Pastoral Care – St Norbert College

Parents are the first educators of their children, therefore, our students are supported by a strong parent/school partnership where parents monitor their child’s progress, with on-going communication from staff.

Our Pastoral Care Program caters for the developmental needs of our students at different stages of their adolescent years, enabling them to grow and mature with confidence. It is integral to the forming of the whole person.

The pastoral care of our students is the responsibility of all staff at the College, however, some play a more specific role within our Pastoral Care Program. Our Pastoral Care Team meets regularly to discuss students’ needs, College practices and policies, and events, and includes:

Principal
Deputy Principals
Heads of House
Head of Year 7
College Counsellor
College Psychologist

College policies and practices, and our Student Code of Conduct ensure that all students can develop and learn in a safe and caring environment.

House System

Our House System is a strong support feature for parents and students. As part of our Pastoral Care Program, the House System is based on vertical Homerooms within a House structure. This means each Homeroom consists of approximately 28 students from Years 7 to 12. There are seven Homerooms in each House and it is envisaged that the Homeroom Teachers will remain with the Homeroom from one year to the next, allowing them to oversee the students’ progress over their six years at the College.

The Homeroom Teacher is the first person in the pastoral care network and is responsible for the pastoral care of the students in their Homeroom. They are the first contact for these students and foster a sense of belonging within their Homerooms. The Homeroom Teacher works in close consultation with the Head of House, Head of Year 7 and students’ subject teachers.

The 35 Homerooms are organised in five Houses, each with an appointed Head of House who is responsible for student welfare and progress.

Xanten

Xanten (near the Dutch-German border), was the place of St Norbert’s birth in 1080. His early life before his conversion was spent in this area. As such it holds a treasured place in Norbertine history.

Prémontré

Prémontré is the valley near Laon in France where St Norbert established his first community of canons and canonesses. It was from here that the Norbertine spirit spread throughout Europe. While there is no longer a Norbertine community at Prémontré, it is the beginning of Norbertine history.

Magdeburg

After some years at Prémontré, St Norbert was made Archbishop of this German city and Primate (head-Churchman) of Germany. In 1126, he also established a Norbertine community at Magdeburg which had a high reputation for missionary preaching among the pagan people known as the ‘Wens’. St Norbert was buried in Magdeburg, but at the time of the Reformation, his body was taken to the Abbey of Strahov in Prague where it remains.

Tongerlo

The town of Tongerlo, in Belgium, has a Norbertine Abbey which is the ‘grandmother’ of the St Norbert College community here at Queens Park. Canons from Tongerlo Abbey established a community in Ireland, which in turn resulted in the foundation in Western Australia. Tongerlo was established during the lifetime of St Norbert, so it has a strong tradition over 850 years old. Norbertines from Tongerlo have spread the spirit of St Norbert to Canada, the USA, Chile, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ireland and England.

Kilnacrott

Kilnacrott is a Gaelic word meaning ‘church on a hill’. It is the place in County Cavan, Ireland, where Tongerlo Abbey established a community of Canons in 1924. Holy Trinity Abbey Kilnacrott founded the Norbertine Community in Western Australia in 1959 when three Irish Norbertines, Fr Peter O’Reilly, Fr Stephen Cooney and Fr John Reynolds arrived in Perth.

Counselling and Psychology Services

Counsellor

The College Counsellor, Kristin Chan, is responsible for the planning and conduct of those aspects of pastoral care which meet the personal needs of individual students and their families.

The Counsellor offers a confidential service and is able to facilitate referral to agencies within the wider community if necessary.

Psychologist

The College Psychologist, David Yeoh, is available to help service the College community by providing educational assessments for learning difficulties, special education or gifted children. These assessments assist teachers and parents to identify and clarify a student’s level of learning so as to provide for students’ individual learning needs. The College Psychologist also provides strategies to help teachers and parents implement best practice in learning, educational and behavioural concerns of students.

The Psychologist offers a confidential service and is able to facilitate referral to agencies within the wider community if necessary.

Career Counsellors

Career planning is one of the most important processes that young people undertake. With the many options available today, it can also be quite stressful. St Norbert College aims to enhance this experience by supporting students through the different stages of career exploration and planning.

Our Head of Careers and Transitions, Karen Gonsalves, co-ordinates the curriculum offering whilst the Director of VET, Monica Stirling, co-ordinates all of the Vocational and Training programs.

For more information, visit Career Education or the St Norbert College Careers website.