Pastoral Care
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Pastoral Care Program Rationale
The St Patrick’s College pastoral care program encompasses an inclusive community, where the dignity of each person is nurtured as a child formed in the image of God, where students develop and foster right relationships and are committed to the common good. (taken from EREA Charter)
The pastoral care program is designed to develop the whole person. Students have the opportunity to enhance their social and emotional wellbeing through gaining skills in self-awareness, emotional intelligence, self-regulation and resilience. (taken from DEECD Principles for Wellbeing)
The pastoral care program provides a sequenced curriculum from year 7 to 12, focused on developing the whole person, with the broad objective of developing and enhancing student work ethic, behaviour, resilience, and academic results. The program centers around the model of social and emotional learning (SEL). SEL curriculum is designed to assist students in building resilience, making good decisions, coping skills, managing conflict and emotions. As a sub-set of the core SEL curricula, students will also gain an understanding in building and maintaining respectful relationships, cyber safety, child protection, and mindfulness.
Child Protection
In 2019, St Patrick’s College will continue to deliver the ground-breaking child protection program ‘Keeping Safe’. In the junior school, students will learn about rights and responsibilities in relationships, power in relationships, abuse in electronic media, and bullying as an abuse of power. In the middle school, students will learn about safety and risk-taking, and problem-solving strategies. Finally, students in the senior school will learn about rights and responsibilities in relationships, and protective strategies. Further elements of this program will be implemented over a range of year levels in a range of subject areas in the coming years.
Whole School Pastoral Care Program - Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation is a core element of the broader pastoral care program, allowing students the time and space to focus on improving their wellbeing and happiness, as well as decreasing any stress or anxiety related to school study and daily college life. The Smiling Mind package is specifically designed for school students, where 13,000 education providers use the program in classrooms. The Headspace (UK) program is an award winning mindfulness package.
Link: http://smilingmind.com.au/our-programs/
Link: https://www.headspace.com/
The 2019 pastoral Care program will contain the following:
Year 7 Pastoral Care Program
Term 1: Building Resilience
Building Resilience is a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program that has been developed by the Youth Research Centre at the Graduate School of Education at The University of Melbourne. SEL programs include curricula used to explicitly teach emotional literacy, coping and problem-solving skills. SEL involves the processes through which children and adults develop, extend and enhance the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand, manage and communicate about their own emotions, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, set and work towards positive goals, draw on a repertoire of positive coping strategies, think critically about the influences on their choices, and make responsible decisions. Building Resilience is designed to build students’ resilience through the development of their personal and social capabilities. Resilience is the ability to cope and thrive in the face of negative events, challenges or adversity. Key attributes of resilience at an individual level include social competence; a sense of agency or responsibility; optimism and a sense of purpose or hope for the future; attachment to family, to school and to learning; problem-solving skills; effective coping style; pro-social values; a sense of self-efficacy; and positive self-regard. Year 7 students will specifically focus on developing emotional literacy, personal strengths and positive coping skills.
Link: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/Pages/resilienceframework.aspx
Term 2: Keeping Safe
In the Junior School, students will learn about rights and responsibilities in relationships, power in relationships, abuse in electronic media, and bullying as an abuse of power
Term 3: Let’s Stop Bullying
Let’s Stop Bullying is an educational package that provides junior secondary students with the tools to deal with bullying, or recognise the bully in themselves is the first step in overcoming instances of bullying. Students will learn to recognise the signs of bullying, understand its impacts and learn what they can do about it. The package includes fifteen activity worksheets, covering five capabilities, which align with AusVELS. These include critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability, intercultural understanding, and ethical understanding.
Term 3 & 4: Cybersafety
During the Year 7 Pastoral Care program unit on cyberbullying, students will utilise the Commonsense Media curriculum, which is an educational package that navigates digital concepts such as cyberbullying, privacy, safety, copyright, strategic searching, and other digital dilemmas which enable students to learn positive behaviours surrounding the use of digital devices and digital media. Students will also utilise the Keeping Safe curriculum, where students will learn about electronic media abuse, with regards to both the internet and digital devices.
