From the Principal...

Being the Best Version of Ourselves

Recently, I had the opportunity to welcome our incoming 2019 students and parents to the College. The Orientation Day and evening parent function provided time for the staff to get to know the families and students, and it also gave me opportunity to discuss the importance of being the best version of ourselves.

The speeches of the day were dedicated to exploring this concept and provoked families and students to reflect on what it meant to lead a full and active school life. In short, this was broken into three areas:

1. experiencing as many things as possible to enjoy school and cultivate relationships through those experiences;
2. engaging in learning to promote creativity, collaboration, curiosity and challenge and
3. transforming oneself to be our best version of self.

The challenge for each of us is how to activate each of these three things to work together to support our wellbeing. As a starting point, it is worth considering what it takes to be a better version of ourselves. In my experience as an educator, this can be broken into 5 distinct areas:

• Body
• Mind
• Emotions
• Spirit
• Relationships

And when doing so, it is important that we measure our progress against our previous selves. Using other people as a reference point is useful in terms of aspiring to be like others, but what is more important is that we grow in self-awareness of how we can transform ourselves.

Caring for our Body
Caring for our bodies begins with understanding that we need to look after the vessel that we have been given. This involves engaging in routine exercise, selecting healthy food options and living a healthy lifestyle.

Care of our Mind
Ensuring that we control our mind and that our mind does not control us helps us find a sense of wellbeing. Our minds are a great asset that help us reason, imagine, create and problem solve. Minimising cognitive distortion helps keep our emotions in check so that we see the world in a manner that is free from distortion. Self-affirmation and gratitude help us ‘program’ our minds to be positive so that we can take risks and remain optimistic, when things do not go to plan. Prayer, meditation and mindful activities such as colouring in and walking can help trigger neurons that activate our sense of positive wellbeing.

Caring for our Emotions
Taking care of our mind has a very positive influence on our emotions. By focusing on the positive and managing cognitive distortions, helps to regulate our emotional wellbeing. Feeling good about our emotions is about reminding ourselves that we are valued and that our contributions to life, work, school and relationships matter. This is an intrinsic exercise that empowers us to be aspirational and strive for improvement. Being resilient to the hiccups in life, fuels our desire to strive for change and ultimately transform ourselves.

Taking care of our Spirit
Just as we nourish our bodies, we can also nourish our spirit too! Taking care of the spirit is about having faith, hope and securing a sense that what we do in the world matters. By doing good deeds, helping others in our world and praying helps support our wellbeing. Taking care of the spirit is about renewing our sense of faith in humanity and remembering that God is always with us. Acknowledging what we have, helps us feel grateful for the blessings in our lives.

Care of our Relationships
Building positive relationships with others helps affirm that what we bring to a relationship matters. It reinforces our individuality and affirms that all human beings need love and support to foster friendships. Feeling emotionally secure helps take the first step to forge a relationship. Being open, trustworthy, inclusive and understanding of others and their differences supports us in developing relationships.

The Journey Ahead
It is not easy to become the best version of ourselves, but it’s definitely worth investing in. I encourage each of us to reflect on how we live our lives and encourage, motivate and support each other in being the best versions of ourselves.

World Mental Health Day 10 October - Do you see what I see?
For more information on Mental Health please refer to this Australian site: https://1010.org.au/

Mrs Tanya Appleby
PRINCIPAL

Introducing our new Deputy Principal...

From the Assistant Principal - Identity & Culture...

"Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love another." — John 13:34

                                         

In October there is also a special devotion to the Rosary. The Rosary is a meditation on the life of Jesus and Mary, and was developed as a breathing prayer. The Rosary is a mantra; a centering prayer involving the repetition of a particular word or phrase as part of one’s breathing pattern.   

Take some time over the month of October and read the scripture stories associated with each of the mysteries of the Rosary. 

Learn more about the Rosary   

October is also the month when we celebrate the Feast of St Ursula. As a College we celebrate this with a week of celebrations, culminating on Friday 26 October with our annual boat parade and race. This tradition is based in the legend of St Ursula.

The historical evidence of Ursula’s life has been lost in the mist of time. However, the relationship between Angela and Ursula is strong, and led to Angela placing her Company under the patronage of St Ursula. She wanted her companions to be imbued with the Spirit of Ursula.

• A woman of deep courage
• A risk taker
• A woman of dedication and fidelity to Jesus Christ
• A leader of young women
• A woman of dignity 
• An independent woman of her time.

2018/2019 Social Justice Praxis Initiative

This year we have introduced a new Senior Religion and Ethics program at the College. This program will allow our Year 10 students to commence their senior studies in Religion and Ethics, completing a new course over their three final years of education. The most significant change to the course is the introduction of a year-long praxis or practical component which they will be immersed in throughout Year 12. This program and the embedded classroom components will be known as the Serviam: Social Justice Program.

This practical component of the course will be based on a theology of service, underpinned by two main features; the insistence on the dignity of the human person and the recognition of the dimension of mutuality in the act of service.

