Pastoral Academic Care (PAC)
Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) Focus - BEATING BULLYING / HARRASSMENT
Well Being Element - Health and Strengths
Character Strength - Love of Learning
Parent Wellbeing: The best way to build your wellbeing and personal growth is through contributing to make a positive difference to others’ lives; doing good to feel good and feeling good to do good. Do little kind things for others often to send out ripples of wellbeing feelings, which will eventually, find themselves back to.
Students know what bullying is, they understand the power bullies can have over them, they know what to do to notengage with them, but many of them still do. Why? It is their addiction to Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). They open everysingle electronic communication they receive, including the cruel ones, and then the damage is done. In person bullying,while still severe harassment, is much easier for students to overcome or not engage with than electronic bullying, bywalking away.Following some approaches to use to not engage with bullies:• Make up five assertive language statements with the body language to match. The structure is, say whatconcerns them, how they feel and what they want to happen.• Listening to and giving others time is the greatest respect they can give a person. They don’t respect bullies, soswitch off and don’t give them any attention.• Use Joy Of Missing Out (JOMO)• Think about what are five strengths bullies overuse, underuse or misuse and how they do; they are weak andcruel people.• Make up five positive I can and I will self-talk statements to stop them engaging with bullies.• For each of their top strengths, write down one thought, one word and one action they could use not to engage.
Acknowledgement: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi & Hunter
Year 7
Ms Natalie Mellowship
This week we have celebrated NAIDOC Week here at O’Connor. Staff have been currently preparing writing student reports and over the next few weeks the Semester R eport will be made available to our families. This Semester, there will be a focus on: Approaches to learning, Assessment of learning and Learning strategies. A huge congratulations to the following students who received Principal’s Awards this week Sophie, James and Hugo.
PRINICPAL'S AWARDS: Sophie, James and Hugo received their Principal's Awards this week.
A huge congratulations to the following students who are a part of the Armidale Armidillo’s Waterpolo Team: Chloe Clarke, Mackenzie Gash, Lil Lorimer, Aleesha Stuart, Paige Patterson and Isabella McKay. The team were Winners of the 2021 Armidale Regional Sports Council’s Junior Sports Team of the Year.
Ms Mellowship and the Year 7 PAC team
Year 8
Mrs Kath Czinner
Year 8 have embraced the activities of NAIDOC week with pride. Several class members have taken an active role in the presentations and although were a little nervous stood proud and shared the importance of “ Healing Country”
Over the past two weeks I have had the opportunity to have a learning conversation with many of the Year 8 students. It was tremendous to be able to congratulate students on their consistent effort. It was a genuine conversation about what is going well for them and what can be improved. I have been impressed with the maturity and honesty of the conversations. One class has focused on the Living Well, Learning Well document and highlighted their thoughts on what it is to be safe, respected, valued and cared for and what it is to be a learner. Not the photo of the students participating in a gallery walk, reflecting on the responses and allowing class members to see and hear the voices of their peers.
Currently the teachers are preparing for and writing student reports. In a few weeks the semester report will be shared with our families. The focus will be on: Approaches to learning, Assessment of learning and Learning strategies. As a school we focus on developing a growth mind set and work towards challenging our students to give their best by showing grit and determination. A celebration of learning growth is so important as is a realisation that improvements can be made.
Congratulations to the students who have received commendation awards this week.
Mrs Kath Czinner on behalf of the Yr 8 PAC teachers.
Year 9
Mr James Russell
The past two weeks have been wonderful examples of the varied learning experiences available to our students at O’Connor. Week 5 was Catholic Missions Week and students spent time considering the importance of Mission and also the significant positive impact of Catholic Mission work around the world. It was fantastic to watch many Year 9 students participate in the annual ‘Big Handball Tournament’ across the week during lunch breaks and raise money for Catholic Missions in doing so.
This week our college has been celebrating NAIDOC Week. Our students have enjoyed a fantastic week and many opportunities to learn about Indigenous history, culture and identity and also to celebrate our Indigenous Australians. A highlight for the week was the Smoking Ceremony shared with Year 9 by our much loved Aboriginal Education Assistant Mr Matt Griffin. Students were deeply engaged in this event and showed great respect and appreciation at having the opportunity to take part.
Diversity in learning and links to real life situations are invaluable for the development of our children. We are very fortunate to be a part of a school community that provides such experiences on a regular basis and our Year 9 Cohort are to be congratulated for their effort and engagement in taking part as these opportunities arise.
James Russell on behalf of the Yr 9 PAC team
Year 10
Ms Amanda Bell and Mr Frank Patricks
Friday October 30th saw Year 10 trek across the road to the Show Ground to participate in the Year 10 Retreat Day. This was a day full of opening ourselves up to each other and to God, where we really got a chance to know each other on a deeper level.
Students were treated to a variety of interesting activities including some reflection on what they would like their futures to look like, people modelling and the act of giving and receiving affirmations (which was a firm favourite for many).
It was lovely to see all our students participating and being willing to push themselves out of their comfort zones and share with their peers; Mr Patricks, Miss Bell, Miss Biddle and Mr Roff, and the LYM team of Caitlin, Brydie and Georgia, were all incredibly impressed with the quality of contributions we saw.
Ms Amanda Bell / Mr Frank Patricks (on behalf of the Year 10 PAC team)
Year 11
Mr Peter McLeish
The House Captains conducted a very successful Handball during Missions Week last week. Many students competed and, fittingly, the eventual winner was the male College Captain, Fletcher Schultz. Congratulations to all the participants and organisers. A job well done!
As you may know, many of the Year 11 students are Lasallian Youth Leaders. Part of their role is to spend Thursday morning PAC time getting to know the junior students and allowing those students to become familiar with College leaders. It’s a successful system and the PAC teachers are grateful for the input of the LYLs.
Speaking of leadership teams, the 2022 leadership team has been struggling for recognition because of COVID and the continual presence of the 2021 leadership team who, under normal circumstances, would not have been seen in Term 4 except for the HSC.
To this end, the 2022 team will be presenting the Monday morning Student Briefings, via zoom, to the whole College for the rest of the year. I know they will do a wonderful job.
After completing their first Year 12 related Assessment Tasks recently, I feel certain many of our students would have realised the truth in this statement by Oprah Winfrey:
“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
Have a great fortnight. Vicki should be back on Monday.
Peter McLeish (on behalf of Vicki Channon and the Year 11 PAC team)
Year 12
Mr Mark Fulloon
Well we finally made it to the HSC exams, Year 12 and I am so proud to say to you, ‘NOW’ is the chance to finish what you started 6 years ago. With the disruptions to school and personal lives due to the Covid pandemic you have all worked through the toughest of times. I look forward to celebrating your successes as you finish this important phase of your formal academic schooling. Good luck with your exams, keep working hard and as I have told you all, ‘You’ve got this’.
Also a big thank you to the PAC team for all your work with this amazing group of students this year: Mrs Wooster, Mr Harris, Ms Menz, Mr Bolger, Miss Sampson and Mr Lush. It is impossible to really thank you enough for what you have done for our students this year.
And also I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our hard working office team who are always there to support all of our students within our school community and all their hard work getting Year 12’s to where they are now.
Mark Fulloon (on behalf of the entire Year 12 PAC team).