3 minute read
Year 7 Pastoral Care leader (Acting
FROM THE ACTING PASTORAL
CARE LEADER - YEAR 7
AND NOW HERE IS MY SECRET, A VERY SIMPLE SECRET: IT IS ONLY WITH THE HEART THAT ONE CAN SEE RIGHTLY; WHAT IS ESSENTIAL IS INVISIBLE TO THE EYE.
ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY
STARTING SENIOR SCHOOL IS A BIG STEP IN THE JOURNEY FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD. YOUNG PEOPLE BEGIN LOOKING AT THE WORLD WITH FRESH EYES AND SEEKING THEIR PLACE WITHIN IT. ON SAYING GOODBYE TO THE PRIMARY YEARS, THEY STEP INTO AN UNKNOWN WORLD AND EXPLORE NEW THINGS, DISCOVER NEW FRIENDSHIPS, AND BEGIN TO REDEFINE THEIR IDENTITY – THE ESSENCE OF WHO THEY WANT TO BE.
This year started differently than planned. The three-day transitions program was replaced by online learning, the getting-to-know you phase for each core group took place in a virtual environment, and students found themselves navigating an electronic Senior School campus. Despite this unusual and challenging start, the Year 7s stepped up and took it in their stride. When we were finally on campus together, they were a connected and excited group of students. The independence they began developing in these early weeks has continued through the Learning Mentor Program as students have worked on improving their study skills, goal setting, emotional intelligence, and resilience. These essentials will continue to develop over their time at Redeemer and will support them in learning both in and outside of school.
Year 7 Camp was a highlight for students and teachers alike. There were many activities that saw students pushing their limits. The supportive cheering when students (and some teachers) confronted their fear of heights at the top of the flying fox was heart-warming, and the encouragement from each other when engaging with team activities like the crate climb and Lego challenge inspired students to dig deeper. They brought this community heart to many House events throughout the year, showing just how comfortable they feel in the Senior School. The Year 7s embraced House Spirit by dressing up and cheering loudly at the Cross Country Carnival – this spirit carried through to other Senior School events such as the Athletics Carnivals, Swimming Carnival, RecyKle, Pavement Art and Day on the Green. ‘Firsts’ have been an ongoing theme this year, with students exploring new experiences through elective subjects, co-curricular, and break time activities. From the school kitchens to the construction rooms, the rehearsal studios to the sporting fields, the Year 7s have embraced Senior School life and all it has to offer. In discovering new passions and interests, they have been developing their sense of self and opening their eyes to all the possible future paths on offer to them.
Fostering faith has been instrumental in developing young people who see with their hearts. Through Christian Studies classes, weekly devotions, and reflections on relationships and who we are and want to be, the Year 7s have grown in their understanding and appreciation of others and the world around them. Using Christ as our guide, we have worked on looking with our hearts at situations, people and problems to find ways to serve others and the community. Students demonstrated this in a range of ways, including supporting Helping Hands by contributing to the pantry stock, acting as guides for families touring the College, supporting refugee children through the Brisbane Care Project, and working quietly in the background, supporting their peers, identifying the needs of others, and demonstrating the Christ heart which knits our community together.
There have been visible changes over the course of the year - height, voices, knowledge - but the growth in what is essential is what I am proud of: newfound confidence, joy in learning, care for others, and a servant heart. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said “what is essential is invisible”, but I see it daily at Redeemer: a young man carrying books for a classmate with an arm in a cast, a young woman inviting a lost-looking classmate to join her for lunch, a group of students shepherding a lost baby bird from danger’s way, and when I’m greeted with smiles every day. This is a community with heart. They have the essentials right, and as they grow through their time at Redeemer, this love and care will continue to strengthen them as individuals, and us as a community.
