Pastoral Care Guidelines

The purpose of Pastoral Care at Gilroy Santa Maria College is to promote the building of a Christian community through cooperative learning and using consistent management practices when supporting students. Students, teachers, and parents need to be familiar with this document and be aware that behavioural mistakes have consequences.

All members of the Gilroy Santa Maria College community are encouraged to live the values of our Mission Statement to uphold the dignity and the rights of each person within our College environment.

Central to our community is the belief that maintaining positive relationships underpins acceptable behaviour.

The key element of positive good relationships leads us to recognise the dignity of students and teachers, where each has rights and responsibilities to each other. Pastoral Care at Gilroy Santa Maria College is a program of planned strategies and informal experiences that has a holistic approach to the education of young women and men through the involvement and care of all its shareholders. It places the student at the centre of its activities and aims to assist all members of the Gilroy Santa Maria College Community to reach their full potential.

Enrolment at this school is dependent on acceptance of the school rules, codes of behaviour and policies, including those regarding curriculum, discipline, dress, conduct, Workplace Health & Safety, and wellbeing. School expectations and policies are in the interest of the wellbeing of the whole school community.

Pastoral Care at Gilroy Santa Maria College is:

Underpinned by the values and beliefs of our Catholic traditions and is reflective of our college mission statement.

The concern that the school has that each individual belongs to our community and has the fullest possibility for personal, academic, social and spiritual growth. Expressed through the teacher’s personal commitment to each individual student, and a commitment to what the student is and what he or she can become.

Communicated to students in various interpersonal contacts in the classroom and other extra-curricular activities, where an atmosphere of respect and love is fostered and maintained.

Occurring when a personal interest is taken in each student. If students have questions, concerns, requests, troubles, or suggestions, they have access to several people including, Homeroom Teachers, Class Teachers, Pastoral Leaders, and the Student Counsellor.

Integral to the success of our pastoral care system and is the well-established culture of the College. Gilroy Santa Maria College has a traditional, yet evolving culture, central to which is a focus on the student and recognition that the student–staff interaction is the primary activity of the College.

Our Rights and Responsibilities

As in all institutions, there are expectations at Gilroy Santa Maria College that students are asked to meet safety, legal or other requirements. These expectations provide the basis of the College Pastoral Care procedures, in which the following “Code of Rights and Responsibilities” has been set down for all members of our College community.

For Students

1. I have the right to be taught without interruption, to be listened to and to be given equal opportunities to learn. Therefore, I have the responsibility to be punctual, to listen to others, to contribute positively in classes, and to ask questions in the appropriate way.
2. I have the right to be happy at Gilroy Santa Maria College, to be treated fairly and with politeness, and to feel secure. Therefore, I have the responsibility to respect the opinions and interests of others, to be polite and to contribute positively to the wellbeing and safety of others and their property.
3. I have the right to be proud of Gilroy Santa Maria College, to represent the school, and to use school facilities. Therefore, I have the responsibility to honour the school uniform positively, to uphold the ideals of the school at all times, and to care for what the school provides for me.

 For Staff

1. I have the right to teach without interruption, to be listened to, and to ask and answer questions. Therefore, I have the responsibility to be punctual, to listen, to speak and answer honestly, and to see that all students have the opportunity to learn and develop.
2. I have the right to be happy, to be treated fairly and with respect, to feel secure in my teaching, and I have the right to my Therefore, I have the responsibility to respect the opinions and interests of others; to be polite and to actively promote the well-being and safety of others and to respect the privacy of others.
3. I have the right to be proud of Gilroy Santa Maria College. Therefore, I have the responsibility to uphold the ideals of the school and to correct students if and when necessary.

The Principal, Assistant Principal – Pastoral or his nominee has the right to use discretion in relation to behaviour management issues at any time. These guidelines can be used in conjunction with other school policies and are subject to review and amendment without notice.

Gilroy Santa Maria College aims to develop self-discipline in its students within an atmosphere of mutual respect so that the development of the whole student is nurtured, and their full potential reached. Breaches of the code of behaviour regarding harassment will be dealt with within an atmosphere of care, justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

• Everyone has a right to be treated with respect and dignity
• Everyone has a right to feel safe and comfortable at school
• Everyone has a right to feel safe travelling to and from school
• Everyone has a right to learn and no-one has the right to stop others from learning
• Everyone has the responsibility to ensure all other people feel safe and valued
• We all have a responsibility to take action to stop harassment

What is Harassment?

