Leaders of Student Wellbeing
Year 7
Dear Parents and Carers
I draw your attention to two of the themes that have been focussed on across the Year 7 cohort over the past two weeks and I encourage you to speak with your child about these topics.
One of Mother Teresa’s beautiful quotes that resonates with me is when she said “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier”. This has been a central message Year 7 have been hearing over the past few weeks.
As parents, you have such an instrumental impact on your child and the way that they behave. Below are a few tips you could use as discussion points with your child over the next few weeks.
- Help them understand what kindness means
Whilst we encourage children to treat other people the way we would hope to be treated ourselves, the discussion can begin to shift towards explaining that we treat people the way that’s best for them, even if that’s different from what’s best for us.
- Inspire their imagination
Asking the question “What would that feel like?” can be one of the most powerful habits we can instil in our children. You can’t be a compassionate person unless you have an active imagination - you have to be able to step into someone else’s shoes.
- Model kindness everywhere you go
Whilst we can’t control our children’s behaviour, we can always look for ways to demonstrate kind behaviour in the way we act and the things we do. We’ve been encouraging students to invite people into their friendship groups, say hello to all they come into contact with and to say thank you to people who have helped them or made an impact in their day.
- Encourage kind habits
Ways to encourage kind habits could be through sharing, volunteering, giving, including, comforting, supporting, compromising, listening and noticing when someone could use some help. This could be a peer with a classroom question, a family member with a chore, an older person who may need a seat on the bus.
- Understand that kindness is not always easy
We may need constant reminders that kindness is hard sometimes and it doesn’t always naturally flow out; however, this doesn’t mean that you are not a kind person. It can sometimes be challenging to be nice to a sibling who is annoying you, scary to stick up for a friend or a classmate who isn’t being treated right. What we can do is gently coach our kids to remember how other people might be feeling and to apologise if we make a mistake - this too is a form of kindness.
In addition to the theme of kindness, I have introduced the Level System to Year 7 students this week. I draw your attention to page 7 of the College Diary and have inserted the information below from this page.
The SJPC Level System aim is to recognise the efforts of students that support the school, its beliefs and engage in the opportunities and follow the Code of Conduct.
While all students begin their time at SJPC on Level 5, their aim is to move from level 5 through to level 8 by adhering to the College Code of Conduct. This is reflected in gaining positive Compass entries, wearing the College uniform appropriately and attending all College events. Students who reach the higher levels stay at these levels while they continue to satisfy the College Code of Conduct.
Students who fail to adhere to the College Code of Conduct will be moved from Level 5 to the lower levels. This can occur due to a major incident or a series of smaller incidents. Students who are placed on level 3 face certain restrictions e.g. behavioural monitor booklet, removal from the yard at recess and lunch, not representing the school in sport or other cultural activities etc.
This is a snapshot of the SJPC Levels System. For further information, students and parents are urged to contact the relevant Leader of Student Wellbeing or Leader of School Engagement.
We encourage all students to continue to thrive and aim to be the best version of themselves. Year 7 are navigating their way through high school really well and I am very proud of the active, engaging and positive approach they’ve taken to St John Paul College.
Until next time,
Year 8
It was another great two weeks for Year 8 last week with the first Social for the year and other events. It was great to see so many students trialling for different representative sports including Tennis, Rugby Union and Football (Soccer). You may not make the team however, your commitment to trialling at 7.30am does not go unnoticed.
Our “Best All Rounders” for the last two weeks were Rhyse Ward and Max McKeon for demonstrating enthusiasm in Japanese. Both boys were rewarded with canteen vouchers. Congratulations!
Finally, the first Year 8 student to email me 3 things to remember from the “Living the Faith” document in this newsletter will receive a canteen voucher!!
Year 9
‘Being stewards of our world’ - ‘Clean Up Australia’ with Year 9!
Last Wednesday, our Year 9 students took a proactive step towards environmental stewardship by participating in Clean Up Australia Day. Armed with gloves, bags, and an enthusiastic spirit, they ventured out to make a tangible difference in our local school community.
The event was not just about picking up litter; it was a lesson in responsibility, teamwork, and the impact of individual actions on the environment. As they combed through our beautiful fields and oval students gained a firsthand understanding of the importance of keeping our surroundings clean and the consequences of neglecting our natural spaces.
Their efforts were commendable, with bags brimming with rubbish collected by the end of the day. But more than just the physical cleanup, the experience fostered a sense of pride and stewardship among the students for their community.
The Clean Up Australia Day activity provided an opportunity for Year 9 students to connect with nature, engage in meaningful service, and reflect on their role in preserving the environment for future generations. It was a morning filled with purpose and impact, reminding us all of the power we hold to effect positive change in our world.
