Wellbeing and Personal Growth

At Marist College Canberra we believe that best practice pastoral care supports each individual’s wellbeing. Among the characteristics identified as contributing to good pastoral care are fostering a sense of belonging and connectedness and providing a safe and secure environment.

Overview
A place to belong
College Counsellor

Pastoral Care

At Marist, good pastoral care underpins everything we do as teachers: our classroom preparation and practice, our supervision, our Co-curricular activities and our tutoring.

Students from Years 4-12 are supported by a complex and interwoven variety of systems. The most important Pastoral Care initiatives include:

House Group System - Upon enrolment, a student becomes a member of one of the ten College Houses. This provides a structure within the College which allows students to be known more closely and therefore cared for more effectively. The system has encouraged a sense of belonging and continuity among College families and staff, and encourages greater participation, communication and leadership.
Code of Conduct - values the individuality of students, both within and beyond the classroom.
Awards program - awards are presented several times throughout the year.
Counsellors - On-site Counsellors are available to discuss any concerns or difficulties being experienced by students.
Defence Mentoring - A mentor is available part-time to support students from Defence families.

Resilience is … the capacity to cope with change and challenge and to bounce back during difficult times.

House system

Our House system is fundamental to the pastoral care at the College and promotes social, academic, spiritual and emotional wellbeing. Our teachers are committed to providing the best care for each and every boy; care that focuses on developing their strengths and talents and providing an environment where they are safe to be themselves.

In the Senior School, the House Group Leader is the first point of contact between parents and the school. Each House Group Leader aims to get to know each individual boy in his/her group well and to create an atmosphere in the group where the boys feel safe and connected. They do this by fulfilling and employing the Four Pillars of Care within their own House Groups.

College Counsellors

Marist College Canberra focuses on providing an environment, in collaboration with families, where each young man can develop spiritually, morally, intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally.

The Counsellors' role in this context is to offer a safe environment where students have the opportunity to explore questions and difficulties. The goal is to promote an atmosphere where students can make meaningful and informed choices that are appropriate to their situation and stages of development.

Whist any counselling which takes place with a Junior School student requires the prior agreement of a parent, students in Years 7-12 can self-refer.