Pastoral Care

• Upcoming eSafety  Parent Seminars
• Peer Support
• Year 5 & 7 Camps
• Red Dirt

Upcoming eSafey Parent Seminars

In keeping with our advice from the Education and Training team at eSafety.

The 2022 parent and carer education schedule for 2022 from the training team at eSafety covers a range of topics delivered by specialist trainers:

If you don’t have time to attend a webinar, you can view the short videos for parents and carers: 

• Parental controls
• Online sexual harassment and image-based abuse
• Cyberbullying and online drama

To keep up to date with eSafety advice, resources and events, parents and carers can sign up to the newsletterand visit the Twitter and Facebook pages of the Education and Training Team of The eSafety Commissioner.

 esafety.gov.au  

Peer Support

Session 1 of our Year 11, 7 and 5 Peer Support will take place on Tuesday 8 March during Period 2. Our Year 11 Peer Support Leaders will meet weekly in small groups with their Year 5 and 7 Peer Support teams in the yard, to follow a program developed to help them integrate comfortably into the school. This program is a highly valued one with great benefits for the Junior students and Year 11 leaders who are welcoming them to St Pius X. 

The cohesive and inclusive values and culture of our College are greatly enhanced by the manner in which students from Year 5 to 12 support one another, and I thank Ms Bamber and Ms Dempsey for ensuring this invaluable program is delivered by our Year 11 students in the best manner possible. The six session Peer Support program will culminate in Term 2 when the groups will meet at Beauchamp Park on Friday 29 April over Period 4 and lunch. The connections and student advocacy developed through the program will benefit the participants well into the future. 

Year 5 and 7 Camps

With the adjustments to Public Health Orders it is pleasing to note that we are able to plan our COVID-safety plans and activities for the upcoming Year 5 Camp to Milson Island in Week 6 and our Year 7 Camp to Tea Gardens in Week 8. 

These important formative experiences for the students, during their transition into Year 5 and Year 7, offer unique opportunities for the students to develop confidence, skills and connections with the College and their peers. In recent years these experiences have been even more valuable for the students in the context of spending time with their classmates and teachers in the natural environment in preparation for the journey ahead. We greatly look forward to these learning opportunities and the growth achieved by the students through them. Communication regarding each camp will be forthcoming from the Head of the Junior School, Mrs Jill Greenwood, and Year 7 Coordinator, Mr Phil Stollery, as appropriate.

Red Dirt

As an important action supporting our Narragunnawalli Reconciliation Action Plan I am pleased to report that the College Leadership Team have provided “in principle” approval for our mid-winter 27 June – 2 July Red Dirt Immersion to take place after the conclusion of Term 2.

The Red Dirt Expedition 2022 has an emphasis on enhancing our related learning opportunities, contacts and connections with Indigenous, Rural and Remote people, entities, schools and places of cultural and historical significance in western NSW.

Student Expressions of Interest will be called for at the conclusion of Term 1 with positions on the expedition to be allocated according to student ability to contribute to learning, raising awareness and advancing our Reconciliation Action Plan into the future.

Please see Mr Brannan or the staff who attended in 2021: Mr Di Sano, Mr Stollery, Mr Mendez, Mr Mulheron, or Mrs Fryar if you have further questions.

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal, Pastoral Care and Wellbeing