Pastoral Care

The Catholic education system is characterised by the spiritual and holistic education of each person. At Holy Spirit College we endeavour to provide a safe and supportive environment that is inclusive of all students. Our Pastoral Care approach aims to connect messages of the Gospel with the challenges of contemporary life.

The Pastoral Care structures at Holy Spirit College aim to support students with a range of ongoing programs that foster positive wellbeing whilst enabling a positive learning environment for students to achieve their full potential.

Pastoral Team
Each student resides in a homeroom, our homeroom teachers play a vital role in supporting each young person in accessing all aspects of school life and work closely with Year Coordinators and the Pastoral Team. Year Coordinators and Assistant Year Coordinators lead the year group in developing a vibrant and engaging pastoral program whilst also supporting students in various aspects of their College life.

Pastoral Program
The Pastoral Program is delivered through extended homeroom, year group assemblies, targeted presentations and also incursions. We endeavour to address important and relevant wellbeing topics through these various mediums and at different stages address mental health, relationships, academic health, sleep hygiene, conflict resolutions, risk-taking and road safety. The College collects data that enables us to plan an appropriate and relevant pastoral program, addressing the needs to a particular group at a particular point in time.

The Peer Support program, which runs throughout Term 1, aims to integrate Year 7 into high school and is facilitated by a select group of Year 10 student leaders.
The overall objectives of the program are to:
Develop friendships between all students
Enhance and increase self awareness, self-esteem and communication
Develop leadership skills in older students
Enable new students to integrate more easily and feel more comfortable in the new school environment.

Counselling and Additional Support
All students at the College have access to school based counselling services (subject to availability). Year Coordinators and their assistants facilitate restorative justice initiatives, social skill development and peer relationship support. If your child requires counselling whilst at school, contact your child’s Year Coordinator or the Leader of Pastoral Care for a referral form.

Reward System
The College has a structured reward system that is embedded in the PB4L framework. Our core values of R.I.S.E. These values direct our sets of positive behaviours for each area of the College and allows us to acknowledge the positive contribution that students make to our community each and every day. These values reinforce the aspects of our culture that make Holy Spirit College a distinctive and vibrant community.

Students receive merits for their contribution to College life and these contribute to more substantial awards. We aim to involve parents in the process of recognition and also acknowledge students publicly for their achievements.

Restorative Justice
As a proud Catholic community, the College embraces Gospel values through the practice of Restorative Justice. Positive behaviour is an integral part of the College and all situations are resolved with a focus on respect for all individuals, this is underpinned by the philosophy of restorative justice, where all stakeholders have a voice and there is a strong recognition of the community and how our choices impact others. The aim of the College is to resolve issues and to see students integrated back into College life so they can continue with their learning.

The College uses specific practices and strategies to restore relationships and this is supported by a behaviour management system that ensures students are accountable for their actions and are given opportunity to reflect on their choices. The College conducts lunchtime reflections sessions, where students are supported to complete a reflection that is guided by the principles of restorative justice. Monday Afternoon detention is utilised for more serious breaches of the College’s policies and agreements.