Newsletter

At the recent AMSSA conference held in Perth, St Aloysius College was proudly represented by four of our dedicated staff members who presented workshops.

Siobhan Bloomfield (Assistant Principal, Student Wellbeing & Engagement) and Tom Crowle (Senior Years Leader) presented an insightful presentation, titled Fostering Confident and Compassionate Leaders: Developing a Mercy-Inspired Leadership Pathway, and shed light on the critical role student leadership plays in fostering a thriving school community. Throughout their session, Siobhan and Tom explored the College's unique leadership framework, which emphasises the development of essential skills that empower students to take initiative, inspire others, and contribute positively to their environment. They showcased how student leadership initiatives have made a difference at St Aloysius, encouraging students to become active participants in their school community.

One of the key aspects highlighted in their presentation was the importance of nurturing leadership qualities from an early age. Tom emphasised that leadership is not just about holding positions of power; it is about cultivating a mindset that encourages collaboration, respect, and responsibility among peers. By engaging students in leadership roles, the College fosters a sense of belonging and promotes personal growth. Siobhan complemented this by presenting a framework that outlines the different stages of leadership development for students at St Aloysius. This structured approach not only prepares students for future leadership roles but also equips them with the necessary tools to navigate challenges.

The presentation at AMSSA underscores the importance of student leadership not just within our College but also in the broader Mercy community.

Elisa Litvin (Director of Curriculum Documentation & Reporting) and Adam Valladares (English & Literacy Strategies Leader) presented a thoughtful presentation entitled Embracing Diversity in a Mercy School: Cultivating Inclusion and Compassion. This presentation discussed the highly diverse population of students and families at St Aloysius and how the College approaches making a diverse community inclusive.

Elisa first discussed the wide range of ethnic backgrounds at the school, using a world map and the school’s data to emphasise just how diverse the College population is. She then went on to explain how well the inclusion of boys to the school community has been accepted in the past two and a half years, mentioning that it had almost not been a part of the presentation as it is not even a point of interest in the school community anymore. Elisa went on to discuss the ways that all students are provided for academically. She featured the work done during Academic Consolidation for Everyone (ACE) and Academic Bridging, highlighting how it is truly inclusive. She showed a video of a typical Tuesday afternoon, which on that day had all year levels involved in academic study, revision, and consolidation, including a Year 12 tutorial.

Adam focused on the pastoral side of inclusion, highlighting the Visible Wellbeing program started at the school this year. This evidence-based program created by Dr Lea Waters uses a strengths-based lens for all students to develop a deeper appreciation of themselves and others. He discussed the Professional Learning that the teaching staff members have begun to undertake, focusing on key areas of identifying personal strengths in oneself and others, emotional management, attention and awareness, relationships, coping, and habits and goals. Adam further discussed how the self-compassion explored through Visible Wellbeing leads to expressions of compassion throughout the school community in various pastoral and House activities. Adam tied the entire presentation to the ideas of the Mercy charism, using the following quote: