St Pius X High School endeavours to provide for each member of the community – students, parents, staff and clergy – the experience of high quality, interpersonal relationships of care and support. Such relationships have a significant positive affect on each person’s sense of self-worth, belonging and wellbeing. Each member of the community participates to some degree in pastoral care, just as each is a recipient of pastoral care. The Pastoral Care Policy at St Pius X provides a framework within which the total care and support of all members of the school community may be achieved. The House System is essential to the successful implementation of the Pastoral Care Policy.
Good pastoral care is a key determinant of successful learning. The key to good teaching and learning in any school is the learning environment and the quality of this environment is significantly determined by the human relationships within the school.
Good pastoral care is essential for fostering student self-discipline and responsibility. Pastoral care should help students to recognise that their fundamental freedoms and rights are reciprocated by responsibilities. The Discipline Policy at St Pius X evolves from the Pastoral Care Policy insofar as it seeks to promote a respectful, secure and healthy environment in which students grow to be discerning, self-disciplined and contributing members of society.
Occasionally, behaviours are exhibited that are disruptive to the teaching and learning process, show disregard for the school code of discipline and conduct and/or threaten the safety of members of the school community. Such behaviour has consequences that affects the student, other students, their families, staff or the school itself. The Pastoral Care Policy guides the school’s response to such behaviour. The rights, welfare and wellbeing of all members of the school community are respected, while at the same time any damage done to relationships within the community is repaired. The Restorative Justice Policy plays a major role in such cases.
Students at St Pius X are expected to:
The first dot point above includes adhering to our “hands-off” rule, whereby students are expected to keep their hands to themselves.
Students have to decide how to behave, but need some guidance. The rights of students who want to learn and the rights of teachers who are trying to teach, are paramount. Students who “do the right thing” will be rewarded under the school’s commendation scheme, while students who choose to place themselves outside school policy will face consequences which hopefully will lead to improved behaviour.
It is our hope that all students will embrace the school’s expectations and develop a positive attitude towards learning and relating to others in the school community. We expect that students will grow in self-discipline and learn the importance of assuming responsibility for their own actions.
