Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care

Love Bites

Early in Term 3, all Year 10 students will complete the LOVE BITES RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS PROGRAM. This fantastic program is part of our work on respectful relationships and consent education. More detailed communication will be coming home to Year 10 parents next week. Please ensure communication is reviewed and questions or concerns are forwarded to the College.

Chewing Gum

Reminder: All students are aware that chewing gum is banned at SJRC. Chewing gum creates a health and safety risk in terms of its disposal and makes a big mess around our beautiful school. We appreciate parent support in upholding our position on the eradication of chewing gum from our school environment.

Policy Update

Last week, I invited feedback from parents of Years 11 & 12 students regarding the proposed Student-Driver Policy, which is scheduled to be rolled out across all Lismore Diocese schools in 2025. We also invited senior students to participate in a student forum to hear their voices on the proposed policy. The policy (in its draft form) can be viewed at THIS LINK. Please email me directly if you would like me to pass on feedback to our Diocesan Office to assist in the finalising of the policy document: jennifer.furney@lism.catholic.edu.au

Tell Them From Me

This year’s 'Tell Them From Me' data has been released, and initial data analysis has once again indicated that positive peer relationships are a real strength of our school community. We know that during adolescence, young people are much more readily influenced by same-age peers than by most adults in their lives. It is therefore encouraging to see that at SJRC, students recognise the positive influence of their peers in encouraging them to make positive choices:

Attendance Matters - Compass App

Many parents and carers are using the Compass App to submit attendance notes. We kindly request that any planned partial absences (such as late arrivals or early departures) be communicated directly to our front office staff via phone and not entered into Compass. This helps ensure smooth coordination and accurate attendance records. Guide to 'How to Submit an Attendance Note'

Similarly, please do not alter attendance notes' start and finish times sent via SMS for unexplained absences. The attendance note you are completing and submitting is for the duration of the absence, not the time you are submitting the note.

If you want to submit any attendance information or notifications and are unsure how to access these actions in the Compass App, please ensure you email
pmreg-attendance@lism.catholic.edu.au, and we will do our best to assist you.

Attendance Matters - Every Day at School Counts

If you’re having difficulty getting your child to school on time every day, contact the school so we can work together to find a solution.

Reaching out to the school is a proactive and constructive step if you're experiencing difficulties in getting your child to school on time.

Contact your child's Pastoral Care Leader to discuss any specific challenges your child may be facing. Subject teachers can provide insights into the classroom dynamics and academic progress, helping to identify potential areas of concern.

Collaborate with the school to identify any underlying issues contributing to your child's difficulty getting to school on time. These could involve academic challenges, social issues, or other factors impacting your child's motivation or well-being.
Read about School Avoidance: https://headspace.org.au/.../supporting-a.../school-refusal/

Transport for NSW reminds students to 'Buckle up on the Bus'

Where buses are equipped with seatbelts, students are encouraged to buckle up. Wearing a seatbelt doubles their chance of survival in a crash - it's a simple act that is not only a legal requirement but one that could save their life. The student must use the seatbelt correctly and buckle up without being asked by the bus driver. 

Jennifer Furney
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care