The pastoral approach at St Marcellin Catholic College is Christ centred and child focused.
It is underpinned by our College Vision of Strong Minds, Gentle Hearts as a wellbeing framework. We prioritise the development of intentional and positive relationships by living out our values of hope, compassion and humility.
We believe that empowering our young people gives them value. We choose to honour the God given human dignity of all in our community to enable them to humbly aspire to be their best.
We understand that each student has great potential which should be nurtured and realised.
We live in our Marist tradition as exemplified by the words below.
We are a Restorative College
St Marcellin is committed to the core values of Hope, Compassion and Humility and the Marist approach to correction which is just, kind and forgiving.
The restorative practice model at St Marcellin Catholic College is particularly drawn from the philosophies of Paul McCold and Ted Watchel in their writing on the social discipline window – where the focus is on ‘doing with’.
At the heart of this practice is the notion that everyone is inherently worthy and that our connection to one another is what matters most.
Restorative practice enables us to build and nurture meaningful and just relationships. It identifies conflict as an opportunity to improve and strengthen relationships and develops accountability, cooperation, and problem-solving skills.
It is a teaching and learning approach that promotes self-regulation and encourages behaviour that is supportive and respectful. It puts the onus on individuals to be truly accountable for their behaviour and to repair any harm caused to others as a result of their actions.
Education and Care settings that use a restorative approach to relationships and behaviour report reductions in behaviours of concern, for example, bullying, harassment and violence, absenteeism and lost learning time
What is a restorative response to harm or conflict?
Those affected are invited to share:
- What has happened
- What the impact has been on those involved: i.e. who has been affected and in what ways they have been affected
- What needs to happen to put things right or to make things better in the future
Social Emotional Learning
In conjunction with a restorative approach, we are further committed to an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning.
Social and emotional learning is how children learn about feelings in themselves and others and how to manage those feelings so that they can have positive relationships and make good choices.
- Recognising emotions in oneself and others through facial expressions, body language, voice, behaviour
- Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions in oneself and others
- Labelling emotions with accurate words from a nuanced vocabulary
- Expressing emotions differently depending on context, situational expectations, and culture
- Regulating emotions with effective strategies and supporting others in their regulation of emotions
Marcellin Group
Marcellin Group is a community of students where educators have dedicated time to explicitly teach and explore with students what it means to live and learn with a Strong Mind and a Gentle Heart. Marcellin Group will make use of restorative circles to build community, enhance communication, and resolve issues collectively.
In the Junior School, Marcellin Group begins in Kindergarten.
In the Middle and Senior School, Marcellin Group will happen weekly and is connected to our house system.