Towards the end of 2019, our current Year 10 students will participate in a retreat activity before embarking on a year of service to our community. This will include elements of practical service activities, within and beyond the College community, facilitation of liturgy at the College, reflective practice and also ongoing theological development.

IN THIS ISSUE...

From the Acting Assistant Principal - Pastoral Relationships...

Today I was reminded that Wednesday, 10 October marks World Mental Health Day.

This signifies a day for global mental health education awareness and advocacy and it was Year 12 student, Hannah Geursten, who has taken the mantle of mental health awareness to remind us of the need to take care of ourselves and of others.

She has organised activities and presented to the girls to highlight the value mental health has for us as individuals, families and communities. Without taking away from the importance of having days where the awareness of mental health is amped up, I look forward to the day where every day is a day when we openly converse about mental health and the conversation around being mentally fit is as much the norm as being physically fit.

Thankfully, at St Ursula’s College there is a growing recognition of the importance of building our mental fitness and building mental resilience in our students. This week provides an opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of implementing some simple strategies that keep the awareness of mental health at the forefront of our thinking. (Positive Education, 2018)

1. Talk about it (even more) to reduce the stigma around mental illness. Engage in real conversations. Society in many ways has taught us to suppress emotions as a coping mechanism, and that by showing vulnerability we are weak, when in actual fact true strength lies within being able to confront and talk about how you feel. It is okay if you are not okay. Life is a rollercoaster, but it is better to talk through the ups and downs rather than riding through it with no support structure.

 2. We’re all in this together. Looking after each other and encouraging help seeking behaviour are both fundamental to helping create a nurturing, supportive, protective, resilient environment. We encourage students and staff this week to continue asking: “R U OK?”

3. Be proactive. World Mental Health Day is an important reminder that in addition to supporting others with mental health issues, we need to cultivate our own wellbeing. The ‘5 Ways To Wellbeing' provide simple, evidence based ways to improve mental health that are based on extensive international research: Connect, Be Active, Keep Learning, Be Aware, Help Others.

4.  Make a #mentalhealthpromise. In support of the 2018 World Mental Health Day initiative, staff and students are encouraged to make their own #mentalhealthpromise. This can be to raise awareness about mental illness and help to reduce stigma, to commit to helping a friend or family member who may be struggling, or to implement a new wellbeing practice into our own lives. These promises can be  made online.
 
If we take time to ask the right questions and listen without interruption or judgement, perhaps it might contribute to a more compassionate society where there is a better understanding around mental illness, and these national awareness days won’t have to be so significant.

Ms Ann Brownlie
ACTING ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL RELATIONSHIPS

Languages

From the Head of Boarding...

Orientation 
On Sunday evening, 7 October we hosted our Orientation event for boarding students new to our College in 2019.  New boarders and their parents were invited to a Boarder Sleepover.  While the Parents enjoyed chatting after dinner, the girls enjoyed a fun-filled evening with activities organised by Jodi and our older boarding girls. Lots and lots of laughter could be heard, which is a good indication the girls were having an amazing time with their new found friends.  Students had the opportunity to have a good look around the boarding house, find out all about boarding, meet new friends and ask plenty of questions.  There were lots of smiles, excitement and hopefully less anxious students! 

It was also a fantastic opportunity to have an existing Boarding Parent, Mrs Karen Jackson, and her daughter Millie, welcome many new families into our Brescia family.   A Parent Information Session allowed parents to connect with our Principal, Leadership Team, Head of Boarding, Boarding Staff and students who volunteered for orientation.

The night was topped off by a scrumptious meal, prepared by our talented Chef Kyle and served by our friendly staff Jess and Loretta.  
 
It was a fabulously exciting and informative two days and we look forward to a wonderful 2019 St Ursula’s College experience.  Hopefully “minds are at ease” and students are looking forward to starting in January 2019.

Boarders Return
On Monday, 8 October our boarders were ready to start Term 4. The Year 12 boarders have been back, hard at work and in their routine, especially organising their assessments until they finish Term 4 in a few short weeks.  A short term, but it is the most exciting time for the girls, not only completing their work but fitting in hair and makeup appointments in preparation for their formal!

Ms Jan Pearman
HEAD OF BOARDING

• 5 glasses (1 litre) for 5 to 8 year olds
• 7 glasses (1.5 litres) for 9 to12 year olds
• 8 to 10 glasses (2 litres) for 13+ years 

• Pack a water bottle whenever you go out.
• In summer, pack a frozen water bottle in your child’s lunch box.
• Don’t keep sweetened drinks at home; make cold water available instead.
• Water down sweetened drinks – such as cordials or fruit juice – for a short time and then start to replace them with plain water.
• When playing sport, encourage kids to drink water rather than sports drinks or energy drinks.
• Serve plain water in decorative jugs. Add slices of lemon, orange or mint for flavour and, in summer, add ice cubes to keep it chilled.
• Serve sweetened drinks in smaller glasses and only have them occasionally – not every day.