Year 8 Pastoral Guardian

I’ve come to realise that successful students are disciplined and focused, and they’ve developed winning habits.  What does this mean for girls in our cohort who want to be successful in school and in other arenas such as sport or culture?  Students who perform well are those who are positive, motivated, focused, and hardworking.  The same can be said for those who spend time with people who are positive, motivated, focused, and hard working.

Within the Year 8 cohort I saw many students who were regularly trying to improve themselves.  Success could be construed by measuring the number of girls who were involved in the variety of activities this college has on offer.  These girls are positive, motivated, focused, and hardworking, and were willing to make connections.  This in turn developed a sense of belonging to our cohort and college.  This belonging is not just to school, but to the friendships gained.  Consequently, this can positively impact on healthy relationships and the memories cherished over the last two years.

Improvement in social skills was one of the bonuses of attending school camp.  Interaction with each other in a different setting and different environments helped to improve social skills and make new friends.  Spending six hours a day at school is one thing, but eating meals together, travelling together, sharing accommodation, and participating in a variety of activities challenged your daughters, both physically and mentally.  This taught the worth of working together and treating others with respect.  It also gave the girls an opportunity to come to know the teachers and vice versa in a different environment outside the classroom.  Also, being at camp taught students about the diversity of others and gave them insights into how to do some things differently.

Attendance at the Kenilworth and Woodford camps supported the development of personal and social competence of the cohort.  All activities encouraged the girls to listen and communicate ideas to others, and problem solve specific scenarios through considered decision making.

A highlight of 2019 was the dancing lessons with Padua.  There were some who absolutely relished this opportunity, and others who saw it as perhaps another example of an opportunity to challenge themselves.  Regardless of the perception, the girls conducted themselves very well through the process and I was very pleased to see how well they embraced the lessons and developed some new dancing skills.  These lessons culminated in the Year 8 social event with Padua, a fun evening to mix with their peers and practise their newly developed skills.

Transitional change from Year 8 to Year 9 will be a challenge for some, but to other students this change will be viewed as a natural progression through secondary school.  Many of the girls will discover new friends in their new learning groups while maintaining those with whom they connected in Years 7 and 8.  The shift in groups and changes may mean there will be some ups and downs, but this will be navigated successfully through growing maturity and resilience.

Some may lament the loss of stability and security when they have known and remained with their core teacher for two years.  However, the time is right.  They are cognitively mature to acclimatise and be exposed to a variety of teaching styles and personalities.  The Year 9 Pastoral Guardian will assist their journey and will endeavour to ensure that this transition is as smooth as possible.  Assisting girls in solving problems that arise will support their growth mindset and resilience.

I have enjoyed immensely my time as your Pastoral Guardian.  It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to work with such a friendly and enthusiastic group of young women.

Michael Butterworth