The Pathways Mentor Program has been developed in response to student concerns that indicated that in the past students had not been sufficiently exposed to the opportunities available to them, when they reached their final years of secondary school.
Focus of the support is on:
- Course selection
- Study skills
- Health and well-being
- Relationships
- Getting work skills
Dedicated time forms part of the student and mentor timetables. We seek to utilise the relationships that will develop between Home Group teachers and the student members of the Home Group.
A central premise of the program is the use of relationships. We seek to take advantage of the sense of trust that should develop between the Pathway Mentor and the students they are working with.
The Pathway Mentor Program is held in session 5 each Wednesday. All students in Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12 are involved in the program..
The following provide support and expertise for the Pathways Mentors to carry out their role effectively:
- The VCE Leader (Felicity Cummins)
- The Applied Learning Leader (Ruth O’Bree)
- The Partnerships Leader (Mary-ann Linehan)
- The Careers Team Leader and the Careers Practitioners (Natasha Boyko)
- Sub-school leaders (Amy Gallacher, Kirsten Tozer and Tom Robinson)
- External providers
The program is a mix of whole Neighbourhood, House, Home Group activities. What and how is it done depends on the time of the year and the particular year level.
As an example of the program for Year 12 students, in Term 1 includes:
- Induction for the program/introduce the team/set the scene
- VASS details check
- Organisation: Why this is important and ideas for different organisation systems
- Time Management: Barriers and solutions for effective time management and homework planners.
- Focussed note taking.
- Inquiry Skills
- Why is it important to ask questions?
- Levels of thinking
- How to write and use questions to study effectively
- Careers interviews (with the Neighbourhood Principal)
- Follow up interview with Careers Practitioners
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