DEPUTY PRINCIPAL STUDENTS
The college welcomed back our Year 12 students, as well as Year 11 students completing a Year 12 subject, on Friday September 10. While the extended periods of remote learning have been challenging for everyone this term, it has been especially difficult for our senior students in the lead up to their end of year examinations. It is great to have them back on site and they have brought with them a real positivity to everyone at the college. We hope that all our students return to face-to-face learning as soon as possible. A school is not a school without its students.
STUDENT WELLBEING
Monitoring and supporting student wellbeing continued to be a focus during the latest lockdown period. While Homeroom and Pastoral Care Group teachers offered morning Homeroom check-ins, a number of other initiatives were introduced with positive feedback. The college Wellbeing Captains, Simran Vasant and Jemma Fanshaw, introduced daily wellbeing journals for students which included an affirmation, a checklist, a daily challenge, and a journal prompt that students could fill out every day to keep track of their overall wellbeing.
An initiative from Mr Dion Collins encouraged students to send in images to be shown on the college Instagram. A large number of students and staff got involved by sending photos ranging from their pets, nature based, best lockdown lunch and the school ball.
R U OK? Day was celebrated a little differently this year with students encouraged to take part in a fan wall, and then invited to take part in yoga sessions with Ms Samantha Lowe and Mr Sam De Luca.
PULSE
In Term 4, the college will be trialling Pulse, a student wellbeing and engagement tool. It also tracks anonymised student sentiment about their engagement with the college so the college can make changes based on student voice.
Research strongly indicates that measuring student wellbeing in a way that is both comprehensive and timely will enable the college to provide support at both the individual and cohort level. We will be using Pulse to get more useful and actionable insight than traditional long-form wellbeing surveys.
In Term 4, students will be prompted via a weekly email to complete a ‘Check-in’ on the app. On a Tuesday morning during Homeroom students will complete the check-in which consists of five to six questions. If a student asks for help through the platform, they will be able to select from a number of relevant staff members. The college’s goal in using Pulse is to support students when they most need help by giving them a positive experience and a discreet way to make their voices heard while providing us with their opinions on their experiences at the college.
UNIFORM
With a return to the warmer weather, a reminder to students and families that students will be required to wear the summer uniform during Term 4. Students will also need to wear their bucket hats when outside for sport or during breaks. We encourage girls to check their summer dress length, which must be at or below the knee, as they are likely to have grown during the winter.
COLLEGE EVENTS
While we have had limited opportunities to celebrate college events this term, we were fortunate to hold the Athletics Carnival, Australian Business Week, Staff Vs Students annual soccer match, College Captains speeches and some Interschool Sports. These events are vital for student wellbeing and important in maintaining a sense of belonging and connectedness. We hope and look forward to the many college events planned for Term 4.
Mr Heath McClaer
Deputy Principal Students