Wellbeing Report – July 20, 2017

July 19, 2017

On the first day back for term three, all students in Year 7 and 8 attended a performance called -‘The Hurting Game’, by the educational theatre company, Brainstorm Productions.- The performance focused on bullying in the modern world.- The emphasis was on how young people behave in a digital society.- This included the use of Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and other forms of digital media, which can be used as platforms to harass or bully young people.- The performance also centered on the way that these digital platforms can have a negative impact on the wellbeing of young people. In particular, the show discussed how a young person’s reputation can be diminished through the distribution of inappropriate images or comments via social media, and how this can impact your son’s future employment opportunities.- Year 7 students will continue to study the concept of bullying as part of the pastoral care program this term, whilst Year 8 and 9 students will undertake the DEECD Building Respectful Relationships program.- Further to this, in August, Year 10 students will attend a seminar on respectful relationships.

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 define -‘bullying’ and -‘harassment’.-

Children and young people have a fundamental right to learn in a safe, supportive environment and to be treated with respect. Bullying and harassment are behaviours related to the group or social context at the time.- Putting others down can be a shared experience to reinforce belonging to a group. It can also be a basis for humour. It is therefore possible for bullying and harassment to develop in a wide range of situations and for anyone to be tempted to bully others or to end up being the target.-

Bullying is repeated verbal, physical or social behaviour that is harmful and involves the misuse of power by an individual or group towards one or more persons. Conflict or fights between equals and single incidents are not regarded as bullying.- Bullying in any form or for any reason can have long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders.

Harassment is behaviour that offends, humiliates, intimidates or creates a hostile environment and targets an individual or group due to their identity, race, culture or ethnic origin; religion; physical characteristics; gender; sexual orientation; marital, parenting or economic status; age; and/or ability or disability. Harassment may be an ongoing pattern of behaviour, or it may be a single act.-

The Keeping Safe curriculum includes strategies to help students to recognise the characteristics of bullying behaviour, to understand their rights, and to know the actions they can take.- As parents, if you suspect your son may have experienced bullying at school, it is vital to maintain an open dialogue with your son’s pastoral care tutor and year level coordinators.-

Whole Year Level Programs -“ Term Three

There are a number of whole-year-level wellbeing programs happening in term three, which will all occur during the regular school day.- Please take note of the following dates:

  • Monday 7th August -“ Carmen Road Safety -“ All Year 11 students (9am -“ 10.30am)

  • Tuesday 15th August -“ You The Man -“ Building Respectful Relationships -“ All Year 10 students (9am -“ 10.55am)

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

A message from the Wellbeing Team:

Mindfulness

It seems like a catch phrase these days, but if we think back to what our parents and grandparents used to say, it has always been present in our lives. -Mind your manners-, -Be mindful of other’s feelings-, -Mind your language-. Being mindful and is simply about paying attention, being present in the moment, taking time to consider the situation and becoming more self-aware. Mindfulness does not have to take the form of meditation; we can all be more mindful in our daily lives. Over the next week, try the following:

  1. Eat more mindfully- pay attention to the flavours and textures of your food. Slow down and appreciate the sensations related to eating.

  2. Go outdoors- I know it is cold at the moment, but take a few minutes to step out of the artificial heating, take a deep breath of crisp air and smell the fresh, earthy scents.

  3. Listen mindfully to someone else- don’t think about what you want to say while the other person is talking, truly listen and be present in your conversations with others.

  4. Just stop- in our busy lives, we often forget just to stop and literally smell the roses.

For more mindfulness practise, download the Smiling Mind App, or visit www.smilingmind.com.au

Rebecca, Eric and Gerard

Wellbeing Team

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