Highview College

Highview's Pastoral Care program includes a system of support for students who are finding difficulty coping with their school lives. It also incorporates a discipline system that assists students to develop personal responsibility for their behavior, and assists staff to maintain an orderly working environment for students.

THE STRUCTURE OF PASTORAL CARE SUPPORT AT HIGHVIEW

All students are allocated to a "Home Group" which is monitored by a "Home Group Teacher". This teacher keeps a check on the general progress of students in their group through the use of the Student Planner which is seen as a key means of maintaining contact between parents and the College.

When a student needs to be supported, the "Home Group Teacher" is the first port of call. Most discipline and pastoral care situations are handled initially by these teachers who will have regular contact with students and will usually take their students for at least one or two classes.
 
Year Level Co-ordinators support Home Group teachers in their caring role. Level Co-ordinators are resource people to consult when Home Group and other teachers are unclear about some aspects of the pastoral care / discipline system, or when Classroom teachers need some ideas on how to handle particular students. They will also have the responsibility of dealing with students referred to them by Home Group teachers.

The Deputy Principal - Pastoral Care oversees Pastoral Care in the school, and is responsible for setting up regular meetings with Year Level Co-ordinators, along with periodical professional development of Co-ordinators in the areas of counseling and discipline techniques. The Deputy Principal - Pastoral Care also operates as the College Harassment Officer.

Highview is concerned about the personal growth of each individual student: helping him or her to grow and develop responsibility in a friendly, caring and orderly environment. This means allowing students to make mistakes because it is part of being human. If we care about our students, we'll help them to learn from their mistakes by giving them time to reflect on this behavior and work out ways of behaving differently, or to experience the logical consequences of inappropriate behavior. At the same time, the discipline system assists teachers in maintaining a non-disruptive environment where all students can learn to the best of their ability.

This approach to discipline is based on the College’s Christian philosophy which promotes respect and care for each person. Each student is consequently to be treated fairly, justly and with understanding, and we encourage students to treat staff members in a similar manner.

THE KEY PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT:

Every student has a right to uninterrupted learning.
High student self-esteem is to be developed and maintained.
Each teacher is ultimately responsible for the decisions which are made in applying discipline to the students in his/ her care.
Democratic principles are applied by teachers in learning situations.
Students are to develop and take responsibility for their own learning and behavior in the school situation.

SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION

Students, parents and guardians are reminded that there are situations where immediate suspension may apply eg. the use of physical violence towards, or blatant intimidation of other students or staff members, the possession of items which could reasonably be considered as weapons, or using any item in a way that could seriously harm other students or staff, and where a student is found to be in possession of, or using, or caught in a group which is using tobacco, alcohol or other non-medicinal drugs or substances.

Instant expulsion from the College would be appropriate in very serious situations such as the possession and/or distribution of illegal drugs in the school or at school events, the use of weapons or using implements as weapons to cause injury to students or staff, and serious, unprovoked violence causing injury to students or staff.

TRANSITION TO YEAR 7

Highview is committed to making the process of transition from Primary to Secondary school as smooth as possible. During Grade 6, students due to commence in Year 7 are invited to attend a “Highview Experience” day. That visit will be followed up with an Orientation Day early in December. Each enrolling student will also be required to attend an interview with the Principal, and that interview will establish special needs, interests and abilities of students. Further information will come through contact between the Highview Year 7 Level Co-ordinator and Grade 6 teachers of primary schools late in the year.
BULLYING & HARASSMENT
Highview College is committed to eliminate all forms of bullying or harassment. Strategies are used to prevent or minimize the number of such instances, and clear procedures for dealing with specific incidents as they occur. Clearly stated Guidelines against bullying are regularly presented to students and a set of clear and consistent sanctions for those who persistently engage in the practice, topics built into our Religious Education program making students aware of the causes of bullying and ways to prevent it. There is a clear procedure for reporting and documenting such incidents (the Harassment Report Form), and clear procedures for dealing with issues that arise.