Hit the Ground Running
I hope all the members of our Padua College community have had a well-rested break and are ready to engage in a year full of challenging educational experiences.
Earlier this month I was fortunate enough to address the cohort of new Year 7 students and below I have added my address. While specifically directed at Year 7s, the central message permeates throughout all year levels of students.
“Greetings and welcome, my name is Mr Wright and my responsibility as Vice Principal of Students is to work with a very dynamic team of leaders to oversee and support the Wellbeing, Pastoral Care, Behaviour Management and Safety of our student population of 2567 students across our 4 campuses.
I particularly send a warm welcome to our new Year 7 students here today for their second day at Padua College. On average students spend 200 days at school each year so you have already completed 1% of this by being here today.
No doubt you would have already had many new rewarding experiences both in and out of the classroom. Opportunities to learn something new, meet and connect with someone new and even overcome some challenges by being here this afternoon.
This of course also occurs for the students in Years 8 & 9 as well, however you are only at half a percent of your schooling so far this year.
Over your time at Padua College you will attend over 1,200 days so if this is what you have already achieved this week think of the potential and therefore your potential.
This is absolutely mind boggling. You are faced with a smorgasbord of opportunity to learn, develop and grow.
Our role is to support you in this journey and, like any great journey, navigation plays a huge part in helping us reach where we need to get to. Be it Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee in their trek to Mordor in Lord of the Rings or Joel and Ellie in ‘The Last of Us’ having a guide is vital.
At Padua College our North Star guides us and our students to utilise their God given talents, to strive to be the best they can be so to make a positive impact on the world.
As leader of Wellbeing & Pastoral Care I help students feel supported, connected and engaged in the College community. All the evidence suggests that students who are connected with their school community, have positive relationships with their peers and their teachers and are engaged in the school community, have better outcomes when they leave to enter the wide world, be that in the workforce, training or further study.
Being involved in the school has so many benefits and helps this sense of connection. The staff at Padua College have nailed this so well with the vast range of experiences they provide the students in and outside of the classroom.
My other responsibility is Behaviour Management & Child Safety, and this enables me to support each and every classroom teacher, homeroom teacher and House Co-ordinator in creating a structured and predictable learning environment with clear routines, values, norms, and expectations of behaviours.
Part of our success (our coping strategies and resilience building) during the challenging times of COVID was the focus on providing a structured and predictable environment with clear routines, values, norms, and expectations of behaviours.
The College uniform is a vehicle in which students can express pride in our Padua community. The school uniform identifies members of Padua College. It assists in creating an atmosphere of uniformity, pride, loyalty and equity. All students enter class as equals as far as image and dress are concerned; their individuality comes from their attitude, character, spirit and involvement. Students should wear it proudly and well, always realising that they are ambassadors for our College.
Summing up, it is a great privilege to work at Padua in this capacity and one of the most rewarding parts of my role is to work with such wonderful professionals as the leaders of this school.”
Starting Strong
A sense of Community Pride in our 125 Years
Part of our success (our coping strategies and resilience building) during the tumultuous 2022 was the focus on providing a structured and predictable environment with clear routines, values, norms, and expectations of behaviours.
One way in which we encourage our high expectations at Padua College is in the way we present ourselves to the community through our uniform. Now more than ever the College uniform is a vehicle in which we can express pride in our community.
The school uniform identifies members of Padua College. It assists in creating an atmosphere of uniformity, pride, loyalty and equity. All students enter class as equals as far as image and dress are concerned; their individuality comes from their attitude, character, spirit, and involvement.
Students should wear it proudly and well, realising that at all times they are ambassadors for our College.
I wish to draw your attention to a few areas of particular concern and the information from our uniform policy.
Active wear: The College has a sports uniform that includes navy shorts. Students should not be wearing black lycra style active wear for sport or with other items of the sport uniform.
Blazer: Must be worn to and from school through the year – (If cold/wet the Padua softshell waterproof jacket is permitted to be worn over the blazer)
Hair: Hair is to be clean and tidy; tied back off the collar. Hair ribbons must be in Padua College or House colours. Extremes in hair cuts or styles are not permitted. Number 2 haircut is the minimum. Hair may be dyed in one natural hair shade. Hair is to be clean and tidy; tied back off the collar and all students must be clean-shaven.
School shoes: Black leather lace-up or T-bar school shoes. No soft, suede or boots. Skate shoes are not permitted.
Summer dress: Length of the summer dress is to the knees.
Jewellery & Make-Up: One earring per ear in the ear lobe (small stud or sleeper). No other jewellery is permitted and clear plastic studs and band-aids to cover piercings are not permitted. Excess jewellery will be confiscated. Make-up is to be kept to a minimum and must be natural looking. Clear nail polish is permitted.
White Sports Polo: These items are no longer part of the College uniform and have been phased out. I discourage parents from purchasing these second-hand as they are no longer part of the school uniform.
Polar Fleece: This item has also been phased out with the Yr 12s in their final year allowed to wear this as part of the uniform.
To embrace a Whole School Approach, we need to ensure uniformity (pardon the pun!) in our expectations, each campus will simultaneously recognise and reward those students doing the right thing while reverting measures to maintain our standard with consequences for those students blatantly disregarding our rules and expectations.
School TV
Today parents face a multitude of modern-day challenges in raising happy, well and resilient young people. Whilst there is a great deal of information available, this can often be confusing and overwhelming for parents looking for guidance.
At Padua College we have subscribed to SchoolTV an online resource designed to empower you as parents with credible and sound information with realistic, practical ongoing support strategies. Here, you'll find a range of topics each published monthly with comprehensive videos from leading specialists and organisations.
This is one of the many links provided on the Wellbeing Resources Website
The information can be accessed by visiting the College website:
PADUA COMMUNITY > Padua Parents > SchoolTV or follow the below link
Link - School TV https://padua.catholic.schooltv.me/launch
Special Report
Because parenting doesn’t come with instructions, SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource implemented at our school to help support you in the challenges of modern-day parenting. Parenting is a learning journey and it’s easy to feel stressed and overwhelmed when faced with raising happy, well and resilient young people today.
Every family has experienced some sort of difficulty or adversity in recent times, some more than others. As mental health concerns continue to rise, there have been some alarming statistics reported in relation to the mental health and wellbeing of young people. Unfortunately, the blueprint for parenting is often based on our own experiences, but this is no longer fit for purpose in raising children as citizens of tomorrow. Parents and caregivers play a vital role in providing the guidance needed to support children and adolescents as they reframe their worries and focus more on the things they can control in their life.
In this Special Report, we are seeking parent participation through a short survey. The survey is designed to provide a barometer to help gauge the state of student wellbeing within our community. We encourage you to take a few moments to complete the survey as this will help our school know the nature and extent of your concerns and determine how best we can support families in the months ahead. Responses remain anonymous and will only be reported on an aggregated basis. You are asked to base your responses on observations made in the last 12 months.
By working together we can continue to build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers as we navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for all students. Please reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you or your child, please reach out to the school or seek professional medical advice.