Link: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/digital-citizenship
Year 8 Pastoral Care Program
Term 1: Building Resilience
Building Resilience is a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program that has been developed by the Youth Research Centre at the Graduate School of Education at The University of Melbourne. SEL programs include curricula used to explicitly teach emotional literacy, coping and problem-solving skills. SEL involves the processes through which children and adults develop, extend and enhance the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand, manage and communicate about their own emotions, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, set and work towards positive goals, draw on a repertoire of positive coping strategies, think critically about the influences on their choices, and make responsible decisions. Building Resilience is designed to build students’ resilience through the development of their personal and social capabilities. Resilience is the ability to cope and thrive in the face of negative events, challenges or adversity. Key attributes of resilience at an individual level include social competence; a sense of agency or responsibility; optimism and a sense of purpose or hope for the future; attachment to family, to school and to learning; problem-solving skills; effective coping style; pro-social values; a sense of self-efficacy; and positive self-regard. Year 8 students will specifically focus on developing skills in problem solving, stress management and help-seeking.
Link: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/Pages/resilienceframework.aspx
Term 2 and 3: Keeping Safe
In the junior school, students will learn about rights and responsibilities in relationships, power in relationships, abuse in electronic media, and bullying as an abuse of power
Term 4: Cybersafety
During the Year 7 Pastoral Care program unit on cyberbullying, students will utilise the Commonsense Media curriculum, which is an educational package that navigates digital concepts such as cyberbullying, cyber-scams and schemes, online personas and digital footprints, which will enable students to learn positive behaviours surrounding the use of digital devices and digital media. Students will also utilise the Keeping Safe curriculum, where students will learn about electronic media abuse, with regards to concepts such as sexting and legal implications.
Link: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/digital-citizenship
Link: https://www.decd.sa.gov.au/teaching/curriculum-and-teaching/keeping-safe-child-protection-curriculum/about-keeping-safe-child
Year 9 Pastoral Care Program
Whole Year: The Rite Journey
The Rite Journey is a unique educational program designed to support the development of self-aware, vital, responsible, respectful, and resilient adults. The program is focused on the important transition from childhood to adulthood, which typically occurs in the middle years of secondary schooling. This year-long program uses a Rite of Passage framework to deepen the students’ experience of this important life transition. Throughout the school year, students engage in this program through six key concepts; consciousness, connection, communication, celebration, and challenge. Each of these concepts are explored within term length topics: Relationship with self, Relationship with others, Relationship with spirit, and Relationship with the world.
Link: http://theritejourney.com
Year 10 Pastoral Care Program
Whole Year: Thriving Mind / Building Resilience
Thriving Mind is an evidence based educational program which the practice of positive psychology. Students will initially attend a whole-day workshop, led by Romi Kaufman, a psychologist, who has word as the senior psychologist and the Head of Wellbeing at The Reach Foundation, as well as writing wellbeing based curriculum for the Black Dog Institute. This workshop, which will focus on mindfulness, gratitude, resilience and character strengths, will be followed by lessons over the course of the academic year with the students’ Pastoral Care Tutor. These lessons will be focused on concepts such as character strengths, empathy, gratitude, mindfulness and emotional literacy, which are explored under personal and social capabilities, such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social management.
Link: http://www.thrivingmind.com.au
Year 11 Pastoral Care Program
Whole Year: Men of Honour
Men of Honour is educational package created by Glen Gerreyn, which focuses on the concept that being born a male doesn’t entitle you to automatically call yourself a man, that being a man is a choice. Being a good man is defined through the choices young men make. This program will commence with an all-day workshop. This workshop will include A Day of Hope, which is based on building a hope-filled future through contextualising the effects of external influences as well as encouraging critically thinking to counteract negativity, which will lead to students making healthy, informed choices. The workshop will also include Men of Honour, which focuses on boys negotiating a very complex landscape of masculinity and determine how to become a good man, with regards to the portrayal of men in the media and the subsequent affects on male identity, as well as discussions surrounding exercise, nutrition, money and sex. This workshop will be followed by lessons with the students’ pastoral care tutor throughout the school year.
Link: http://thehopefullinstitute.com
Year 12 Pastoral Care Program
Building Resilience is a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program that has been developed by the Youth Research Centre at the Graduate School of Education at The University of Melbourne. SEL programs include curricula used to explicitly teach emotional literacy, coping and problem-solving skills. SEL involves the processes through which children and adults develop, extend and enhance the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand, manage and communicate about their own emotions, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, set and work towards positive goals, draw on a repertoire of positive coping strategies, think critically about the influences on their choices, and make responsible decisions.
