Pastoral Care Update
Last week at Shore, we began the week hosting Roseville and Queenwood Year 11 girls for our Building Connections event. This day is an ongoing collaboration between the three schools to provide an opportunity to learn together from experts about being mentally healthy and the topic of respectful relationships. With guidance from the teaching staff, Year 11 students engaged in meaningful conversations about these topics, reflecting on key themes and listening to each other’s perspectives. It was a terrific experience for the boys, with some travelling to Roseville or Queenwood for the event. At Shore, the students started the day with some physical activities to help the students get to know each other and participate in some fun games. We aim to continue strengthening our partnerships and find more ways to work together to build connections to learn and grow from these experiences. The boys were encouraged to prepare a summary and reflection for their House or Tutor Groups. Please ask your son about the day and talk with them about what they have learned or might be interested in discussing further.
Below are some student reflections on the day:
- On Monday, Shore Year 11 students participated in a Building Connections Day, joined by Roseville and Queenwood students. The first session at Roseville saw David Kobler talk about the various choices teenagers face in sex, dating, body image and relationships. Combining powerful personal stories and enlightening scientific research, David’s talk inspired students to the need for open and honest conversations about healthy relationships and the necessity of consistency, vulnerability and love to sustain them – Michael Kwak.
- The impactful messages and personal anecdotes of each speaker were truly enlightening and catalysed our thinking as a community towards the many mental issues concerning the youth of today. I’m sure all Shore boys can agree that the Building Connections Day was both entertaining and challenging, definitely a valuable experience. – Jack Ingham.
We also celebrated Harmony Week, and our school community enjoyed a variety of cultural activities and events, including musical performances in Chapel and Assembly, food trucks at lunchtime, and tutorial discussions led by House captains and student leaders to share and celebrate the different cultural backgrounds at Shore. The highlight of the week was a school visit from Holroyd High School in Greystanes and the student address in our assembly from Mohammad and Abdullah, two student leaders from the school. Both boys told us their stories of their family’s refugee experience coming to Australia from Afghanistan and fleeing a warzone. It was a very interesting and inspiring talk from both students. They were also very positively received by the boys and were given a warm welcome and thunderous applause following their speeches. Thank you to all the staff for bringing this event to life across our school.
Please read the excellent student reflections about Harmony Week at Shore.
Top image: Lachlan Hunt (Senior Prefect), Jesse Cochrane (Second Prefect), Mohammad Alizada (Year 10 Holroyd HS), Abdullah Sapand (Year 8, Holroyd HS) and Domink Mautner, Eldershaw House Captain (1)
Mr Derek Champion
Acting Deputy Head Pastoral Care
