FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL FAITH AND WELLBEING

From the Deputy Principal Faith & Wellbeing

Finding a Silver Lining

A famous quote on the need for positivity goes, ‘Don’t curse the darkness…light a candle!’ More than ever the College community has had to look for new and innovative ways to keep all our hopes up and to support our young women through the 2020 pandemic. During the lockdown, the staff were fantastic in their approach to supporting the girls’ wellbeing and their learning and the transition for most girls was smooth. The students were uncomfortable, missing their friends and the classroom environment, but able to cope. As the pandemic extended its hold and duration through the year College life was restricted and limited in many ways. Mandates from NSW Health and the Government again changed the way we normally do things and excluded parents, visitors, excursions, camps, sporting events, presentations, performances, assemblies and chapel time. Our wellbeing, spirituality, community life, cocurricular experiences and connection with our parent community was effectively taken from us. Here we chose to focus on the ‘light’ and became creative, using technology as a tool for interaction and re-thinking and re-imagining ways to build connection and to support the girls. Our Positive Education framework, based on the models of Positive Psychology and a growth mindset, played its part as well, reminding us all to focus on strengths not weaknesses, positives not negatives, and self-care instead of self-absorption. Despite this, it was not all smooth sailing at the College. The girls did demonstrate increases in anxiety, mood and eating disorders and level of depression. Our Counselling staff was increased and they managed to support many girls in 2020 through this challenging time. Our Pastoral team of Year Coordinators and Mentor staff also managed increased demands for support from students and parents struggling to cope in this difficult time. We were forced to focus on what is important and build new ways to create solutions enabling growth. As we move towards the end of the year and our Class of 2020 graduate from the College, we again focus on the need to ‘light a candle’ and celebrate new ways to enjoy graduation. The light was never more evident in the Class of 2020s wonderful success with their Year 12 charity working creatively to raise more funds than ever before. This great success in a year without the normal Founders Day and fundraising structures. A true testament to innovation and creativity, casting light in the darkness and being ‘strong and gentle’ despite all that is happening in the world.

BRIAN LOUGHLAND DEPUTY PRINCIPAL FAITH AND WELLBEING