Sense of Purpose

Growing Year 9 and Year 12 House Captains’ Roles and Responsibilities to include supporting the Pastoral Care of their peers.

A priority focus this year has been on growing the role of Year 12 and Year 9 House Captains, with responsibilities stemming further than just growing culture and spirit to developing pastoral care, worship and peer mentoring across each House group.  Heads of House have worked with a strategic vision of enhancing the College’s 6-12 Pastoral Care Program, with an emphasis on growing student agency to lead, collaborate and support other students within their PCG. The strategic intents of ‘enhancing co-agency of students and staff within pastoral care to support students to develop self-awareness, efficacy, purpose, belonging and meaning’, as well as ‘enhancing opportunities for student leadership, where they are able to grow their leadership across all dimensions of College life’ have driven this focus across the four Houses, with resounding success.

This Wednesday, the Year 12 and Year 9 House Captains across each of the four Houses of Bula, Buran, Mumba and Wira capably led a chapel service on the theme having a ‘Sense of Purpose’ and linked to the bible reading from 1 Timothy 4:6-13  Youth can do it (ESV)

Two important questions raised within the chapel services that sparked collaborative discussion and opportunities for individual reflection included:

1.   What things matter to you? How can you develop your talents, pursue your dreams?

2.   What gives life meaning?

Through continuing the theme from Wednesday’s Chapel Services, during PCG time, students had opportunity to create a list of 5 things that they were passionate about and then shared this with their peers. Students were given further opportunity to extend on their thinking about how young people can take up opportunities to explore and develop their talents and interests with the purpose of growing their sense of purpose and belonging.

House Chapels and PCG devotions, led by Year 9 and Year 12 House Captains have been received very well from students across Years 6-12, as they can see the relevance of the Chapel’s theme and bible reading to apply to their own lives.

Year 9 and Year 12 House Captains have had a busy week of leadership, encouraging participation, spirit and enthusiasm at the Year 7-12 Athletics Carnival on Thursday 23rd May, held at the University of the Sunshine Coast.  Although these carnivals have a strong focus on individual effort and achievement, the House Captains play an integral role in bringing together students with a common sense of purpose and sense of belonging.  From deafening war cries, individual encouragement and support offered, the House Captains did an amazing job of solidifying culture and community.  It would be remiss not to acknowledge the ongoing behind the scenes coaching, mentorship, support and encouragement of the House Captains provided by the four Heads of House, Ms Bancks, Mrs Croke, Mr Cummins and Mr Danzey.  A great achievement and fun day was had by all.

Ms Leigh Finter, Director of Students