Year Level Co-ordinators at Carey Baptist Grammar School play a vital role in supporting student wellbeing, academic progress and personal development. They build strong relationships with students and help guide them through key transition points, including from Middle to Senior School.
The Student Wellbeing structure
The Year Level Co-ordinators are an additional layer of support in the student experience. Within their Houses, students are part of mentor groups of about 15 students. A student’s mentor is their primary support and parent contact at the School and works in tandem with teachers.
The Head of House oversees the community building and connection opportunities across each House, and is available to students and parents for when extra support is needed.
Working closely with the Student Wellbeing team, a Carey student’s mentor, Head of House and Year Level Co-ordinator works to ensure they are well supported across all aspects of their schooling.
The role of Year Level Co-ordinators
In the Middle School, our Years 7, 8 and 9 Year Level Co-ordinators bring their empathy, expertise and patience to their roles to encourage and inspire the next generation of learners. Collectively, Sarah Cassidy (Year 7 Co-ordinator), Rhys Adams (Year 8 Co-ordinator) and Mathew Shill (Year 9 Co-ordinator) create an inclusive and values-driven environment in the Middle School where young people are empowered to grow, connect and thrive.
Sarah says, “Year 7 is all about making a positive start to high school by honouring the skills we’ve built in the junior years and being open to new challenges, ways of thinking and learning”. This is built upon in Year 8, where Rhys focusses on, “Being kind to oneself and those around us – and remembering forgiveness by promoting positive interactions among students and staff”. In Year 9, Mathew has introduced, “Small but meaningful traditions like our 30-day challenges, student shout-outs and community celebrations” to create a strong year-level identity.
In the Senior School, Jason Ross (Year 10 Co-ordinator), Claire Tumilovics (Year 11 Co-ordinator) and Wendy Franken (Year 12 Co-ordinator) support our senior students by building a culture of kindness, excellence and fun for students in their final years of schooling.
Year 10 is an important year in our young people’s development and our Year 10 cohort have many opportunities to build meaningful connections while setting themselves up for success in and beyond school. Carey Zero, which involves mentor groups travelling to far-north Queensland for a three-week expedition, combined with the activities organised by Jason throughout the year, allows Year 10 students to face Year 11 and 12 feeling confident and well-prepared to achieve their best.
Year Level Co-ordinators ensure that Carey students are, “Supported and encouraged to be their best person and nurtured to excel in their skills,” says Claire. They are some of the many support structures and specialist staff on hand to ensure Carey students feel confident and engaged in their learning and co-curricular programs throughout their time at Carey.
More reading: Carey Baptist Grammar School’s approach to developing curious and confident learners
