Year 12 is a year that defines future opportunities and prepares us for the wider world. Along with the assignments, exams and other commitments each student has to endure, there is an inherent challenge we all have to overcome. Stress.
Stress is a concept that is often visually represented with an image of someone alone, with his hands wrapped around his head, and yet stress is something we all face. It arises when we are faced with challenges, overloaded with deadlines or perhaps in a shaky relationship, spurring within us a sense of disbelief and lack of confidence in our own abilities. Stress is something that people have been told to avoid. When we think of stress, we often reflect on how we are negatively affected mentally, and how stress can be detrimental to our day to day lives.
I believe that it is the negative perception of stress that we must change, so that we can harness it to our advantage. I have realised that stress is a result of caring about ourselves. When we are determined to overcome challenges, when we strive to hand our papers in by the due date and when we feel we need to fix a broken relationship, we experience stress. I think it is important to understand that stress is what keeps us going. It provides us with an incentive to avoid the negative situations we fear.
We as students have an added advantage in managing our stress in a school community that strives to keep student wellbeing at its forefront. At Salesian, we are provided with a safe and welcoming environment that ensures that everyone feels a sense of belonging, something I have experienced since my first few days here at the College. The positive environment at our school encourages everyone to express themselves authentically, creating a space where students feel comfortable approaching their peers and teachers in times of hardship. This dynamic relationship between students and staff at Salesian is something that I value. We all learn from one another, and it is this spirit of teamwork that has allowed me to overcome my own challenges.
Our new project based learning initiative is currently being trialled in junior year levels. As part of this initiative, certain subjects are merged together. The initiative provides students with the opportunity to strengthen their problem solving and team work skills, encouraging them to consider the application of these skills in real life scenarios. It is these principles of cooperation that will prove incredibly useful to students who may be considering becoming a member of the Student Leadership team in their later years at the College.
To me, a great group of leaders consists of individuals who voice their various perspectives, whilst always respecting each other’s personal views. In a school that celebrates diversity, our Student Leadership team is one that has a deep level of understanding of one another. What unites each member of the team is our common sense of belonging within the Salesian community, and our passion for encouraging every student to leave their mark by bringing about positive change within our school.
Bo De Silva
2019 College Captain
We congratulate our 2019 College Captain Bo De Silva on his ATAR of 93.6, and acknowledge the level of commitment Bo has demonstrated in achieving this ATAR while balancing his responsibilities as College Captain.