The Pastoral Care curriculum aims to create opportunities for each student to truly flourish. The program is designed to enhance skills and knowledge that act as protective factors in their lives. The program emphasises the importance of:

• building and maintaining healthy relationships
• developing teamwork skills
• enhancing one’s ability to cope effectively with new and challenging situations
• using mindfulness to enhance wellbeing
• taking responsibility for decisions
• seeking solutions to problems
• empathetic thinking especially during times of conflict resolution
• seeking to respond to the needs of others and community service
• enhancing study skills
• reflecting on learning and examination preparation
• enhancing one’s ability to cope effectively with new and challenging situations
• exploring PERMA (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Achievement) to develop skills for wellbeing and resilience.

Once a fortnight, students attend a Pastoral Care class. These lessons are designed to equip students to make confident decisions about their future education and social development. It is also important that students set goals for the future that are realistic and achievable.

The ultimate objective is to work in partnership with parents and carers to improve the wellbeing of our students so that they are able to grown into self-aware, compassion and confident young women.

Student Counselling

Adolescence is a time when young people can experience challenges and, at times, these challenges may cause concern. During these times, it is the role of the counsellors at Our Lady of Sion College to provide personalised counselling to students on a confidential basis.

Students may refer themselves to the counselling team or can be referred by teachers and/or parents. Accessing counselling should be viewed as a protective and helpful way for a young person to work through concerns or problems, and an appropriate way to improve mental health.

The Counselling Team provides help in a range of areas. These can include:

• stress management
• personal wellbeing
• social skills
• academic support
• conflict management
• bereavement and grief.

At times, students may be referred to external agencies, with the permission of parents, so that more targeted support can occur.

The Counselling Team also contributes to the development of educational programs throughout the curriculum and Pastoral Care program.

Restorative Practices

The College proactively promotes conflict resolution and positive interpersonal relationships among students through Restorative Practices. Corporal punishment is prohibited at Our Lady of Sion College.