Our Year 9 cohort have made a tremendous start to 2022, settling in well to their brand-new Houses and Form classes. Go Kwilana! The Year 9 Forms all meet in J Block classrooms, so this has become the new hub of activity for the cohort. J Block is also a place in the College for the Year 9s to take pride in and ownership of. We love seeing them using this space and enjoying time with one another.
Two major highlights for the Year 9 cohort are the school camp in Term 3 and participation in the yearlong Rite Journey program. Both challenging, college-led initiatives have had hugely positive benefits for previous cohorts, and I look forward to this year’s Year 9s enjoying that same journey of growth and self-discovery.
Our first Rite Journey event is The Calling and Departure Ceremony. Like an ‘opening ceremony’ for the program, this event is one for families to get involved in. It will take place on Friday evening, 18th March. Please look out for an email invitation this week with all the event details.
Throughout this year, we will return to our theme of kindness. Year 9 can be a challenging time for students in their studies and their friendship groups. Many experience a ‘speed bump’ or two along the way so it’s more important than ever for our Year 9s to act with kindness and understanding toward one another. A verse from the Bible to guide our year is this one from Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Many of our talks, devotions and activities at camp will centre around kindness.
In terms of practically developing social-emotional skills, all year groups participate in the G.E.M. (Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness) resource which you can find in the back of the Student Diary. In form classes, we delve into these lessons, created by The Resilience Project, to practice and develop skills to support positive mental health and wellbeing. There are daily activities, also in the Diary, that prompt students to notice the positives in their day and to recognise things and people they’re grateful for.
Should you have any questions about the Pastoral Care work we do in Year 9, please contact your child’s Form Teacher or myself. We’d love to connect with you.
Simon Bint
Head of Year 9