Assistant Principal's Update

Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

There has been much excited delight in corridors and in the gardens over the past week as students have reconnected after the long summer break.  One of my favourite images each year is when I see students willingly welcome and embrace new students and staff to the College.  For me, this is symbolic of our call to live out our College motto ‘Strength and Kindliness’ each day and be light for each other on our journey.  It was a special pleasure to welcome 171 Year 7 students and 19 students from Years 8-12 and their families to the Kilbreda College community and our 152 Year 12 students back for their final year of their secondary education.  We hope that their journey and those of each of our students will be rich and fulfilling and provide each of them with strong foundations to lead successful lives both in their careers and as human beings. 

2019 has started well with a range of pastoral activities that have emphasised the importance of establishing caring relationships and healthy friendships.  Homeroom teachers are currently working with students to create an environment within the homeroom that promotes a sense of belonging for all and enables each student to feel known and valued.  To capitalise on the enthusiasm of new beginnings, subject teachers are working with students to put in place practices that will institute good study habits and improved learning.

First Day 2019

Partnerships

We are keen to form strong partnerships with our parents and carers and journey with them as their daughter’s ‘Kilbreda Story’ unfolds.  Communication is of vital importance to any successful partnership and I would like to take the opportunity to remind parents/carers that all staff members value communication with you.  If you have pastoral care concerns or need support, help or advice, please contact your daughter’s Homeroom teacher.  Queries regarding progress in a particular subject are best addressed to the subject teacher.  We encourage parents/carers to raise any concerns they have promptly with the College to ensure that issues are dealt with and problems are solved in a timely manner.

Pastoral Care

The Student Wellbeing Team is a great resource and support that our students can access.  I am pleased to let parents/carers know that this team has expanded in 2019 with the appointment of a Year 7-9 Student Wellbeing Leader and a Year 10-12 Student Wellbeing Leader.  This team brings a wealth of expertise in girls’ education, adolescent mental health and organisational development to the role.  They are excited and feel privileged to have the opportunity to work alongside a dedicated team of Homeroom teachers to support each of our students this year to enable them to flourish.

Student Planners

Each year brings its own special challenges and it is important that students and parents/carers are well aware of the College’s expectations, especially with respect to student behaviour and study habits.  Parents and carers play a vital role in guiding the decision making of their daughter and they do this more effectively if they are aware of expectations.  Parents/carers are advised to read through their daughter’s planner and all correspondence from the College as it is assumed that parents/carers are aware and support these expectations.

Parent Information Nights

We look forward to seeing parents/carers at the information evenings hosted by the College in the next couple of weeks.  I recommend attending these evenings as they are very informative and will provide an opportunity to meet key staff members.  This will ensure that we work together to support the learning and development of your daughters.

Personal Growth Opportunities

As a school, we pride ourselves on offering opportunities for personal growth and leadership.  We hope that each of our students will make the most of their year and become actively involved in all that Kilbreda has to offer.  Certainly, our co-curricular program has something for everyone.  Please encourage your daughter to sign up and get involved.

Self-Care

As the 2019 school year commences, the importance of self-care will be critical for our students as they embark on their rigorous academic and co-curricular programs.  The notion of self-care is different for everyone; however, it is important that our students are encouraged to look after their physical and mental health so that they can stay on top of things during stressful times and maximise their wellbeing.  Headspace National Youth Foundation offers the following self-care tips for maximising wellbeing:  headspace.org.au/headspace-centres.  We also need to be mindful of the impact of social media platforms on the self-esteem of girls.  The website https://www.esafety.gov.au/ is a great source of information for parents/carers to navigate the sometimes challenging use of social media by our young people.  We will be doing some work on both these areas early in the year as part of our Pastoral Program.