Pastoral Care Report – September 5, 2019

2019 Pastoral Care Program: Information for- Parents

Keeping Safe: Information for- Parents

As part of the St Patrick’s College mission to create a safe and secure learning environment for our students, it is crucial that our broader community of parents are well-informed with the latest information and research available, so we can work as partners to keep our students safe.- In this edition of The Crest, the first focus is to outline the first unit of work within this curriculum, -‘The right to be safe’.

For Junior and Middle School students, this component of the curriculum acknowledges the developmental stage of adolescents.- Students need a curriculum that is challenging and interactive in which they are able to extend, analyse and reflect upon their knowledge and values. Students explore the concepts of safety and risk-taking.- During this topic, students learn about the notion of feeling safe, risk-taking and dealing with risk and developing resilience.- The second topic within this unit is warning signs and emergencies.- Students learn about warning signs in unsafe situations, planning for and dealing with emergencies, as well as using mindfulness as a relaxation technique.-

For senior students, this component of the curriculum focuses on the range of situations that young people may encounter varying degrees of safety, such as being employed in part-time work and in the online or virtual world.- Within this unit, students review warning signs, assess risks and examine psychological pressure and manipulation, which may occur in the form of scams, media and other high risk situations.

The second unit of work within this curriculum is called -‘Relationships’.

For Junior and Middle School students, this component of the curriculum acknowledges that students are involved in numerous relationships with people such as friends, family members, parents/care givers and peers. Social dynamics and an individual’s self-esteem impact on the decisions an individual makes in these relationships. During this unit of work, students study three topics.- The first topic -‘rights and responsibilities in relationships’ sees students explore the concepts of rights, defining relationships and healthy relationships, and trust within relationships. Students also develop an understanding of the importance of building a trusted network of people in their lives. The second topic -‘power in relationships’ sees students define power and explore the use of power within relationships, as well as understanding what constitutes an abuse of power. The third topic -‘bullying as an abuse of power’ sees students define the characteristics of bullying and the associated consequences for both the perpetrator and the victim. Students also explore the concept of bystanders, and the important role they can play in bullying prevention.

For senior students, this component of the curriculum focuses on two topics.- The first topic -‘a matter of rights’ sees students defining the concept of rights, exploring abuses of rights, and ensuring the effective care and protection of young people. The second topic -‘rights and responsibilities in relationships’ asks students to recognise healthy relationships, unhealthy aspects of relationships, and abuse within relationships.

I would encourage you to maintain an open dialogue with your sons regarding the importance of building a network of trusted people in their lives, including family members, mentors, coaches, tutors, friends, colleagues and peers. Furthermore, it is also important to assess risk and make well-informed decisions, especially as students get older, and their exposure to risk increases with driving cars, working part time and negotiating an ever-changing online world.

For more information on our Pastoral Care program, please visit:

https://www.stpats.vic.edu.au/en/st-patricks-college/pastoral-care/

I would encourage all students and parents to fully engage and participate in all of our wellbeing programs on offer, as they are an integral element of our broader mission to educate the whole person.

Kind regards,

Mr Bradley Murray

Pastoral Care Coordinator