Pastoral Academic Care
Researching
Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) Focus
Wellbeing Element: SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENT
Character Strength: CURIOSITY
Wellbeing Fitness Challenge: WHAT WENT WELL
Parent Wellbeing: Ask a friend about the good things that happened for them today,
why they happened and how they can make them happen again.
RESEARCHING
The main thing students will be doing in their lives in the 21st century is learning. Combine this with them being electronically connected 24/7 to a myriad of others, and we have a situation where they seldom slow down enough to be in the moment to think hard about what they are looking at.
Teaching students to follow an intelligent research process enables them to slow down to think hard about each step they are doing. To support this process even further, you can ask them to identify and describe how they are thinking using Habits of Mind. Also, using the brain pathway building structure of Thinking Tools, provides opportunities and structure for them to analyse, evaluate and predict.
Adopting these approaches cultivates effective research habits which include knowing what to do when they don’t know what to do, relating how what they learn connects to their world and identifying and finding the information they need to learn more about the topic. Their organisation skills improve by planning time targets, analysing their findings and looking for bias, patterns, inference and implied messages and presenting what they learned with clarity and precision. Once they have mastered these things, they can make predictions from their findings.
If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” Albert Einstein
Year 7
R U OK? This term we are focusing on students identifying when they are ok and when they aren’t. Together we have been viewing ‘Inside Out’ to lead into our work on regulating emotions.
A reminder that next term all students are required to wear their summer uniform. If you have any questions around this or require some support please email me at ykreuzen@arm.catholic.edu.au
More and more students are working hard this term and are receiving commendation awards as a result. Keep up the fantastic work, Year 7! I look forward to seeing what you achieve next term in your final term of Year 7.
Have a safe and happy holiday everyone. I hope you return feeling refreshed and ready to learn some new great things.
Yolanda Kreuzen
Year 7 PAC
Year 8
We are at the tail end of Term 3 2019, and Year 8 is focused on subject selections, sports and awards.
Subject lines are being finalised and it will soon be time to make the final decision about electives for 2020. Round 3 of the subject selections will be sent out very soon.
It was a pleasure to take the O’Connor basketball teams down to Tamworth to compete last Wednesday. The year 7/8 boys team played some amazing basketball and took the win over an always strong McCarthy team. Some of the same Year 8 students led the way at the athletics carnival last week, too - great work! Good luck to all the students who qualified to go to the NSW CCC athletics carnival in Sydney later this year.
Lastly, congratulations to all of the chess, Da Vinci Decathlon, Commendation, and Year Leader award recipients. Keep up the hard work, it doesn't go unnoticed.
Lloyd Honnery
Year 8 PAC
Year 9
Only a couple of weeks to go before the end of the Term. A couple of weeks to focus on learning by being organised, by following instructions, and by being the best students we can be. A couple of weeks to finish the Term on a high by ensuring all learning tasks are completed on time, and to the best of our ability. A couple of weeks to look after our friends well being and our own health and happiness. Take the time to ask your friends how they are coping.
This week’s PAC Focus is Researching. The Aim is to build our Skills and Achievement by using a structured process to research more intelligently.
We can grow our abilities when we strive to master more difficult tasks, such as researching. Using a structured research process builds new brain pathways, which enable us to think more.
A record number of Commendation Certificates and Year Leader Awards this week. This highlights the effort our students are making with their learning and they deserve to be congratulated.
Congratulations to this week’s Year Leader Award recipients - Banjo, Jean, Angus, Tahlia, Madisson and Lara.
Fletcher, Angus, Lauren, Lara, Kaitlyn, Ella and Oluomachukwu represented O’Connor at the recent Da Vinci Decathlon at TAS and enjoyed a memorable day of problem solving.
I will be away in week 10 this Term and weeks 1 and 2 next Term. Mrs Kath Czinner will more than ably fill in for me during my absence. Please feel free to contact her in the usual manner if you have any inquiries during that time.
Peter McLeish (on behalf of our Year 9 PAC team)
Year 10
Year 10 should have now finalised their subject selection forms and soon be able to see the final lines and subjects on offer to them going into Year 11. I hope to see them be able to choose a positive pathway leading them through to the end of school and their HSC in their chosen subjects.
I was also very impressed with the sheer volume of commendation cards I have distributed to students for their academic work, community service and other extra-curricular activities that Year 10 students have been involved in recently. Students continue to represent the school in so many ways and with such a wide variety of activities it continues to impress. Keep up the good work Year 10, only a few more weeks till school holidays.
Mark Fulloon
Year 10 PAC
Year 11
LYL’s assisted with the recent STEP day. They approached the task with enthusiasm and maturity, demonstrating their leadership and being exceptional role models to future students. SRC representatives contributed by cooking the barbecue on the day. Thank you to all of those students.
Exam week commences this Friday the 13th. We wish all students the very best. Make sure you have a copy of the exam timetable on the fridge. You need to be at school before 8.50am ready to go into the exam room. Meet in the quad. Make sure you have all the necessary equipment, pens, pencils, calculator etc. for the relevant exams. Ms Menz spoke of preparation being the key at the last assembly, and it is okay to be a bit nervous!
Year 11 celebrated various birthdays and achievements. Z Club members received their badges. Ellen Hawthorne and Lara Walters received Principal Awards. Great to see so many students being acknowledged for their hard work. More awards to come at the next College Assembly.
Interested students attended the information session run by Newcastle University looking at future career opportunities.
Year 11 students had a successful campaign at the recent Diocesan Carnival. Congratulations to those who competed, and best wishes to those who were successful in going to the next level.
Year 11 attended Mass with Father Roel. Thank you to the helpers and special mention to Molly Hardey for the role she plays in singing.
Vicki Channon and the Year 11 PAC team.
Year 12
With only three weeks of school left Yr 12 continue to work hard to finish learning course content and to consolidate knowledge in preparation for the HSC. Ms Menz recently met with students to emphasize the importance of being at school everyday and working diligently during every lesson until the end of the term. Students also heard a presentation from our HSC Coordinator, former O’Connor Teacher Mrs Stellar about the rules and procedures for the HSC.
During PAC time we are focusing on ‘finishing well’. During the final weeks of school we really want Yr 12 to finish on a positive and productive note. We are emphasising the importance of attending every day and working hard right up until graduation. Finishing well also refers to behaviour and attitude at school, and Yr 12 have been reminded of the significance of their behaviour and the example that they set as they finish their schooling. The Yr 12 PAC Team look forward to a really positive last few weeks and students crossing that finish line feeling positive and proud of their final efforts.
On a sad note, we had our final PAC period recently and this was a great chance for students to enjoy an informal time and bit of a celebration with their PAC Teachers. I wish to take this opportunity to publicly thank our outstanding Yr 12 PAC Team for their hard work and selfless support of their PAC Students. We have been truly blessed to have such a wonderful team.
James Russell
Year 12 PAC