The Year 9 students have entered the new school year with great enthusiasm. They are thrilled to have their own home in the Wintergarden; they are enjoying the space and have taken ownership of it. There is a hive of activity first thing in the morning as students organise themselves for the day to come, and laughter and chatter whilst they reflect on their day during recess and lunch.

A big part of the Year 9 Wellbeing Program – weEngage – is the concept of engaging with others. Year 9 have begun the year with a ‘No Phone Friday’ initiative. Being mindful of ‘logging off’ is an important skill. This requires students to find time in their day to put the phone down and log off their computer in order to focus on studying for a test, going for a walk, or even more importantly, having a conversation with someone. No Phone Friday provides Year 9 with the opportunity to ‘log off’ by putting their phone in their locker for recess and lunchtime every Friday and spending time with their friends without the distractions of technology.

To help the students embrace the concept of logging off, a bounty of classic games such as UNO, Guess Who? and Jenga are available for the students to play each and every Friday. The cheers throughout the Wintergarden on a Friday lunchtime suggests that a healthy competitive streak is alive and well in this cohort!

The Year 9 students enjoy playing games during recess and lunch as part of their No Phone Friday weEngage initiative.

The Year 9 students have enjoyed engaging with seven UK exchange students who have been energetically throwing themselves into their St Catherine’s experience, particularly the Rowing program. In addition, we have had seven new Year 9 students join the St Catherine’s community in 2019 who have been welcomed and guided by their Blue Ribbon Buddies and are now integral parts of this warm and vibrant cohort.