Building Resilience is designed to build students’ resilience through the development of their personal and social capabilities. Resilience is the ability to cope and thrive in the face of negative events, challenges or adversity. Key attributes of resilience at an individual level include social competence; a sense of agency or responsibility; optimism and a sense of purpose or hope for the future; attachment to family, to school and to learning; problem-solving skills; effective coping style; pro-social values; a sense of self-efficacy; and positive self-regard.
Year 12 students will specifically focus on contextualising the emotional landscape in their final year of schooling, developing study strengths, coping strategies and stress management, and utlising relaxation techniques.
Link: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/Pages/resilienceframework.aspx
Keeping Safe
In the Senior School, students will learn about rights and responsibilities in relationships, abuse of rights in relationships, defining healthy relationships, self-protection and problem-solving strategies.
Key event dates for 2019 wellbeing / pastoral care calendar:
Year 7:
Brainstorm Productions
Student Workshop (During the day) - July 29
Link: http://brainstormproductions.edu.au/
Mother / Son Night
Evening event – registration required – May 21
Link: http://www.time-space.com.au/
Willie Green – Guest Speaker
Student Workshop (During the day) – May 23
Link: http://theyouthalliance.com/speakers/willie-green/
Year 8:
Brainstorm Productions
Student Workshop (During the day) - July 29
Link: http://brainstormproductions.edu.au/
Father / Son Night
Evening event – registration required – March 19
Link: http://www.time-space.com.au/
Willie Green – Guest Speaker
Student Workshop (During the day) – May 23
Link: http://theyouthalliance.com/speakers/willie-green/
Year 9:
Willie Green – Guest Speaker
Student Workshop (During the day) – May 23
Link: http://theyouthalliance.com/speakers/willie-green/
Year 10:
Thriving Mind
Student workshop (during the day) – February 11
Link: http://twww.thrivingmind.com.au
Year 11:
A Day of Hope / Men of Honour
Student workshop (during the day) – February 22
Student workshop (during the day) – March 23
Link: http://thehopefullinstitute.com
Carmen Road Safety
Student workshop (during the day) – August 6
Link: https://motivationalspeakeraus.com.au/carmen
25 Feb
Statement from St Patrick's College
St Patrick's College has today issued the following statement regarding a County Court jury's verdict against Old Collegian Cardinal George Pell: In response to a County Court jury’s verdict finding Cardinal George Pell guilty of sexual offences against young choirboys in Melbourne, St Patrick’s College, Ballarat will today remove his name fro
20 Feb
Wellbeing Report - February 21, 2019
From the Deputy Headmaster – Staff and Student Wellbeing Celebrations and after parties can pose a significant challenge to parents! Pressure to host an after-party, a gathering or a pre-party are the top three events that parents contact the College about. In an effort to pre-empt a number of issues arising from celebrations and after parties, c
20 Feb
Pastoral Care Report - February 22, 2019
2019 Pastoral Care Program: Information for Parents Year 8 Father Son Night – “Stepping Stones” - Tuesday March 19 The inaugural Year 8 Father / Son night will be held on Tuesday March 19, from 6.30pm in the Gymnasium, with break out discussions to occur in the Junior and Middle School classrooms. I would please encourage all Year 8 students to t
14 Feb
Students attend NYSF
Over the summer holidays two students, College Captain Aidan Hanrahan and College Vice Captain Matthew Duffy, were selected to attend the National Youth Science Forum in Canberra. The boys have now written the following reports on their experience: Aidan Hanrahan "The National Youth Science Forum was an incredible experience, entirely different
11 Feb
Headmaster's Address to 2019 Academic Assembly
Headmaster John Crowley delivered the following address to the 2019 Academic Assembly: Good morning to everyone here this morning in the Br W.T. O’Malley Sports Centre. In offering a very warm welcome to all of our invited guests, parents, carers, Old Collegians and, most importantly, our students we acknowledge the traditional custodians of th
10 Feb
Students' report on Japanese exchange
Each year St Patrick's College provides the opportunity for Year 10 students to spend term 4 on exchange in Japan. Those fortunate enough to be chosen to attend spend the term studying at Linden Hall College in Fukuoka, constantly improving their Japanese skills and learning a new culture and way of life. In 2018, two SPC students, Nigel Koot and
7 Feb
Pastoral Care Report - February 7, 2019
