Counsellor Pastoral
A
n introduction seems the appropriate way to start this annual report. I had the privilege of being appointed the new Counsellor for Trinity College in May this year. Before joining the Trinity community I have had rich and varied professional experiences. For almost ten Anneliese Smith years I worked as a Counsellor psychologist, six of those years was spent working in the field of education. I have had the pleasure of teaching at Primary School which has given me a personal appreciation for the hard work done by teachers. My career has involved working in interesting and culturally diverse places such as Darwin, Kununurra, Kalgoorlie and remote aboriginal communities in the Goldfields and Northern Territory. Prior to my employment with Trinity College I was working in the Fremantle – Peel Education District as a School Psychologist, where I was involved mainly with High Schools. My wide experiences have seen me work in mental health, supporting people living in the community and working with homeless and disadvantaged youth.
one that fills me with hope and excitement. Since then, I have witnessed staff go the extra mile for the best interests of our students and build meaningful relationships which contribute to the students achieving their highest potential. The third word that sums up my experiences so far at Trinity is ‘community’. School does not just end at 3.05pm for the students, there are parents, teachers, maintenance and administration staff participating in various activities that make Trinity, not just a school but a community. Masses, excursions, camps, sporting events, musical and dance extravaganzas, lunches, guest speakers all point towards a vibrant and expanding community life for the students here at the College. Links with community through Christian service, work experience and VET make the Trinity environment a large and expanding place of learning. I hope this is the start of a long partnership between the Trinity community and myself.
I find myself reflecting on my short time here at Trinity and the words that come to mind are ‘change, caring and community.’ The school community has seen many changes this year both good and difficult. Throughout changes in structure, staffing and new Courses of Study I have seen a school that is dynamic, flexible and willing to take up challenges as they present themselves. The loss of three members of the school community has seen everyone pull together and be there for each other, embodying the Trinity “Men for Others” ethos.
Working in the government sector, I was often the last to leave school and would find my car being one of only two or three in the car park. A memorable experience for me on my first few days working at Trinity was to find myself walking to my car at the end of the day and looking around to find a car park still packed with vehicles, leading me to think ‘wow, these teachers are committed to the students’. The realisation that I have joined a staff that genuinely cares about the students is
I would like to thank the Administration staff for their support and friendship, especially Kate Brady who was always happy to answer my questions. I would like to thank the guys in maintenance for their laughter and especially Max for putting up with the numerous rearrangements of my room! I would like to thank Sue, Marie, Gerri and Karen in the Mary Rice Centre for listening to my endless problems and philosophising about the perfect schooling system. Thanks to all Heads of Year for treating me gently and letting me settle in, next year, ‘game on guys!’ Thank you to the Heads of School who supported me and guided me in some tricky situations. Thanks to Father Mac for helping me to develop my understanding of what it means to be Catholic and working with me on some of those more curly issues that we face when supporting our boys through difficult times. Thanks to the Junior School staff for being inviting, welcoming and letting me join them for some superb lunches. Thanks to Anna (TOBA) who has the office next to mine and puts up with the occasional late afternoon cries of frustration and always manages to make me feel great. Finally thanks to all those teachers who every day make a difference to the students by building strong relationships with the students, it makes my job easier. Anneliese Smith Counsellor
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