Pastoral Care

House Music Conductor and House Council Success

“You can’t get to courage without rumbling with vulnerability”. Brene Brown’s words from her book, “Dare to Lead” are very interesting when you think about leadership and what it entails. It takes courage to put yourself forward for a leadership position. It requires discernment and vision, and thinking about what skills you can bring to the role. It also requires managing the inevitable ‘self-doubt’ talk that runs through your mind about being able to do it. When we wrestle with this vulnerability and put ourselves forward for leadership, it can result in exciting possibilities and a chance to grow and learn from the experience. Whilst there are successes, there is also disappointment for some. This too takes courage to put yourself forward with the understanding that the opportunity might not arrive on this occasion. It can cause a sense of vulnerability, but in life there are disappointments. It doesn’t mean that you are not good enough, it simply means, not yet!

Our School’s Mission Statement says  that we:   “encourage each student to fulfil her academic and personal potential, in an atmosphere of freedom, care and respect for the individual”. Leadership at Loreto Normanhurst is fair and accessible to all and is based on the principle of democracy. The school is very clear in its vision and leadership aspirations for students. Students are empowered to use their individual gifts with confidence, creativity and generosity in loving and responsible service to others. We want our students to be courageous in their leadership and self-aware. We had many students put themselves forward for the House Music Conductor role from Years 10 and 11 and a position on the House Council from Year 11. These roles have now been finalised. Congratulations to the following girls.

How much do you know about Body Image?

Body image is the perception that a person has of their physical self and the thoughts and feelings that are caused by this perception. These feelings can be positive or negative. Research suggests that a child can form an opinion about their body from a very young age and that such opinions are influenced by many things including, individual and environmental factors.  Parents can also play a critical role in helping their child respect all body shapes and develop a positive body image.

In this weeks’ edition of SchoolTV we explore some of these influences including the role the media play in portraying images around the ‘ideal’ body shape. Parents can gain a greater understanding of how a negative body image can trigger eating disorders in some children and the signs and indicators around this.  There are also useful suggestions from leading experts to assist you in navigating this subject. 

Click here to access this edition of SchoolTV, which provides some excellent resources on this topic and gives useful strategies for promoting healthy habits.

Mrs Lynn Long

Director of Pastoral Care

Years 9 and 10 Leadership Opportunity – 30 September

There is an excellent leadership opportunity available to students in Years 9 and 10 in the upcoming school holidays. It is the “Making a Difference: Aspiring Student Leaders’ Summit” which will be held on September 30 at Ravenswood School for Girls  in Gordon. It is a terrific opportunity if your daughter is aspiring to step into a leadership role sometime in the future. It is also a great way to meet new people who share an interest in leadership. You can access the information by clicking here. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to make contact with your daughter’s Head of House who also has the information. I encourage parents to speak to their daughters about their leadership goals, aspirations and the principles of democracy and what this means in 2019.

Conversations this week:

Please feel free to contact me via email if you have any questions.

Mr Justin Madigan

Dean of Pastoral Care