Assistant Head of Gioia House
Gioia House Action Girl Pastoral Program
Over the past few weeks, the students continued with our collaborative Action Girl Pastoral Program. In our class groups, we continued to focus on ‘Building Belonging’ and ‘Our Community, Our Actions – Beyond the School Gates’.
In our third session, the students were asked to recognise cultural influences and group dynamics with a sense of belonging. The students participated in a scenario card activity which focused on being confident in who we are, our cultural backgrounds, unique interests and qualities. We discussed how we can make people feel valued through our words and actions, and our unique qualities should be embraced. The students also had the opportunity to identify what challenges they faced and how we can work together to ensure we continue to be Upstanders and create a sense of belonging for everyone.
Our final collaborative session last week also focused on the impact we can have on our community. Students strengthened their understanding of our community and the benefits of community participation. We identified who belongs to our community and ways we can have a positive impact, through outreach and service to others.
The students were asked to think about what their ideal community would look like. In groups, the students were given Lego and asked to use their creativity and build their ideal community. It was interesting to hear the discussion in each group, how they worked together and focused on the diversity of people and other environmental factors that contribute to their community. As a group, the students shared their Lego models and described why they chose those community features and the one common aspect from each group was celebrating the diversity of people, different cultures, beliefs and abilities. The other common theme was serving others by providing for those less fortunate than ourselves and looking after our environment.
On Thursday 27 June we have invited guests to be part of a Q&A Panel to look at how we can have a positive impact on the community. The students have prepared some questions to ask the panel to hopefully be inspired to know they also have the ability to have a positive impact on their community.
Our Pastoral Q&A Guest panel members will include:
- Zizi Carida, CEO Community Minds
- Marilyn Bellett-Ankabibian, Settlement Team at Multicultural NSW and president of the Australian Young Christian Workers
- Mrs Stella Azizian, Head of Primary
- Santa Sabina College Senior Student
We thank our panel members for making the time to be with us today. We know this experience will inspire our students and allow them to understand that we each have a responsibility to look for ways we can show empathy for others, build resilience and build a sense of belonging for everyone.
Outreach: Refugee Week
Gioia House students gathered together to focus on Refugee Week. We discussed reasons why refugees need to flee their home country and looked at ways we can support people in need. Ms Sulis, our Outreach coordinator asked the girls to donate food and hygiene items which refugee communities are in great need at the moment. The Gioia House students will come together to pack hampers for the refugee community. We would like to thank the families who gave generously.
Life Education: Healthy Harold
As part of our Personal Development and Health program, the Gioia House students attended a Life Ed Healthy Harold educational session.
The Year 5 classes focused on Respectful Relationships. The students investigated the importance of respectful relationships, including face-to-face and online connections. They explored how the physical and personal changes at this stage of life will impact their behaviour, emotions and relationships. They also learned to recognise, react and report disrespectful, unsafe and predatory behaviours online.
Year 6 learnt about making the right decisions. Students investigated a range of drugs, the laws around these drugs and the different ways they impact the body and brain. They identified strategies and skills to be safe and discussed influences on decision making and how to make the right choices.
After the Healthy Harold sessions, the students were given an information sheet that allows parents to have open discussions at home about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing holiday break.
Marisa Maks
Assistant Head of Gioia House