From the desk of the AP

From the desk of theAP Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

The College community has positively re-engaged with remote learning this week, demonstrating the ability to adapt and respond with maturity and spirit. The students have been well prepared for this experience and this was shown throughout the week with how quickly they have adapted to the change in routine and expectations. With a focus on ways to maintain connectedness and engagement, the College will continue to guide our girls throughout this time in support of their academic and wellbeing needs.

Entering the second phase of remote learning provides us with the luxury of hindsight, both as a learner and as a teacher. Key takeaways from the previous experience include: • recognising the importance of a clear routine with designated work and leisure time. • building confidence in

accessing and engaging with the College learning platforms

SEQTA, Microsoft Teams,

Groupwise email and Filr. These tools are essential in meeting academic requirements and students should schedule regular contact with their

Pastoral Care teacher if they are struggling with any of these tools. • reating opportunities to maintain connectedness with peers, teachers and family and in particular forging connections with relationships that recognise the challenges of the time but focus on the positive and manage their interactions through this lense. The College is alert to the impact the change in learning may have on our students and families for a number of reasons and our staff are mindful of this. It is important when working remotely that as well as academic engagement the girls are able to take time away from their studies, engage in hobbies and activities to keep them active, social and connected and engaged in family life.

As many students have ceased after school and weekend activities this outlet will need to be replaced by other wellbeing activities. Finding the balance within these key areas will aid in the success of the girls’ remote learning experience.

Pastoral Care

In support of the girl’s positive engagement in remote learning, and highlighting the key role of the Pastoral Care teacher in supporting students through this time, the College has moved Pastoral Care to the start of the day. This provides an opportunity for the girls to check in with their PC teacher, discuss their progress and provide an opportunity for connection and possible troubleshooting before the girls dive into their learning for the day.

If a student is absent from the video conference an SMS will be sent to parents from Student Administration. Parents will be required to respond to Student Administration in the normal way, email attendance@stcc.act.edu. au or reply to the SMS to verify the absence as sick or on leave.

Each year level Pastoral Coordinator will continue their weekly correspondence with their cohort, outlining the key focus areas for the week and advice and support to guide the girls. If you have any concerns regarding your daughter’s academic progress and/or wellbeing please contact your daughter’s PC teacher or Pastoral Coordinator.

Fortnightly Pastoral Program lessons will continue during remote learning and PC teachers will inform their class of the expectations. The focus of these lessons will be directed to the student’s needs and in particular, engagement with the College community.

Wellbeing Check in Tool- Pulse

As a way of monitoring student wellbeing, the College continues to support the wellbeing checkin tool “Pulse”. Pulse is a tool for measuring the week-to-week wellbeing and engagement of students. It tracks the wellbeing of individual students so that the school can respond to those who express a need. It also tracks anonymised student sentiment about their engagement with the school so the school can make changes based on student voice.

Once a week, students will be prompted by email to complete a ‘Check-In’. The link is also available through the College portal. Each student is assigned staff who are available to assist them should they need help; these staff include their Pastoral Care teacher, their Pastoral Coordinator, the Assistant Principal Pastoral Care and the Principal. We encourage all students to check in with Pulse on a weekly basis.

College counselling will continue for students who currently use this service and for new clients. Our College counsellors will be accessible by phone or video conference via Zoom.

Deborah Nelson deborah.nelson@stcc.act.edu.au

Amy Kennedy amy.kennedy@stcc.act.edu.au

If students feel they need to access this service, they can seek an appointment directly by emailing the counsellors or email their Pastoral Coordinator who can make a referral on their behalf. Existing clients of the counsellors will receive emailed details of upcoming appointments.

Prior to the counselling appointment students should ensure they have a private place for their session; where others cannot hear their conversation or see their screen. This is the responsibility of students and the counsellor should be advised if this is not possible.

Monica Bailey

Assistant Principal Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

Healthy Remote Learning

Engaged Connected

Check in with class teachers Connect with peers/PC class

Set a work routine Stay safe online

Plan your days work

Balance sleep/eating

Include daily wellbeing activities

Seek help when necessary

Spend time with your family

Parents

Parenting Ideas Raising Children ACT Government COVID-19 eSafety

College

PC Teacher Class Teachers Leaders of Learning Year Coordinator AP Curriculum and Assessment AP Pastoral Care IT Support

From the desk of the AP

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