Welcome to all our students and their families especially those who are new to the college. We hope everyone has had a relaxing break. Over the first week, the positive energy and smiles from the students were great to see as they returned to learning, greeting their teachers, and reconnecting with friends. We hope this year continues to be a successful one for learning and building positive relationships.

Pastoral Team

Along with the Homeroom and Class teachers, the Pastoral Coordinators and extended Pastoral Team are ready each day to support our Carroll College community.

Mrs Corrinne Dell	Mr Greg McAteer	Mrs Karen Lyttle
Chisholm	MacKillop	Xavier
Ms Elle Boller	Mrs Danielle Ciufettelli	Mrs Margaret Croese
Wellbeing Coordinator	Pastoral Care Assistant	Student Welfare Officer
		(Tuesdays and Thursdays)

Homeroom

At this point in the year, it is timely to remind everyone of the importance for students to arrive on time for Homeroom. The daily routine of Homeroom allows students to build strong relationships with their peers across Years 7-12, their Homeroom teacher, and Pastoral Coordinator. It is in this Homeroom time that the whole school joins in daily prayer and students familiarise themselves with important notices.

College Counsellors

As part of the pastoral care for students, Carroll College has access to a Student and Family Counselling service provided by CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn (CCG). CCG is contracted by Carroll College to provide a counselling service to students and their families on-site. There is no fee to access this service.

We are very pleased to announce that our Counselling service has increased to five days for 2024. We warmly welcome Faith Costigan to the team. Faith will be in the college on Mondays and Tuesdays each week. Naomi Bee will be continuing to support our students on Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays each week.

The role of the counsellor is to focus on the emotional, social and educational well-being of the students. Counsellors welcome contact with students having difficulty with some part of their life, whether or not it affects their school work. The problem does not have to be a big one. It is better to seek help sooner than later.

Some typical concerns that counsellors work with include: anger, anxiety, behavioural problems, depression, eating problems, family breakdown and family conflict, grief and loss, learning and educational challenges, parenting challenges, peer and other social relationships, school avoidance, stress and study skills. As well as individual sessions with students, counsellors can run groups, do family work, consult with parents and teachers and make referrals to other services and supports. 

Student and Family Counsellors subscribe to a set of professional ethics that include duty of care and respect for the individual rights to privacy and confidentiality. The counsellors’ obligation is to ensure the safety, wellbeing and confidentiality of the student they are working with. All counsellors are mandated to report any disclosure or sign of abuse or neglect to the Department of Communities and Justice. Outside of our mandated requirements, all counselling sessions are confidential and the details will not be discussed with other parties unless written consent is given by the client.

Parent consent is required for all students under 14 years of age. Consent will be sought and provided via email. Referrals to the service can be made by contacting the pastoral team or speaking with the counsellor directly. Students can also use the QR code found on posters around the college to contact the counsellor.

Carroll College's Student and Family Counsellor has an office located in the HUB and can be contacted on 44 715600.

Faith Costigan	Naomi Bee
Monday and Tuesday	Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Academic Care Period

For students to reach their full potential it is vital that they attend school every day of the academic year. By building a strong sense of connection school is viewed as a positive place of learning, opportunities, and support. A place they want to be at. In 2024 the College will continue to deliver an Academic Care lesson every fortnight. Academic Care is a blend of two significant components of a student’s school life. Focus will be given to the skills and information that build capacity for academic success as learners as well as increasing a sense of personal well-being.

In 2024, the pastoral care and wellbeing program is being enhanced through the implementation of the resources of Wellio. On Day 2 of professional development last week, all staff experienced a one-hour tutorial to ensure they were confident with the resources and best practice in delivering them. Through this digital platform, we will deliver a bespoke scope and sequence, with engaging and resourced wellbeing lessons with the added bonus of being able to measure their impact.

In your child’s Academic Care lesson, they will be working with two teachers to cover material that is relevant to their stage of life and learning. By delivering this program the college is increasing the network of care and support that surrounds our students from Years 7 to 12.

Driving

Our senior students are now either interested in learning to drive or already have their licenses. If your son or daughter intends to drive to school or be a passenger in a car driven by another student then they need to ensure that they have completed the correct documentation which is signed by parents/carers and students and then handed in at the Front Office for final approval before any driving begins. Year 12 student drivers can apply for permission to leave the College at the end of Period 4 if they do not have timetabled classes in Periods 5 and 6. The permission form for this privilege can be collected, completed, and returned to the Front Office. Early leave begins in Week 3 for Year 12.

In Week 10 of Term 1 (11 April) all Year 11 students will be attending the Rotary Young Driver Awareness (RYDA) program which offers invaluable information about how to keep young drivers safe on our local roads. More information about this program will be shared closer to the event.

Uniform

Toward the end of the holidays, all families received an email outlining the College expectations across a range of areas including uniforms and the uniform policy. Overall, our students have returned well-presented. We are very proud that the College is well respected in the local area and know that the way our students present in their uniforms and their behaviour plays a major role in this. We are committed to maintaining this high standard and ask that parents support the college staff by checking uniform compliance before students come to school each day.

Lockers

Our Year 8 and 9 students are continuing to use the lockers they were allocated in Year 7. Overall, we are very impressed with the responsibility students have shown in not only keeping their lockers clean and tidy but also being organised for each lesson. The new lockers for Year 7 2024 were due for delivery at the end of the last year. Unfortunately, the lockers have been delayed. We have been told they will arrive in February. Once the lockers are set up they will be allocated and we will assist the Year 7 students in finding their locker, mastering the combination lock, and their daily organisation. We thank our families for their understanding of a situation that has been beyond our control. 

Year 7 / 11 Peer Support Camp

Our Year 7/11 Peer Support camp is being held at Lake Tabourie in 2024. The camp is a highlight for both groups of students. The experience is a great way for our new Year 7’s to get to know each other and for the Year 11 Peer Support Leaders to exercise their leadership skills in a fun setting. In the coming days, Ms Boller will meet with the students to go through the plan for the camp and answer student questions. Year 7 and 11 are certainly looking forward to this event as are the staff.

If you have any concerns about your child or have information that will help us to better meet their needs, can you please contact the College and ask to speak to their Pastoral Coordinator or Ms Boller.

International Safe Internet Day

International Safe Internet Day was celebrated on 6 February. Below is some information from the eSafety Commissioners website that contains an explanation of the day and some helpful ideas. All families are encouraged to visit www.esafety.gov.au to explore the resources, FAQ and links to webinars.

This global event brings together communities, families, schools and organisations from more than 200 countries to help create safer online spaces.

Technology has evolved dramatically in the past two decades and the benefits have been huge. These developments have also exposed us to many risks with real-world impacts, making online safety awareness even more important.  
 
That's why we are calling on Australians to Connect. Reflect. Protect. 
 
Connect safely and with purpose – by keeping apps and devices secure and using social media in positive ways. 

Reflect before we act – by taking a moment to consider how what we do and say online may affect others. 

Protect ourselves and others by taking action – by telling family, friends or colleagues about eSafety and how we can help.  
 
By doing these simple things, we can work towards making every day a Safer Internet Day.

I look forward to working with our students and families throughout 2024.

Mrs Louise Ibbett
Assistant Principal – Pastoral Care