The quality of our pastoral care provides for the optimum environment for learning and the responsibility for its implementation is shared by all staff.

Dimensions of Pastoral Care include the quality of relationships, the formation of self-discipline and responsibility, pastoral programs, comprehensive and inclusive approaches to teaching and learning, supportive school/family relationships, effective networks of care and a coordinated and supportive organisational structure.

Marian College is committed to encouraging each student to develop to her fullest potential, physically, intellectually, socially, emotionally and spiritually. This involves encouraging students to develop self-respect, self-discipline, responsibility, respect for the community and the communication skills necessary to maintain healthy relationships. This ideal is achieved through our:

• Restorative Practice
• Respectful Relationships Program
• Homeroom structure
• Liturgies and Assemblies
• Student Leadership structure
• Transition procedures
• Personal Development Programmes
• Social Justice involvement
• House programme
• Learning and Teaching Program
• Co-curricular activities
• Camp program (Years 7 – 9)

Our College is steeped in a tradition of giving witness to the Kildare Ministries Values. Student wellbeing naturally emanates from these values and also from our Vision and Mission Statements. Moreover, as a Catholic community we have as our focus the gospel message and we commit to giving each student an experience of real Christian values and the opportunity to grow in faith.

Marian College recognises the need to support all our students in their overall development and academic performance.

The Assistant to the Principal – Student Wellbeing, Director of Student Services and Year Level Leaders have a primary role in developing a program and environment that directly leads to healthy and joyful experience of school for all at that Year Level. The Homeroom Teachers and Mentor teachers establish strong relationships with their students and are a major link in the communication chain with our parents.

Our Student Counsellors provide a personal and confidential counselling service to our students. Where appropriate they may undertake psychological and educational assessments in order to manage any social, emotional and school difficulties. We have support staff for families and we provide for liaison with our Vietnamese and African communities.

Staff in our Learning diversity department develop and implement programs to support the continuous improvement of skills across the curriculum for students with individual needs. These programs may involve individual students, year levels, subjects and the whole school. They work primarily with students that are part of the NCCD (Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on school students with a Disability).

We provide support for students in the pathways phase of their schooling. Our Careers Coordinator provides information and education sessions for students related to their post-school aspirations and interests. The Coordinator provides individual support for students as they progress through transition and course selection processes.

Counselling

The Student Counselling program is a significant component of the overall Pastoral Care Program offered at Marian College. Adolescence can be a challenging time and on occasion, the varying demands of study, friendships and family can make it difficult to cope. In addressing these concerns, students may benefit from accessing the counselling service in order to manage and work through the issues that may be impacting upon their school work and personal life.

The main services offered by the Student Counsellors are:

• Support during or following a crisis;
• Help to deal with loss or grief;
• Help with stress, anxiety or depression;
• Development of self esteem, confidence, and social skills;
• Assistance with relationship – family and friends;
• Assistance with emotional difficulties related to school work.

The Student Counsellors are available to provide students with the necessary support at school and where appropriate to assist students and families to make contact with community agencies outside the school. When a need arises, students are encouraged to seek guidance and are able to refer themselves for counselling.

Alternatively, teachers and parents are able to make referrals to the Student Counsellors.

Marian College recognises its duty to students to provide a safe and positive learning environment where individual differences and diversity within the college is respected and accepted.

At Marian College we believe that respect is fundamental to right relationships. As such the Marian College policy on managing bullying and harassment is called Respectful Relationships. For a copy of the policy click here.

Bullying is not tolerated at Marian College.

It is our policy that:

• Bullying be managed through a ‘whole of college community’ approach involving students, staff and parents/carers;
• Bullying prevention strategies be implemented within the college on a continuous basis with a focus on teaching age appropriate skills and strategies to empower staff, students and parents/carers to recognise bullying and respond appropriately;
• Bullying response strategies be tailored to the circumstances of each incident;
• Staff establish positive role models emphasising our no-bullying culture; and
• Bullying prevention and intervention strategies are reviewed on an annual basis against best practice.

Marian College has zero tolerance for child abuse and is committed to the protection of all children from all forms of child abuse.

Child abuse includes sexual offences, grooming, physical violence, serious emotional or psychological harm, serious neglect and a child’s exposure to family violence.

Our Child Protection Program is made up of work systems, practices, policies and procedures designed to maintain a child safe environment and to embed an organisational culture of child safety within the College community. The Program deals specifically with child protection issues and is designed to ensure compliance with the Victorian Child Safe Standards and related child protection laws. Broader child safety issues arising from our common law duty of care are dealt with through our Student Duty of Care Program.

TO ACCESS OUR POLICES RELATING TO CHILD SAFETY AND CHILD PROTECTION. PLEASE VISIT THE POLICIES SECTION OF THE COLLEGE WEBSITE BY CLICKING HERE

Our Child Protection Officers – Making a report to Child Protection

Marian College has appointed the people listed below as the College’s Child Protection Officers. Each Child Protection Officer is available to answer any questions that you may have with respect to our Child Protection and Safety Policy and the Child Protection Program.

The College’s Child Protection Officers are your first point of contact for reporting child protection issues within the College. They receive special training that allows them to deal with child protection concerns both sensitively and effectively.

If you have any concern that a child may be experiencing any form of abuse, whether or not you have formed a belief on reasonable grounds that the abuse has occurred, you should immediately raise your concerns with one of our Child Protection Officers.

The welfare and best interests of the child are paramount. Whenever there are concerns that a child is in immediate danger the Police should be called on 000.