Harassment is action that offends, intimidates, or humiliates another person. When someone treats you in a way that makes you feel embarrassed, uncomfortable, upset, or unsafe because of who you are or what you do, and you have already asked them to stop -this is harassment.

Types of Harassment

• Physical is any deliberate physical action which:
  • Invades personal space
  • Physically harms or makes a person feel threatened or offended
• Visual is making a person feel uncomfortable by exposing them to such things as:
  • Offensive notes or materials
  • Graffiti or damage to others’ possessions or property

• Verbal is using any words to an individual or group that are unwanted and repeated and which a person(s) finds offensive:
  • Name calling
  • Offensive language
  • Slander (putting people down behind their back)
  • Picking on people because of their race, sex or religious creed
• Intellectual is the type of harassment which can be verbal or non-verbal and directed at you:
  • Because you are good at your work
  • Because you are having problems with school work
• Victimisation occurs when a person becomes a victim and is threatened more than once by such actions as:
  • Bullying
  • Stand-over tactics
  • Picking on others
  • Threats to ‘get’ people
  • ‘Paying’ people out
  • Where gangs try to dominate
• Sexual harassment is any unwanted or unwelcome sexual behaviour where a reasonable person would have anticipated the possibility that the person harassed would feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. This type of harassment can be verbal or non-verbal:
  • Deliberate touching or brushing against a person in a sexual manner
  • Sexually oriented jokes, drawings and literature
  • Commenting on the size and shape of one’s body
  • Calling a person rude names or making comments about their morals
  • Invitations of a sexual nature which are unwelcome
  • Asking questions about a person’s private life which are unwanted
• Emotional can be a result of one or more of the above by such actions as:
  • excluding others
  • making someone feel bad
  • threatening someone
  • making others feel insecure 

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

• Report the harassment – tell someone
• Confront the person harassing you. Tell them that the actions are unwanted or Remind them that the College has a policy against harassment.
• Talk it over with your friends, parents or colleagues, older person, a senior leader or an older sibling.
• Allow people to take action to stop the harassment.

Gilroy Santa Maria College undertakes to:

• Investigate and deal with complaints of harassment by any member of the College community in a timely manner.
• Promote learning experiences that will foster self-esteem, assertiveness, self- protection and conflict resolution and aid in developing strategies to prevent harassment and or coping with it when it occurs.
• Clearly explain procedures for reporting harassment in our College.
• Follow through all reported incidents of harassment.
• Have support services available to all parties involved in harassment.

 Students are encouraged to report cases of harassment or bullying to staff or online at

kidsfeelsafe@gilroysm.catholic.edu.au 

Although Gilroy Santa Maria College endeavours to promote the development of self- discipline and individual responsibility in students, there are still College rules set down for regulating student conduct on a day-to-day basis.

Addictive Habits

Smoking (including e-cigarettes and vapes) or consumption of alcohol is not allowed at the College, functions, school-organised socials, sporting events, or travelling to and from school. Illegal drugs are forbidden. Use, possession or supplying illegal substances may result in the cancellation of a student’s enrolment at the College.

Anti-social Behaviours

• Bullying – Under no circumstances will bullying behaviour be tolerated. Bullying could involve verbal name-calling, insults, put downs, harassment, aggression or stealing another student’s property. If a student feels unsafe at the College, they should contact at least one of the following – parents, home room teacher, Pastoral Leader or a member of the Administration team immediately to seek assistance
• Sexual Harassment – is against the law, the policy of the Townsville Diocesan Education Council and also contrary to the policy of this Students who engage in sexual harassment of another student, or adult, should be aware that this behaviour will be viewed very seriously and will be dealt with accordingly.
• Pornography – is a matter of moral concern and not welcomed at the College.

Potentially Dangerous Behaviours

Any potentially dangerous or threatening activity such as having a weapon at school or fighting is totally unacceptable.

Respect for Property

Stealing or deliberate damage to other’s property will not be tolerated by staff, parents and students. Students found causing wilful damage to students’ or College property will be expected to bear the costs of replacement or repair.

