In his own words, Principal of De la Salle College Peter Houlihan recalls how the all-boys school successfully implemented a personal development and wellbeing program specifically designed for students on their journey from Year 5 to Year 12, across the Tiverton, Holy Eucharist and Kinnoull campuses.
Traversing the journey through childhood, adolescence and into young adulthood can often be fraught with challenges. Finding your way and establishing ‘your place’ in a large school can be remarkably smooth when young men are instilled with a sense of belief and are immersed in positive relationships with peers and staff.
Many of my most rewarding experiences in my ten years as a Principal stem from witnessing students build increased confidence and then genuinely thriving in our supportive environment.
This is particularly true for those who come from an environment or mindset where that degree of confidence was perhaps lower than they would have liked it to be.
Fostering self-belief and building confidence
This integral feature of De La Salle – the fact that it is a place for all, where each student can successfully
follow his vocation – is what our staff and families value most highly. To this point, a few prominent examples are front of mind for me that impacted three very different young men who later flourished in their chosen pathway.
When a recent graduate came to us as a shy, quiet Year 4, our staff recognised and encouraged his strengths and potential early one. In his nine years at the College, he grew to the extent he was selected for a significant leadership role in Year 12 and attained an ATAR above 98.
His feedback from his time here was that the growth in confidence that he gained from his relationships with pastoral care and inspiring educators, coupled with caring relationships with his friends here, changed his life.
Another example is a student that came to De La Salle halfway through his secondary journey after his previous school didn’t work out for him. Lacking confidence and suspicious of what traditional schooling may be able to offer, this young man embraced his newfound supportive environment.
Staff instilled in him self-belief and a sense of purpose, and his friends built his self-esteem and confidence. As a result, he successfully navigated his senior years with positive outcomes, a strong skillset, and a positive attitude that he expressed he had never imagined possible before.
Positive experiences create better outcomes
A successful school is built around positive relationships at all levels. In an open-entry, mixed ability school it is crucial each student feels comfortable and that there is a pathway and a place for him and his goals.
Every student brings his own unique set of gifts and talents and a good school must be able to work with each child to identify, explore and utilise these. The formal academic program is of course central and critical, but creating a space which students feel builds trust, belief, self-assurance and resilience is unquestionably of equal value.
To find out more about De La Salle College or book a college tour visit: www.delasalle.vic.edu.au/enrolment/college-tours
