Pastoral Care Report – August 23, 2019

2019 Pastoral Care Program: Information for- Parents

Keeping Safe: Information for- Parents

As part of 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.- This week’s focus is to outline the structure of the Keeping Safe curriculum program.

The Keeping Safe curriculum (SA DECD) is divided into separate documents for specific age ranges.- For secondary schools, it is divided in to two documents: Years 7-9 and Years 10-12.- The curriculum is predicated on two main themes which are presented through topics and activities of increasing complexity.- The two broader themes are -‘We all have the right to be safe’ and -‘We can help ourselves to be safe by talking to people we trust’.- These two broad themes are explored through four focus areas, which grow in complexity in accordance with different age ranges.

The first focus area is: The right to be safe.- This focus area involves young people learning about the various feelings they might have in different situations.- They are taught about warning signs; the external signals and internal messages (emotion/feeling) that help young people recognise a situation where they may be at risk of harm.-

The second focus area is: Relationships.- This focus area involves students exploring the concept of power in a relationship, harassment and bullying, and rights and responsibilities in relationships.- Students identify and work towards building a network of trusted people.

The third focus area is: Recognising and reporting abuse.- This focus area involves using stories, songs and media clips from popular culture, to explore abuse issues using a critical literacy approach.- Students also explore issues related to cyber safety and cyberbullying and learn strategies to solve problems.

The final focus area is: Protective Strategies.- This focus area involves students exploring the concept of self-protection and learning to develop help seeking strategies.- This is linked back to the notion of building a trusted network of people.

The Keeping Safe curriculum is designed to enhance the emotional intelligence of our students, so that they may develop the skills needed to navigate this world, especially in regards to understanding their rights, building positive and trusting relationships, and recognising and reporting abuse.

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,

Bradley Murray

Pastoral Care Coordinator

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