Year 10 Pastoral Guardian

Welcome to Parent Corner for 2022, and a very warm welcome to our new parents. 

Over the past two weeks, I have been engaging with the Year 10 students to gather a perspective of how they are transitioning into the school year. They have returned with a renewed level of maturity, they are focused, and determined to work hard. 

When I discuss the year ahead with the students, there are concerns regarding management of workload and assessments. As their Pastoral Guardian, I regularly advocate the importance of applying wisdom. I ask students to reflect on their past when they experienced difficulty or challenge and to identify what they learnt about themselves in that situation.  It never ceases to amaze me that they soon discover they are stronger than they know and more capable than they are aware of, and it is within these fleeting moments we need to encourage our students to show courage, to step out of their comfort zone, and to stretch themselves.  We need to spend time to have regular conversations that draw out this wisdom, while at the same time encouraging them to slow down and make time for reflection. 

To support them along this journey, I have recently implemented a Wellbeing Journal for all Year 10 students. What is a journal? It is like a diary; it allows for creativity, a place for emotion to be expressed without judgement. A journal encourages one to explore their thoughts and feelings. There is no right or wrong in how it is delivered. It can be a collage of poetry, drawings, letters, mind maps or photographs. It is a place of 'freedom' and self-discovery. Students are asked not to dwell on negativity, rather a tool to create positive thoughts and growth mindset. The Wellbeing Journal will be implemented into Personal Development lessons, plus I will be posting a weekly journal question/statement for students to complete in their own time.  

Linda Stade an educator, writer and consultant for education and adolescents states that there is documented evidence to journaling (Writing Therapy: Using A Pen and Paper to Enhance Personal Growth (positivepsychology.com). Within her own research she identifies there are seven ways a journal can be used by children and parents to enhance connection, communication, and overall health and wellbeing. Here is a summary of her findings:

1. Journaling can be used to regulate distressed emotional states.
2. Journals can help us communicate with people we love. Rebecca Sparrow advocates sharing a journal with our child can often be a place where questions, feelings or things can be expressed to each other. Refer to Rebecca’s Book of Secrets.
3. Journaling is great gratitude practice.
4. Journaling allows us to be creative.
5. In journaling, traumatic experiences can lose their potency.
6. Journaling as mindfulness
7. Journaling can declutter the mind. 

For further information on these seven areas, please follow the link: 7 Advantages of Journal Writing For You and Your Kids (lindastade.com).

In conjunction with this, I would like to remind you of our fabulous parent resource, the Mount Alvernia SchoolTv (Home Page SchoolTV | Mount Alvernia College). This fantastic resource is available to parents online to inform and support you through a variety of adolescent matters. 

Referring again to my recent discussions with the Year 10 students, I highly recommend accessing the section labelled Healthy Body Series (Healthy Body Series | Mount Alvernia College (schooltv.me). This section provides relevant information and strategies that will promote good health and wellbeing for the year ahead.  It is important we set up for success now and instill healthy habits and strategies that will promote success in and out of the classroom. 

For our new parents there is a great section on transitioning to a new school (School Transitions | Mount Alvernia College (schooltv.me). There is a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips and throughout the year I will recommend sections that align with the current trends that emerge from the Year 10 cohort. 

It has been an impressive start to the year, and I look forward to working in partnership with you and your child. I wish you and your family good health and wellbeing. Please contact me if you have any queries (richt@staff.mta.qld.edu.au)