SRC Students Collaborate with St Patrick's College on Gendered Violence and Respectful Relationships

Last Friday, students from Damascus College's Student Representative Council (SRC) had the opportunity to participate in a significant student forum held at St Patrick's College. The focus of the day was on Gendered Violence and Respectful Relationships.

Among the participants was Ella Gordon, a Year 8 student from McAuley House, who shared her experience:

"I and eight other students were lucky enough to get the opportunity to attend a Respectful Relationships Workshop at St Patrick's College on Friday the ninth of August. We spent the final two periods of the day talking to the St Pats boys and discussing the importance of respectful and healthy relationships, as well as online safety. After having some discussion about what we needed to do, we split into groups of five, to create a campaign that supports respectful relationships, with a hashtag such as #STOP.

Working together with people from both schools, we took notes and started to set up a campaign to support respect. We will present them to the group at our next meeting, a few Fridays from now. Once they have been presented, we will select a few to be put up around our schools and in the Ballarat community.

Each school was also provided with a box that will be put in student admin, that students can fill with papers with things we can do within our school community to show respect to students and staff written on them. We will bring this box to the next meeting, and we will compare the notes from both schools and see which ones we can apply to the school’s curriculum.

In conclusion I am very grateful for the opportunity to make a change in our local community and help others. We are all looking forward to the next workshop and seeing the campaign we make take action throughout our schools, and the wider Ballarat community."

The collaboration between Damascus College and St Patrick's College in addressing such critical issues reflects our deep commitment to upholding our Mercy Values—specifically, the values of respect, dignity, and justice. These principles are fundamental to our efforts in nurturing responsible, empathetic individuals who understand the importance of treating others with kindness and equality.

Respect, as a core Mercy Value, calls us to honour the inherent worth of every person. In the context of gendered violence, this means recognising and actively opposing behaviours and attitudes that demean or harm others based on their gender. Our students’ engagement in these discussions is a powerful testament to their understanding of respect as the foundation for healthy, equitable relationships.

Dignity, another key Mercy Value, reinforces the idea that every individual deserves to be treated with honour and fairness. By addressing issues of gendered violence, our students are advocating for the dignity of all members of our community, ensuring that everyone feels safe and valued.

Justice, which lies at the heart of our Mercy Values, compels us to challenge inequality and work towards a world where all people are treated justly. The enthusiasm our students have shown in implementing real change underscores the importance of education in fostering a more respectful and inclusive future, where justice prevails.

We are eager to see the positive impact their efforts will have within our schools and the wider community, as they embody these Mercy Values and contribute to creating a more compassionate and understanding world.

ACER SEWB Survey Completion:

Yesterday, our students completed the ACER Social-Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) Survey. This important survey will provide us with valuable insights into the specific needs of our student cohorts. We look forward to analysing the results and using this data to structure our Wellbeing initiatives over the next 12 months. By tailoring our approach based on the survey findings, we aim to better support the holistic development of our students, ensuring that our Wellbeing programmes are responsive to their unique challenges and strengths.