Connecting with St Hilda's
Introducing our new blog – Connecting with St Hilda’s. The purpose of our blog is to connect parents and caregivers with information, wisdom and experts to enhance the wellbeing of our young people. St Hilda’s has long been a leader in the field of girls’ education and wellbeing, and to kick off our blog we focus on what we do to support our ākonga.
At St Hilda’s our aim is to build a culture of the ‘whole person matters’ and where each individual is supported and celebrated for who they are. Students are guided towards a range of tools and strategies that they can call on to boost their own wellbeing and grow their resilience. According to Deputy Principal of Pastoral, Ange Rathbone, “growing hauora is what we do here at St Hilda’s. We aim to guide and support our ākonga to have the courage to lean into learning and growing their own hauora”. Social and emotional learning (SEL) principles are embedded into the curriculum and school culture, to support the development of well-rounded, empowered wahine. These principles are further enhanced through the many learning opportunities offered to help grow self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. Students can learn how to navigate challenges, both inside and outside of the classroom.
The Health Curriculum, led by Monique Grant (Head of Department, Physical Education and Health), covers a range of topics at age-appropriate levels, encouraging curiousity and robust discussions to support students’ social and emotional development. Much of the curriculum delivery is based around Te whare tapa wha, a model created by Mason Durie, where the focus is on building a balanced and supported four-walled whare; taha tinana (physical wellbeing), taha hinengaro (mental and emotional wellbeing), taha whānau (social wellbeing) and taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing). The Five Ways of Wellbeing - Connect, Give, Notice, Keep Learning and Be Active - are also embedded into the curriculum, encouraging students to take ownership of their own health by implementing doses of these into their everyday lives.
All young people have challenging times and at St Hilda’s our students are supported through these difficulties by a professional wrap-around network who care deeply about our young people. Depending on the individual student and their specific needs, this support may include the Deputy Principal of Pastoral (Ange Rathbone) and the year level Deans team; our Counsellor (Marcelle Nader-Turner); our Chaplain (Dr Gillian Townsley); and Learning Support (Judy Maw or Chris Gabbusch). This highly experienced team work together to support students and their whanau, and are all passionate about helping our ākonga to be the best versions of themselves.
Other initiatives that support student connection include our Whanaungatanga Groups; Peer Mentoring; Buddy System for new students; Tātariki and Peer Mentoring; School House Activities; Student Council; Sexuality and Gender Acceptance (SAGA) group; Wellbeing Committee; International Buddies and more. All of these groups and initiatives have been developed over the years to ensure that each student at St Hilda’s feels supported and seen. A sense of belonging is enhanced by offering all of these opportunities to connect with others and find support when needed.
As noted above, there are multiple people and services available to our students at St Hilda’s to support their wellbeing. A few of these are highlighted below, with others to be featured in further depth in future blog posts:
• School Counsellor: Marcelle Nader-Turner is a counsellor and neuropsychotherapist, working with our students to help them find solutions to the tough stuff that life can throw their way. Addressing the whole range of emotional and mental health needs, Marcelle works with families and staff, where appropriate and in consultation with the student. It is a confidential service and Marcelle is bound by the New Zealand Association of Counsellors Code of Ethics. Marcelle also attends Health classes when appropriate and shares ways to manage stress, anxiety and sex education information. Tilly (Mathilda) our school dog, is always alongside appointments and class visits and offers her soothing, loving approach to everyone, always.
• Orah and the Nurture app: Students log their wellbeing state using the mood checker feature of the app, weekly or more frequently. The mood checker enables the student to reflect on their emotions, thoughts and responses to challenging situations. This helps the student to develop self-awareness and builds emotional maturity. The data is kept private, with the Dean the only adult who can view it. They are there to support the student, if the student wants help.
• Ask Aunty Hilda: Ask Aunty Hilda is a group run by students for students. It is for anyone in Years 12 and 13 who is passionate about women's rights, healthy relationships, sex, sexuality and understanding and accepting ourselves and our bodies. Ask Aunty Hilda runs the website under the same name, and is a place for reliable information, blog posts on current events affecting women and a question-and-answer page for anything related to relationships and sex.
To wrap up, St Hilda’s is a community that takes the responsibility of supporting the hauora of each and every student seriously. Our team of experienced professionals take a collaborative approach to help guide and support our whānau to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all. A variety of initiatives and programmes are in place to support students and their whānau, in a range of ways. Our graduates are empowered to leave St Hilda’s with a kete full of tools, strategies and experiences that will serve them well for life. For more information about wellbeing at St Hilda’s, please contact us.
Me mahi tahi tātou. Mō te oranga o te katoa.
We work together for the well-being of everyone.