School Boundaries

Students are not permitted to leave the College grounds during the day unless the College has been contacted by the parents by either a note or phone call giving permission and stating the reason for the students’ necessary early departure from the College.

Punctuality

As the College commences at 8.30am all students are expected to be present by that time.

Motor Vehicles

Students with a driver’s licence are permitted to drive vehicles to school provided that they have given the Principal written permission from their parents. Students wishing to drive their car to and from school must complete the College Registration Form for Student Motor Vehicles which is available from Student Reception.

Passengers are not to be transported in student’s cars unless by prior arrangement with the Principal and written permission is provided by both the passenger’s parent and the driver’s parent. Students must hand their keys into Student Reception and sign in the Student Driver Registration Book on arrival. Students are expected to set high standards of safety and responsibility in their driving at all times.

Students who do not adhere to the above or whose driving is considered unsafe, careless or reckless (e.g. exceeding the speed limit in the school grounds, doing burnouts, etc.) will have the privilege withdrawn.

 Mobile Phones

The use of mobile phones is not permitted at Gilroy Santa Maria College from the time a student enters the school grounds until the conclusion of the school day (this includes before school, during meal breaks and between lessons).

The College recognises that an increasing number of parents/carers wish to provide their children with a mobile phone for safety and security reasons.  This policy details the conditions under which mobile phone usage will be managed:

• Students are not permitted to use mobile phone during school hours. Students are to ensure their mobile phone is switched off and stored in their locker, school bag or handed into Student Reception. They cannot be kept in pencil cases.
• If students need to contact parents, or vice versa, they may do so via Student Reception.
• The use of a mobile phone to photograph, video or record others is a breach of  Student Protection legislation and therefore these actions are not permitted.
• Phones and smartwatches cannot be used at the tuckshop during the course of the day - orders must be placed outside of school hours.
• Exemptions to this policy may be granted for students who require an electronic device to monitor a health condition as part of a school approved health care plan eg blood glucose monitoring. For an exemption to be granted, a ‘Mobile Phone Usage Agreement’ must be negotiated involving the Assistant Principal Pastoral, the student, the parents and approved by the Principal.

For the purposes of this policy,  ‘mobile phones’ include tablets, iPod’s and their associated listening accessories (headphones, ear pods/buds etc).

 Gilroy Santa Maria College will not accept any responsibility for replacing lost, stolen or damaged mobile devices.

Consequences for students who inappropriately use electronic devices at school:

• On the first offence, the student will be directed to surrender the device to the administration office and it can be collected at the end of the school day.
• On the second offence, the student will be directed to surrender the device to the administration office where it will be held until a parent/caregiver is able to collect it, after discussion with a member of the Pastoral or Leadership Team. The device will also need to be signed into student reception for the remainder of the term.  Students will also receive a Thursday after-school detention.
• Any further offences will be deemed as wilful disobedience and the device will remain in the administration office for collection by a parent/caregiver after discussion with the Principal to discuss the students' enrolment options.  Students will also receive a Saturday morning detention.

Internet Usage

The Internet is an important tool for research and communication. Gilroy Santa Maria College provides access to the Internet and the College Network for students to used for research, information processing and communication. Access to the Internet and the College Network is provided for students on the condition that the facilities are only used for purposes associated with their studies. Our computer network has software which is designed to filter out undesirable material, however, no system can be totally effective.

Accordingly, parents/caregivers and students should agree to the following undertaking:

• To use the Internet only with the permission of a supervising teacher.
• That information gained from the Internet and used in assignments will be acknowledged in bibliographes.
• Not to access material that would be generally considered by the community to be illegal, dangerous or offensive (examples of this would be websites containing pornography, instructions for making bombs or committing crimes or promotion of racism).
• Not to access ‘chat rooms’ other than those set up by the class teacher.
• Not to send offensive emails or material to anyone.
• Not to send or respond to emails from unknown or uninvited people.
• Not to download or save any material from the Internet without direct teacher supervision.
• To advise the supervising teacher of any illegal, offensive or dangerous material which is saved, received or book marked.

Consequences

Any breach of this agreement will be treated as a serious discipline issue and will be dealt with accordingly.

 The Principal, Assistant Principal – Pastoral or his nominee has the right to use discretion in relation to college rules at any time. These rules can be used in conjunction with other school policies and are subject to review and amendment without notice.

