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Pastoral Care

"Success looks different for every person, so we approach each student differently and aim to encourage and build them up as an individual.”

– Mr Joel Vallance

Head of Pastoral Care

The College has built a network of pastoral care staff who work together to provide an excellent program for our students.

 

Mr Vallance, Head of Pastoral Care, oversees the program and works with students and parents to ensure the best care is provided. We have dedicated staff available for lower secondary and upper secondary, including an Aboriginal Liaison Officer, a college Chaplain, Psychologist, and a Learning Support Coordinator. Our pastoral care team works together, and every member has a genuine care and desire to see the students succeed.

Pastoral care activities include pastoral care group time every morning, designed to get students into the right headspace to start the day. There are occasional lunch time activities, Friday afternoon clubs, and after school clubs for various groups. Camps are also a fantastic opportunity to spend time caring pastorally for students.

Pastoral care feeds into the classroom, clubs, and camps because in everything we do we are looking to care for the student’s needs.

Our SPIRIT values are incorporated into our pastoral care.

Committed to Learning

Self-motivation looks like being thankful for learning opportunities, seeking to know more, learning how to learn, taking responsibility for one’s own learning, and being committed to self-improvement. Students enjoy and seek out challenges and believe they will learn and improve with effort.

Embrace challenges

Students display perseverance by embracing challenges and opportunities, approaching uncertainty with courage, seeing effort as the path to mastery, falling forward, and welcoming, giving, and responding positively to feedback.

In Christ

Identity in Christ means knowing we are made in His image, being open to learning more about Jesus’ love for us, aspiring to know more about ourselves, that we belong and are called to do good work in His name.

Servant hearted

The Southern Hills community is relational by knowing we are servants to one another, being a group of peace makers, choosing to respect others, demonstrating humility and grace, and showing fairness and consideration towards others.

Do what is right

At Southern Hills, integrity looks like doing what is right even if it costs, seeking to do good, being honest, being an advocate for God’s justice and equality, and developing discernment.

Empowered to inquire

Southern Hills students are thinkers who seek to inquire, identify the problems that are worth solving, are solution focused, plan and carry out research, and play with possibilities.

We encourage students to persevere through challenges, which helps them develop character and become valuable contributors to society and a light to the world.

We see how each person is made in the image of God, and each one of these young people reflects Him. Our pastoral care team support students as they develop into teenagers and try to work out who they are.

"I have the privilege to be able to talk with the students in an informal capacity, which gives them room to share their struggles as well as their achievements. I can then support and encourage them in a different realm than the teachers.”

– Mrs Rachael Hasluck

College Chaplain

Mrs Hasluck, college chaplain, is deeply engaged in the concerns and needs of school community and provides the following:

1.

Pastoral Care

Being someone that students can share their achievements and struggles with and regularly praying and reading the Bible with them. 

2.

Strategic Emotional Support

Providing counselling for students and parents in areas such as academic support, relationship issues, parenting, anxiety and depression, and helping determine plans of approach and clear clinical interventions when needed.

3.

Encouragement

You will also see our chaplain supporting teachers on college camps and excursions as well as running around the oval during team sports, cheering on students and staff.

4.

Community Partnership

College chaplain also develops relationships with school parents and members of the school community, including local pastors.

Student Leadership

Leadership skills are a vital in today’s world. We want our students to have the confidence to hold their own, speak and think critically, and have the skills to create influence in any situation to great success. 

Our Leadership program is for students from Year 6 to Year 12 and awakens leadership potential as well as character development.

Much is expected from our school leaders. With a focus on community service, the school leaders are responsible for fundraising for causes, running or supporting school social and internal and external school events. 

House Structure

When students join the school, they join the established house structure.