needs. Set yourselves achievable goals and plan a schedule for the day. School is certainly different for us right at the moment, work hard now and relax over the weekend. We now have four more weeks of school to go to finish and then we can enjoy a break.

 

I thank all the LOLs who have worked hard to prepare some really interesting electives for our students. A parent zoom meeting is scheduled for Monday night commencing at 6pm.

An information booklet has been emailed to all students.

 

Keep safe and enjoy time with your family.

 

Mrs Kathryn Czinner (on behalf of the Year 8 PAC team)

Year 11

Mrs Vicki Channon

 

Well, I guess none of us really thought that Armidale would be in lockdown at this time, as we seemed to be travelling along pretty well. Goes to show how quickly things can change. On the whole, Year 11 has handled the disruption back to online learning really well. Our PAC team has had regular contact through zoom meetings in the mornings (Tuesday and Thursday) and we have been having whole year meetings on Wednesdays and Fridays. Then there are the whole school briefings on a Monday. It is important that we stay connected during this tricky time. We have been touching base with everyone to check on how they are doing. If you are needing support please reach out to us, and thank you so much for those who already have.  I mentioned this morning during a PAC catch up that we can all have good days and then not so good days, so a good idea just to take it easy and be kind to yourself, family members and friends at this time. It is amazing what a little fresh air out in the sunshine can do for your wellbeing. 

 

All class assessment tasks will be done and dusted by this Friday in preparation and planning for the yearly examinations, which start on Friday 3rd September (week 8) and will continue into the following Week 9. Here is the link. Exam Timetable link A great opportunity now to make revision notes by summarising class notes, setting up a study plan to focus on each subject and doing some past papers. I am sure teachers will be providing lots of advice to the students about the exams, so please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. 

 

Just a reminder that it is important you are making every effort to engage in the learning and the zoom lessons. BUT, again, if you are finding it too much, give us a call so we can help you.

 

Keep up the great work Year 11. Hope to see you all soon.

 

Mrs Vicki Channon (on behalf of the entire Year 11 PAC team)

Year 12

Mr Mark Fulloon

 

Year 12 have had an unusual start to their HSC trial examinations with them first being postponed for a week due to Covid, to being pushed back further, then going to an online format. But as with everything Covid you have to able to adapt and Year 12 have taken it in their stride and have proved that they can adapt to the new learning environment, and overcome hurdles placed in front of them. It has been a real pleasure to work with such a resilient group of young people. I would also like to point out all the work that happens behind the scenes getting HSC trials up and running in this new format, thank you to all teachers and staff for your flexibility. Good luck to Year 12 with their HSC trials and keep working hard.

 

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