Uniforms are an important part of the Gilroy Santa Maria College identity and must be worn by all students. Our uniform has been designed with the North Queensland climate in mind and provides comfortable and stylish wear for students in all year levels. The range of uniforms is designed for sporting activities, daywear and formal occasions. We are confident that our students will take pride in being members of the Gilroy Santa Maria College community and will choose to present themselves well.

The following guidelines have been established to assist students to make appropriate decisions about their presentation and grooming, so as to enhance the personal dignity of the students, and to promote the identity of the College in the wider community. For further information please refer to the Gilroy Santa Maria College Uniform Policy.

Injuries - If a student has sustained a foot, ankle or leg injury that does not enable them to wear the correct footwear, a signed parental note must be handed in to the Pastoral Coordinator.   Due to Workplace, Health and Safety regulations, students will not be able to complete work in industrial or practical areas without covered-in shoes eg. Manual Arts, Hospitality, Science.

Wet Weather Policy - If students have sustained wet school shoes as a result of long term wet weather, and they wish to wear alternate footwear other than what is set down in this policy, they must bring a note signed by their parents stating the appropriate reason and have it signed by the Pastoral Coordinator before Homeroom. 

Footwear for Manual Arts, Hospitality and Science - Please note, due to Workplace, Health and Safety regulations, students must wear closed in shoes at all times. Reef, slip-on or open sandals cannot be worn in industrial or practical areas. This includes Uniform Free Days.

Hats –The College advocates a strong sun-safe message by emphasising the wearing of a broad-brimmed navy blue College hat.

Uniform Free Days – Clothing must be modest and appropriate. Strappy or sleeveless tops, contraband or inappropriate slogans or symbols on shirts are not At all times students must wear covered shoes. For safety reasons, thongs, sandals and canvas shoes are not permitted. Sun safe hats must be worn at all times.

Hair styles - Hair should always be clean, neat and tidy. Students are expected to wear their hair in conventional styles and colours, avoiding extremes of fashion. 

Hairstyles should not impede learning or vision (hair over the eyes).

Unconventional cuts and styles are not acceptable. Examples of unacceptable trends include: dreadlocks, clip-on hair extensions, hair wraps, coloured beading, “Bali-style” braiding/corn rows (unless culturally appropriate), mohawks, mullets, ‘rats tails’, ‘patterns’ or lines cut into the hair.

Male students:

•     Hair must be above collar length.
•     Should be clean-shaven. Consideration will be given to cultural traditions.
•     Hair colours that the College deems extreme or not natural, including multi-coloured hair, is unacceptable.

Female students:

• Must have their hair fully tied up if below collar-length (half up/half down is not permitted.)
• Hair ties and accessories must be
  • Scrunchies, ribbons or small to medium size claw clips
  • School colours only (royal blue/navy, yellow or white)
• Hair colours that the College deems extreme or not natural, including multi-coloured hair, are unacceptable.

Jewellery - Jewellery is not a necessary part of the College uniform.  However, the College does allow the following items to be worn:

• A watch
• A plain necklace with religious emblem to be worn under shirt/blouse.
• No more than one pair of studs or sleepers to be worn in female’s earlobes.
• No male students are to wear earrings whilst in the College uniform.
• A plain ring.
• All other forms of bracelets, anklets, earrings, wristbands or piercings are banned from being worn at school or with the College uniform outside of school hours.

Make-up and Nail Polish – Students are not to wear coloured make-up or nail polish with their College Uniform.

Tattoos – Any tattoos will need to be covered by a skin-coloured covering, such as a bandage, at all times included during school and school events.

Personal Hygiene – Students are expected to take responsibility at all times for their own cleanliness. This shows respect for themselves and for other members of our community.

Winter Uniform –

• Girls: Navy cardigan with school logo or unisex navy spray jacket with school logo.
• Boys: Unisex navy spray jacket with school logo.
• No tracksuits, beanies, knitted hats, or jumpers with hoodies allowed.

The Uniform Policy Booklet is available from the office.

School Bags

Gilroy Santa Maria College Bags are compulsory for all students. Upon enrolling, students receive their first school bag free of charge. If students wish to purchase a second bag, they can at a cost of $50.