St Peter's News

From our Principal

Dear Parents, Students and Friends,

Welcome back to Term 3. I spoke to staff the other day and suggested that 2020 is a “gift which keeps on giving”. Whilst slightly tongue in cheek, it is important in these challenging times to ensure normality is the constant when and wherever possible and we find the positives in the little and bigger things we experience each day. 

 

So it is, we begin a period of remote schooling, this time for Yr 7-10's. My simple message is, we have been there before and experienced many positive outcomes. This enables us to move forward with confidence. Some parents have raised questions as to why our VCE and VCAL students are returning on campus. It is a good question, firstly, it is the state government who makes this decision, it is not a local one. Whilst we at St. Peter’s College are under restrictions, it is only the Melbourne area and the Mitchell Shire currently impacted. All other VCE and VCAL students are attending school and it is important that this level playing field is maintained for all students across the state.

Communication 

It is difficult sometimes to know when the right balance has been achieved between overload and not enough. It is critical however that you the parents and our students have the essential information to support their learning program. Parents are reminded of the variety of modes to access information, these include our: Newsletter, Web-site, Facebook page, E-mail and CareMonkey as well as our Learning Management System – SPACE. In the early stages of Remote schooling (Yr 7-10) there will predictably be an increased volume of information which we anticipate will subside as the term gets underway.

Mental Well-being

 

Mental health support for teenagers, as we commence Remote Schooling 2.0, is going to need to play a more prominent role. At St. Peter’s College we have been planning a range of resources, strategies and activities to support the mental well-being of our students, whether they are learning remotely or attending face-to-face classes. Underpinning our work is our Positive education framework. St. Peter’s College is built on the solid rock of Gospel values and faith in the God of Jesus Christ who comes that we may have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). Our model for Positive Education, therefore, has at its centre, learning to thrive. Thriving is the experience of having life to the full, of life going well, when we are feeling good and functioning effectively (Huppert & So, 2012; Seligman, 2011). The message to our students is we will “be not afraid”, as we live, learn, teach and embed a model that integrates Positive Education with our Catholic Faith. We practise gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness, so that we not only feel good but also do good through Christian service. We continue our focus on positive education as we traversed through these troubling times Students requiring some additional support through these tough times are encouraged to speak to our student well-being team of Mrs Carter, Ms Picinali and Mrs Ziino or to contact their House Leader. 

 

Below are some other links to resources that students and parents can access:

Beyond Blue.  Please click here.

DHHS Mental Health Resources for Victorians aged 17-25.  Please click here.

Mental Health First Aid, Covid-19 Information.  Please click here.

Lifeline.  Please click here.

Futures – Tuesday, 21 July 2020

Next week we launch our Futures expo. This program is designed to support and inform students and parents about the important decisions which need to be made around subject selection and future pathways. The importance of engaging with our futures program has never been more important as the world of work as we have known it could be and probably has been changed forever.

 

What do students need to do? 

  • Engage with the program, ask all the questions you need to make informed choices.
  • Organise your interview with your house leader

What do parents need to do?

  • Engage in the parent information sessions provided, commencing at 4.00 pm.
  • Participate in the interview sessions with your child and their house leader
  • Sit down with your child and ask about their hopes and dreams, exploring together whether they are realistic and how they go about achieving these

Remote Schooling 2.0

At the end of last term, Yr 9 students on the CLN campus were asked to reflect on the learnings of remote schooling 1.0. The questions were around, what were your learnings first time around and what would you do differently next time around. From this an infographic was designed (see below). I encourage all our students whether remote schooling or not to embrace these reflections as they commence Term 3.

 

Enjoy the week ahead and stay well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Chris Black

Principal