Hit the Ground Running
Welcome to the start of 2024 and to the new school year. 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.
At the start of the term, I was fortunate enough to visit each of the Year 7 cohort with Ms Suzi Hyland (Director of Wellbeing Programs), Yasmine McCoy (College Captain) and Fyonn Munro (Respectful Relationships Leader). Our student leaders designed and facilitated some activities for the new students to help engage and connect while building community and alleviating those transition worries.
Our student leaders thought it important to ensure the new students felt supported, connected and engaged in the College community. All evidence points to those students who are connected with their school community, have positive relationships with their peers and teachers, and are engaged in the school community, have better outcomes when they leave to enter the wide world – be that into the workforce, training, or further study.
We were very grateful for Yasmine and Fyonn to give up their last day of summer break to travel across the campuses for this important work.
PAM Student Digest
Building Connection between School & Home
Padua College is introducing a new initiative called ‘Student Digest’ whereby a fortnightly email will be automatically generated and sent to PAM account holders. This will be a snapshot outlining your child's attendance, learning areas, and commendations over the two weeks.
The digest will have three categories.
- Student Attendance
- Learning Areas
- Commendations
The information contained in this Digest is listed below.
This is a brief snapshot of what is currently available on the Parent Access Module (PAM).
It is envisaged this initiative will build greater, more regular communication between school and home; encourage greater accountability for attendance and learning areas and task dates and finally further enhance positive learning behaviours and relationships between students/staff and families. PAM – Student Digest is a snapshot of current student information which is emailed to parents on the regular basis.
We will be sending this out to parents each Day 10.
Focus on Wellbeing
Our Pastoral Executive has once again worked hard to plan out a variety of opportunities to support students as they navigate the challenges of adolescence and schooling. Some of these are within the classroom while others call on the utilisation of other skills to build resilience and foster positive experiences.
Some of the Term One Programs already delivered to support this area have been:
• Fortnightly eXcel lessons
• Yr 7 & 8 Social Emotional Literacy
• Respectful Relationship Student Leadership Meetings
• International Women’s Day live student panel
• Yr 12 (and Parents) anxiety Presentation from Dr Jodi Richardson
• Yr 8 eXcel/wellbeing Day (details below)
In Term Two we will be focussing on:
• Fortnightly eXcel lessons
• Reconciliation week lesson
• Respectful Relations lessons in Yr 7&8 Social Emotional Literacy
• Yr 10 Party Safe/Vaping seminar from “A Brave New World’
• Yr 11 Fit to Drive Program
• Yr 12 Teenagers Road Accident Group (TRAG)
• Yr 7 eXcel/wellbeing Day
Padua College is also investigating significantly in building the capacity of our staff through the introduction of the Youth Mental Health First Aide certificate. Mental Health First Aid is the initial help offered to someone who is experiencing a mental health problem or a mental health crisis until appropriate professional help is received, or the crisis resolves.
Below is the Padua College strategy for the implementation of this program across the College community.
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 in the Wellbeing Resources Website
The information can be accessed by visiting the College website:
PADUA COMMUNITY > Padua Parents > SchoolTV or following the below link
Link - School TV https://padua.catholic.schooltv.me/launch
SPECIAL REPORT: The Wellbeing Barometer 2024
The Wellbeing Barometer survey has proven to be an invaluable tool for schools, providing insights into the state of youth mental health and wellbeing. Whilst last year’s results-focussed the spotlight on areas of concern, there were also many highlights that demonstrated the resilience and adaptability of students and emphasised the necessity of prevention strategies.
Participating in this year's survey will assist in identifying areas of strength and concern, as well as pinpointing opportunities for early intervention. Previously gathered information has helped support families as they navigate difficult conversations that enable understanding and foster connections to build relationships.
This survey is part of an ongoing, longitudinal study, with the results being instrumental in tailoring support for students and their families. Participation is strongly encouraged, as it provides a comprehensive view of students' experiences, challenges, and achievements over the past year. Its aim is to capture a comprehensive picture of young people's lives, allowing for a tailored approach to enhance mental and emotional wellbeing.
We encourage you to take a few moments to complete a survey for each of your children. This will help us determine the nature and extent of your concerns and how best to 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.
Acquiring the skills for future independence, taking healthy risks, and giving young people the opportunity to emancipate from their parents, are key developmental tasks that are essential if we are to stave off the impact of mental illness in the future. 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.
Here is the link to your special report https://padua.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-wellbeing-barometer-2024-a
A Warm Welcome for our Year 7 Students
We are so proud of our Respectful Relationship Student Leaders Fyonn Munro and Yasmine McCoy, Year 12, who hosted a warm and engaging welcome session for our new Year 7 students at Padua College. They introduced them to our student-led program that fosters a culture of respect and inclusion in our school community.
Year 7s were invited to share their thoughts and feelings on some important questions, such as:
- How do you want to feel at school?
- What does your best self look like?
- What are some of your core values?
- When do you feel valued and respected?
The responses were amazing and inspiring. Some of the words that came up were: happy, safe, respected, inspired, confident, healthy, kindness, resilience, honesty, listened to, and included.
These are the qualities that we want to nurture and celebrate in our students. We are so excited to have these wonderful young people join our Padua family and we look forward to supporting them in their learning journey.
