From the Assistant Head of Senior School – Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

The Strength of a team

How are Pastoral Care and Wellbeing similar to that of a highly successful athlete?

The secret to highly successful athletes, whether they are Tennis players, Swimmers, Soccer stars or Formula One drivers, is that all of them have a team around them. They have a coach, a manager, a trainer, a nutritionist, a psychologist, their families, and their team. The reason I share this analogy with you this week is that after another wonderful week of working with many families across various year groups regarding various concerns or experiences, relating to their daughter, it is clear to me that Pastoral Care and Wellbeing works best when we work together, family, daughter and School.

In my article in Week 1, I shared that ‘at MLC School, we believe that your daughter is at the heart of all that we do. We aspire to build positive relationships with the girls and their families and believe the care of your daughter is best achieved when we work together’. So, how does this team work together to provide support for your daughter?

The Pastoral Care Team design proactive, educational programs to develop the social and emotional learning skills of your daughter. This year, we are working on the Pastoral Care Pillar of the School’s Strategic Plan by reviewing and developing an updated Pastoral Care Framework. We work closely with the counsellors and the learning enhancement team to ensure that your daughters are supported in a short term and/or on an ongoing basis.

Our counsellors, Susan Rountree, Cara Milwidsky, Marion Delprado and Jemima Shafei-Ongu bring a wealth of experience, kindness, care and compassion to our team and our students. They work directly with your daughters when they are in need, be it mental health, grief, friendship struggles, academic worries or just about any other issue you can think of. They have experience in using data such as Allwell and Naplan to help build a detailed picture of your daughter as a learner. Not only do they help out when in need, they present to various Year groups about topics that they are passionate about, for example, sleep, mindfulness and meditation, and self care. They are proactive as well as reactive and are there every step of the way for students, parents and the Pastoral Care Team. Our counsellors are a collaborative group, not only do they work together to ensure that our girls have the care they need, but they work to develop the skills of the Heads of Year and work closely with the Academic Team led by Chris Barnes and the Learning Enhancement team led by Lynne Slarke, as we know that, wellbeing and academics are not separate, they are intertwined entities that often require support in both areas.

Working together as a team, and working collaboratively with you, we aim to bring a broad range of skills and support that aims to grow and develop successful, resilient, young people who are achieving their personal best in every aspect of their school life. That, is the power of a team.

– Sarah Tynan
Assistant Head of Senior School – Pastoral Care and Wellbeing