Community

Community

Pedare is committed to providing a safe environment where each child is valued and nurtured.

Our pastoral programme aims to develop students’ potential and promote their social, emotional and behavioural well-being. We seek to foster respect for oneself and others, self discipline, self control and cooperation with, and encouragement of others. This promotes a safe environment that is conducive to learning, personal growth and positive self worth.

Student and Family Support

Supporting students is integral to our educational philosophy. For this reason, the College has a full time Chaplain and a Student Counsellor available for students and their families.

A Defence Transition Mentor is available to assist and support Year 8 to 12 students with one or more parents employed in active service by the Defence Forces.

There is also a comprehensive network of professionals to whom families can be referred if additional support is needed.

The Community System

Our Community System promotes a sense of belonging for our students. Students who enrol at Pedare join one of five Communities, named after the original farms in the Golden Grove area: Brooklyn, Eldergreen, Greenwith, Hillcott, Petworth and Surrey.

At the Middle and Senior Schools, the Community System is the core element of the Pastoral Care. Students remain in their core class for their pastoral care in Year 6  and Year 7 as they commence their Middle and Senior School education, then in Years 8/9 they move into vertical Home Groups in their Community.  There are vertical Year 10/11/12 Home Groups in Senior School.  These groupings cater for the specific needs associated with each stage of student development and provide further opportunities for students to build strong relationships and enjoy a safe and nurturing environment.

Chaplain

The role of Chaplain at Pedare is closely linked to the Christian ethos and pastoral development programme of the College. It is broad in scope, embracing the whole of the College community – staff, students and their families from Reception to Year 12.

There are two key facets of the Chaplain’s activities. Firstly, the Chaplain provides spiritual leadership, guidance and support in keeping with the Christian foundations of the College, whilst at the same time respecting the beliefs and traditions of those with differing religious convictions. This will include coordinating times of Christian worship for whole school gatherings, contributing to the Christian Life curriculum and offering spiritual nurture to staff and families of the College.

Secondly, the Chaplain offers pastoral care and counselling support as a member of the Pastoral Care team of the College. One of the Chaplain’s primary endeavours as a pastoral carer is to strengthen the social and emotional well-being of students through the development of genuine, caring relationships. Students have access to chaplaincy support on a voluntary basis, with staff and families of the College also able to request support from the Chaplain when the need arises.

The College Chaplain is an active participant in the South Australian networks of Chaplains for both Anglican and Uniting Church schools, and has regular mentoring and supervisory support from qualified persons external to the College. The Chaplain also attends professional development opportunities relevant to the role.

Christian Life

Pedare is a mainstream Anglican and Uniting Church school. All students participate in the Christian Life program which is part of the weekly delivery of curriculum. Christian life assists students to develop an understanding of the Christian faith and provides the opportunity to consider the place God has in their lives. This grounding gives students a basis for making informed and considered decisions and assists them to develop a sense of care and compassion for others.

All Pedare staff model the Christian ethos of the College. Daily devotions in Home Groups, classes and Worship sessions led by the College Chaplain support the Christian Life program.

Acknowledgement

This project was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations under the National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program.

Disclaimer

The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

Defence Mentor

The Defence Transition Mentor is available to assist Year 8 to Year 12 students with one of more parents employed in active service in the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) by providing information and support.

Young people respond differently to relocation and change with some making a comfortable transition into the new school whilst others may experience difficulties. Social and emotional factors such as changes in behaviour, loss of self esteem and diminished academic performance may become apparent.

To assist these young people through this transition, the Defence Transition Mentor works as part of Pedare’s student support team to:

  • Support and assist young people with integration into the school community
  • Raise on-going awareness of mobility issues facing students
  • Assist students to build on their self-confidence and resilience
  • Encourage young people to explore options and to make the most of opportunities available to them.

This can include:

  • Being a contact to parents of mobile ADF students in the school
  • Welcoming and farewelling students/families
  • Assisting students to quickly develop a sense of belonging at Pedare
  • Being available to assist with transfer of subjects from one state to another
  • Supporting students when a Defence parent is on long term deployment
  • Assisting to build resilience in students with their day-to-day friendships and school activities
  • Enhancing the relationship between the school and their Defence community.