2019 Pastoral Care Program: Information for Parents Positive Psychology – “Thriving Mind" – Year 10 Students At St Patrick’s College, the concept of ‘positive psychology’ is incorporated in to our Year 10 Pastoral Care Program. This coming Monday, 11 February will see all Year 10 students attend a seminar called “Thriving Mind”. Thriving Mind is
7 Feb
Wellbeing Report - February 7, 2019
A very warm welcome back to all students and families (in more than one sense!). We particularly welcome those who are joining the College community for the first time In particular, we welcome all our 232 new students in Year 7 as well as the 40 new students at other year levels. 2019 promises to be a year full of wonderful opportunities for the b
13 Dec
Outstanding academic results from Class of 2018
St Patrick’s College is excited to announce that 2018 College Captain has achieved a rare double honour in being named College Dux for 2018. With an ATAR score of 99.05 Sam became the first College Captain to also been crowned Dux since David Range in 2007. Sam’s amazing effort capped off a fantastic performance by our Class of 2018 with 14 stude
26 Nov
2018 Valedictory Dinner - OCA speech
One of the major highlights of the 2018 Valedictory Dinner was the stirring speech delivered by current teacher and Old Collegian Shane Murphy (SPC 1993-98) who welcomed our graduates into the ranks of Old Collegians. A transcript of that speech follows: “It is my honour to formally welcome to you to the ranks of the St Patrick’s College Old Coll
19 Sep
2018-19 Bushfire Preparedness Notice
Important announcement in preparation for our upcoming bushfire season Dear Parents and Carers, As we enter the bushfire season for another year it is important that the guidelines regarding school arrangements for CODE RED days, Total Fire Ban days and bushfire alert days are clearly articulated to all parents. Any school listed on the DEECD
19 Sep
Headmaster's Message - September 21, 2018
Dear Parents, Carers, Friends, Staff and Students of St Patrick’s College, I write this editorial just after our final, and very moving, assembly for our Year 12 class of 2018. At this assembly, the student leadership baton was formally handed over to our 2019 Student Council. It is with great please that I formally present to our community our 20
19 Sep
Mission Report - September 21, 2018
O my God, Give me your grace to live in your love always. Keep my eyes, my ears, my heart from clinging to the things that stop me loving. Raise my heart in joyful praise for your gifts and let my love of you grow more and more every day. Amen. We offer this prayer at every assembly of the whole College. We prayed these words again at ou
9 Sep
2019 Student Leaders announced
Dear members of the wonderful St Patrick’s College community, Today it is a great honour to be able to announce the student leadership team for St Patrick’s College in 2019. The selection process over the past few weeks involved a detailed online vote involving students and staff, followed by a rigorous interview process whereby the candidates me
31 Jan
Launch of our Great Man video
As St Patrick’s College celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2018, we felt it was a crucial time to revisit and redefine our mission to “raise fine boys to the status of great men”. We asked ourselves, what is a great man? How do we define greatness? To answer these challenging questions the College embarked upon a deep, 12-month community consult
27 Jun
Phil Nagle speech at College apology
The following is a full transcript of the speech delivered by Old Collegian Phil Nagle on June 27, 2017 which formed part of the ceremony around the College's apology to those affected by child sexual abuse and to mark the opening of the reflective garden and monument. A full video of the ceremony can be seen at this link Today is another impor
31 May
Headmaster's reflection at EREA apology
Headmaster John Crowley delivered the following speech in Canberra on Thursday, June 1, 2017 as the College's governing body, Edmund Rice Education Australia, delivered a formal apology to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. This reflection represents another significant step in the College's journey towards reconciliation with victims and
15 Sep
MENtal Brekky a huge success
The College was delighted to host more than 220 guests for the inaugural MENtal Brekky on August 12, aiming to raise funds to support current students from families where someone is suffering mental health issues. The attendees were especially privileged to hear from guest speaker and 2010 Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry who spok
Above: An interactive 360 degree view of the Devine Wing - the home of the Middle School.
