Pastoral Academic Care

Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) Focus

This week’s Pastoral Academic Care focus is: GROUP LEARNING

Wellbeing Element: RELATIONSHIPS + EMPATHY

 Character Strength:     LEADERSHIP

Strengths Booster:    DIAL-UP STRENGTHS

Wellbeing Reality Activities:    GROUP LEARNING

Parent Wellbeing:

Write down five things you treasure in your life and every morning spend 30 seconds thinking about each one doing deep breathing exercises. 

When students practise using their top strengths doing the Wellbeing Fitness Challenges, Strengths Boosters and Weekly Character Strengths, they build their confidence and capabilities to share and combine their strengths with other students and teachers. This develops their resilience through social connectedness with those around them. Group learning is an effective way to harness students’ strengths by combining a wide range of abilities, points of view and attitudes to issues. Peer learning enables students to have input, be valued for their ideas and perspectives and learn how to cultivate collaborative and interdependent habits through mindful and empathetic listening. Learning in teams also goes a long way to removing the perceived stigma of asking for help from their teachers. When students teach each other, they remember over 90% of the processes involved, and they are actively participating in real learning, not just filling the bucket. Keys to a well functioning group include, a valuing, tolerance and acceptance of individual differences and a clear set of agreed expectations for the group to operate by. To avoid having groups of similar thinking clones, set the expectation that they have two ears and one mouth and as such should listen twice as much as they talk. Acknowledgement: Hassed & Sinek

Year 7

Mrs Kath Czinner

We ended the school camp with exhausted children who participated in the adventures of camp with such positivity and enthusiasm. As a whole the students were challenged by the activities and worked well well as a team and as individuals. The lake contained blue-green algae so many of the water sports were not able to go ahead. We were able to have a go at Rogaining, Initiative games, Slip and Slide, Raft building, Archery and the Keepit Commando course. 

Interactive games and Trivia pursuit plus team challenges were the focus of the night activities. Teachers and students were able to get to know each other a little more. We do have a special group of kids and it was fantastic to see them really engage with each other. With the phones not being accessible during time at camp, more interactions took place. Reduced screen time was definitely a positive.

Attached are a sample of photos from the camp. 

GALLERY: Camp was an amazing experience for Year 7 and we were grateful that we could organise it for the students. 

Special thanks to our amazing staff who were able to share the camp with our Year 7. Special thanks to Mrs Osborne, Mrs Mellowship-Brown, Miss Brydie Hawthorne and Miss Taryn Ramage, Mr Lloyd Honnery, Mr Shane MCCann and Mr James Healy.

Commendations last fortnight included:

Year Leaders Award: Tahlia Bird (second), Laura Billings,

Principal’s Award: Theresa Nguyen and  Sophie Mitchell

Week 8 is our last full week of school then in Week 9 we start the Life Saving Program which will occur in the afternoons, normal morning lessons will go ahead. I thank Mr Daniel Fittler who has been organising and will facilitate the program. Week 10 sees us all finish with Term 5, a chance to explore further recreational opportunities. A fantastic finish to an extraordinary year.

Mrs Kath Czinner

Year 8

Mrs Katie Biddle

Wow - Week 8! Year 8 have shown outstanding resilience and flexibility this year. They have embodied everything that we aim to teach our students in our PAC program. It has been fantastic to see and support these students as they develop these skills and grow into adaptable young people. 

Next week all of Year 8 will participate in the lifesaving program at the town pool. Students will attend morning classes and spend the afternoon participating in the life saving program. Please ensure that students have the necessary swimmers, towels, food, water, and sun protection for this. 

Here are some of our fantastic students with their commendations last week at our Year Assembly. Congratulations everyone!!

Week 10 will see the students participating in Term 5 activities. This is a great opportunity to try a fun and interesting activity to finish the year on a positive note.

Sincerely,

Katie Biddle and the Year 8 PAC team

Year 10

Mr Peter McLeish

By the time you read this entry, the learning part of 2020 will be done and dusted for the majority of Year 10 students. Their reports should be posted onto Compass on Friday 4th December and I trust you will be pleased with their overall performances. 

I sincerely hope those students taking part in Work Experience in Week 9 make the most of their opportunity to engage with their chosen field of potential future employment. Who knows where it could lead?

Next year will present many new challenges and learning opportunities for students. In most cases they will be attempting subjects that are less familiar to them than those offered during their junior years. My advice is to go hard early.

I am reminded of something Helen Keller said that I would like to pass on to ‘my’ Year 10 students - “We can do anything we want to if we stick at it long enough.”

Congratulations to Ben Cawley, Judah Flint, Azalea Hallinan, Sharnaya Abdul-Majid and who received Year Leader’s Awards, Lara Windred, Maggie Reinke and Bridie Giles who qualified for their second Year Leaders’ Awards and to Lara, Vanessa Simpson, Breanna Donnelly, Tommy Nguyen, Bess Johnstone, Lila Bolger and Alex Shepheard who received Principal’s Awards and a huge shoutout to Grace Everett, Tahlia Little, Mia Brotherson and Oluoma Malu who qualified for the much coveted College Award. A fabulous effort by all students involved. Well done!

It has been my great privilege to be involved with these young people during the past two years and I wish all of them the very best for their future, whatever it may bring. 

Please accept my best wishes for the coming Christmas season. Travel safely, be kind to one another and I look forward to catching up in 2021.

May God bless you all!

Peter McLeish (on behalf of the Year 10 PAC team)

Year 11

Mr Mark Fulloon

Well we are almost there Year 11 with a much deserved holiday just around the corner. Before that happens we still have a few things to get through, this includes making sure students are still focussed on academic pursuits and keeping up with course work still having to be completed. Also Presentation Day is a day to celebrate and acknowledge student’s hard work and toil over the year. Well done to all students who received awards, as well as those who didn’t, all we ask is that you work to the best of your ability and try your best.

Keep up the good work Year 11 and thank-you to our hardworking PAC team.

Mark Fulloon  (on behalf of the Year 11 PAC team)

Year 12

Mrs Vicki Channon

We have had some of our students come back to the classroom over the last couple of weeks to complete some training that will be useful in pursuing part time work. The RSA/RCG courses were held last Wednesday and Thursday. The 2 days were very full on with lots of listening, writing, completing assessments … so it brought back lovely memories of studying for the HSC. 19 students in total completed these courses, which did include a couple of guests from ASC.

First Aid and CPR was on offer this Tuesday and 12 students chose to take this up. Our local Stephen Gollan was the provider for this event and I would like to thank him for his ongoing support of our school and our students.

I would like to thank all of the students who took part. They are worthwhile qualifications to have in your bag of tricks to help gain employment.

Remember to return all bits and pieces, including textbooks, English novels back to school. Textiles students, come and pick up your MTPs please.

Don’t forget to join us on Friday 19th December at 11am for morning tea to celebrate your HSC results. Look forward to seeing you then.

Vicki Channon and the Year 12 PAC team.