Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) 

'Pastoral Focus: Junior – ASKING FOR HELP Senior – HELP SEEKING

Wellbeing Element: Health + strengths 

Character Strength: Honesty 

Parent Wellbeing: Having optimism and hope for the future is much more than just feeling positive in your own environment. It is about believing that through your own efforts that you can directly influence your own future. There is an over emphasis on public achievements, rather than the private behind the scenes efforts that you do that make the difference and matter. What private behind the scenes efforts do you make?

Year 8

Ms Natalie Mellowship

We are nearly halfway through Term 4 already! Students will receive their yearly report towards the end of this Term. Now is Year 8's final opportunity to finish the year well and really show what they are capable of - always remembering our Year 8 focus of ‘I Succeed’.  Students should reflect upon the year to date and identify how they have achieved their goals they set themselves for the year and start some big picture thinking in preparation for the next academic year. 

Linking with our theme of ‘I Succeed’, our Year 8 debating team defeated Canberra Girls Grammar School in their online debate this week. A huge congratulations to Maggie Ridley, Madeleine Cowley, Jessica MacMahon and James Everett on arguing the affirmative case that “online gambling should be banned in Australia”. 

This week, Year 8s celebrated Mass with the focus being on All Souls Day. Students were extremely reverent and welcomed the opportunity to reflect. Thank you to our readers Alexander Hamlin, Sean Healy and Ella Vidler for your participation. 

Looking after yourself is about more than just looking after yourself physically; your emotional and mental wellbeing are equally just as important in managing your overall health. Year 8 are currently studying a unit in PDHPE theory lessons called #mindbodyspirit. This unit will help students to identify and manage both current and future challenges and focuses on a whole new dimension of health. Linking with this, all Year 8s will have the amazing opportunity to experience a pilates and meditation class with an experienced and qualified teacher from the local community. These sessions will take place on the following days: Tuesday 22nd November (8PDHPE1 and 8PDHPE2) and on Tuesday 29th November (8PDHPE3 and 8PDHPE4).

During week 9, the College will host our annual Lifesaving Week. This week helps students to enjoy the water safely through drowning prevention education, action and leadership training. The Lifesaving program is a compulsory event that will occur during the school day at the Monkton Aquatics Centre. Students should check that they have the appropriate swimwear and equipment in preparation and get ready for an action packed week! More information about this will be sent out soon to families. 

Natalie Mellowship and the Year 8 PAC Team

Year 10

Mr James Russell

This fortnight has been a busy one for our Year 10s. There have been many exciting and important activities happening and many students making the most of these opportunities. At O'Connor we strongly believe in the benefits of holding retreats for each of our Year Groups. The concept of a retreat is to remove oneself from all distractions and spend some time completing group and personal reflection on an important and relevant theme or characteristic. Our Year 10 Retreat was focused on the concept of Leadership and what makes an effective leader. Students were fortunate enough to have the day facilitated by Seb from Sydney along with our wonderful Lasallian Youth Leaders Georgia and Sophie. Students spent time participating in games, listening to important information on the topic, discussing concepts and opinions in small groups and reflecting quietly on their own. They were highly engaged in the day and had a lot of fun together. Many important lessons were learnt, including the most effective styles of leadership and that everybody has a responsibility of leadership to some degree. Students were challenged to think about these concepts and their role in establishing the culture of our school as they transition into Stage 6.

Another recent exciting development has been the establishment of Year 10 Catechists who assist to deliver Religious Education Lessons to Primary School students in local Catholic and Public Schools. So far students have really enjoyed this experience and we are looking forward to seeing them develop new skills and understandings through these opportunities. 

Other recent happenings for the Year 10 cohort have been students proudly representing the College in Sydney at CCC Basketball; some very creative Halloween themed cooking in Food Tech and some wonderful tributes to teachers for World Teachers Day.

Year 12

Mrs Vicki Channon

Today, Friday 4th November marks the end of the 2022 Higher School Certificate Examination. The last four weeks have seemed to fly by, but I am sure the Year 12 students are extremely relieved that this formal part of schooling has come to a close. 

I wish to thank Mrs Kerry Steller and her wonderful band of supervisors for the care and support they displayed to our students and the smooth running of all of the HSC exams this year. The students were all very comfortable with the procedures and protocols that are a normal part of this process. This was helped by the fact that we had the same group of lovely individuals conducting the Trial HSC Exam period, which was instigated by Mrs Healy this year. The students knew the people looking after them and they felt safe and secure knowing that they were in good hands. The supervisors had nothing but praise for our Year 12 cohort, as they approached each exam with maturity and a calm and considered manner for all in the space. I would like to thank them all for this. 

Now, we get to celebrate the end of schooling with the Year 12 Formal, to be held at the Armidale Servies tonight at 6pm. Photos will be taken at the Old Teacher’s College. It should be a wonderful evening of socialising, acknowledging, reminiscing. There will be photos of the event in the next newsletter. I have included some of my speech below for those who cannot make it.

It has been mentioned in previous newsletters that ‘all’ teachers and staff at O’Connor have played an important role in the life of these young people who are about to embark on a new and exciting journey. We wish them all the very best for the future. 

RSA/RCG and First Aid courses are being offered through the Guyra Adult Learning Association. I have encouraged students to take the opportunity to participate in these if possible. I have application forms and they must be completed and given back to me by Monday of next week.

Mrs Vicki Channon (on behalf of the Year 12 PAC team)