Wellbeing
House
The House system is an integral part of Pastoral Care at Geraldton Grammar School.
It adds a new dimension by vertically grouping students from all years into four Houses - Chapman, Irwin, Greenough and Murchison. With four Houses and approximately 150 students in each House, they belong to a bigger group within the school.
The objectives of the House system are:
- To increase the beneficial influence of the school on students’ characters
- to help students fulfil their potential in academic and co-curricular areas
- To develop a sense of community and an ability to socialise freely across various ages and sexes.
- To provide opportunities for healthy competition in sport and co-curricular areas.
- To try to help each student to live a full life by involving the student in the life of the school.
The House system allows students to identify with something larger than themselves – their team, their group, their House, their school.
House activities include a range of sporting challenges from swimming to athletics and a variety of team sports as well as socials, inter-house quizzes and festivals.
Each House has a primary and secondary school House Coordinator, a year 12 House Captain and School House Captains.
Spiritual
At Geraldton Grammar School, we believe that a good educational program develops all aspects of a student’s character. An important part of this process is the development of a student’s spiritual life. This process begins at kindergarten and continues throughout the student’s schooling. The secondary school has fortnightly chapel services.
As a school in the Anglican tradition, our religious instruction teaches not only the basic tenets of the Christian faith as set out in the Bible, but explores those questions that we encounter in our search for meaning, such as the nature of truth and the self-worth of the individual. This program is supplemented by guest speakers for various formal occasions.
We aim to maintain strong links with the local Anglican Churches and endeavour to support other faith communities throughout the Geraldton community.
Our school is a place where students are nurtured in an atmosphere of Christian love and understanding, following the two great commands of Jesus: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind. And love your neighbour as yourself.”
INSPIRE
“Learning for Life”.
INSPIRE is Geraldton Grammar School’s whole primary school approach to social-emotional learning and development.
Social-Emotional Learning refers to the skills needed to successfully manage life tasks such as learning, forming relationships, communicating effectively, being sensitive to the needs of others and getting along with people.
INSPIRE is about building a whole-school culture in which principles associated with positive social, emotional and civic behaviours are embedded across all disciplines.
Built around the ‘KidsMatter’ conceptual framework and based on the philosophy of the “Seven Habits, Leader in Me” model developed by Steven Covey. INSPIRE aims to develop ‘well-rounded students, who know their strengths' and are prepared to deal with the challenges associated with living in the 21st century.
An INSPIRE Classroom Encompasses:
A classroom structure in which active decision making, responsible leadership and high expectations are clearly apparent to all.
A positive classroom ethos, which involves building a strong social-emotional classroom structure; responsive practices when dealing with issues or concerns; and a psychologically safe environment where mistakes are welcomed, diversity is respected and all members of the community feel valued, included and accepted.
The Explicit teaching of the 7 Habits as a means of developing the social, emotional and academic skills necessary for productive participation across all aspects of classroom and school life.
Participation in regular pro-social games sessions aimed at developing and articulating the skills, dispositions and behaviours necessary for productive learning, social harmony and the expression of culturally appropriate values.
Daily Community Circle meetings during which time the building of strong social-emotional and academic skills and dispositions are developed through team building, reflecting, goal setting, group decision making and collaboration.
The use of Data Journals serving to develop student autonomy and a disposition towards self-regulation and goal setting.
Personal Development Program
The Personal Development Program (PDP) runs from years 7-10 and is instrumental in providing our students with thinking, organisational and study skills. It also covers aspects of the Protective Behaviours curriculum that is not taught in health classes, primarily aspects relating to mental health and developing coping strategies.
In addition to theory, students are also involved in practical service-based activities which allow them to give something back to the greater Geraldton community.
Year 7 program:
- School success and personal organisation – successful transition into Secondary school
- Relationships and friendships unit # Friends
- Camp preparation for Nukara
- Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum Recognising and reporting abuse / Family and Domestic violence unit
- P.R.I.D.E. (Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Determination, Excellence)
- Community Service – Foodbank appeal
- Reflection on year 7 and transition to Year 8
- STEPIN program (4 days a year) As part of the STEPIN days there will an opportunity for the student to work in gender groupings or across the hub with the well-being officer to further develop their social, emotional and age-appropriate resilience skills
Year 8 program:
- School success and personal organisation – successful transition to year 8
- Community Service – Biggest Morning tea
- Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum – Domestic and family violence unit
- Camp preparation for Lynton Station
- Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum – Recognising and reporting abuse unit
- Resilience, rights and respectful relationships
- Love bites program – stereotypes and gender
- Reflection on year 8 and transition to year 9
- STEPIN program (2 days a year) As part of the STEPIN days there will an opportunity for the students to work in gender groupings or across the hub with the well-being officer to further develop their social, emotional and age-appropriate resilience skills.
Year 9 program:
- School success and personal organisation -successful transition to year 9
- Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum Recognising and reporting abuse unit
- Camp preparation – Galena mine site – organising food, sleeping in bivvies, building Trangia stoves, being resilient and independent
- Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum Recognising and reporting abuse / Family and Domestic violence unit
- Outward Bound – Developing resilience, collaboration, team building
- Relationships unit - Relationships, Love and Control
- Reflection on year 9 and transition to year 10
Year 10 program:
- Work Experience
- Careers
- Study Skills
- Subject Selection for Year 11
- Employment Skills
- Protection Strategies
- Keeping Safe - Child Protection Curriculum, Domestic & Family Violence and Recognising & reporting Abuse
Co-Curricular
Our co-curricular program is designed to introduce students to a variety of challenges, encouraging them to move out of their comfort zone. When this happens, students become open to new experiences and are more willing to see things from a different perspective. A range of optional co-curricular activities are offered at Geraldton Grammar School. These include activities from the sporting, music and academic streams.