Welcome to Term 4

At the end of last term, an audit was completed to identify the main reasons students were receiving MIBs. With the start of the new term, it is an opportune time to address these issues. The main areas of concern are:

• Students wearing their sports hats with their formal uniform. It is expected that students wear their formal hats to and from school. Formal hats should also be worn to class with the formal uniform.
• Shirts should be tucked in.
• Girls should only wear one set of earrings.
• Girls with long hair must have it tied back before arriving at school, in such a manner that the formal hat can be worn.
• Boys hair must not be longer than collar length or be below the earlobe. It should not hinder their vision.

If, as a parent, you are unsure of the College’s uniform expectations for your child, please refer to pages 8-9 of the Parent Information Handbook.

Throughout the year in Personal Development lessons, students across Year 6-12 have been completing three sessions of the Mindstar program. Mindstar is a student wellbeing program that aims to teach simple strategies that will improve student wellbeing and resilience.

• Session one: focuses on how the brain works, why it challenges our thinking and provides simple relaxation strategies that can be used in everyday life.
• Session two: focuses on difficult thoughts and emotions and provides strategies to deal with them effectively.
• Session three: focuses on values, what really matters to each individual and then incorporates those values to create a personal wellbeing plan.

The Mindstar program shares overlapping themes and applications with PERMA and positive psychology including helping individuals to set positive goals, building on positive strengths and introducing mindfulness practices. If parents would like to learn more about Mindstar, please visit: www.mindstar.com.au.

Next week our Year 6 students will visit Canberra for a very exciting week of educational activities. We wish the students and the Year 6 staff of Ms Leisa Ilott, Mr Stuart Pohlner, Mrs Amanda Empson and Mrs Fiona Schefe an enjoyable and educational trip. We also thank Dr Peter McMahon for his planning and organisation of this learning opportunity.

Mr Brendan Delaney, Director of Students