19 MAY 2022 Year 8 Impact Day

On Tuesday the 17 May, the Year 8 students, assisted by 20 student leaders from Years 10 and 11, made their way to the Stadium to participate in a program led by Behaviour Management expert Greg Mitchell, known as Impact Day.

Mr Mitchell was visiting Kolbe Catholic College to work with staff and students on improving relationships and behaviours and Impact Day was one way of the most effective programs we have run with students in a very long time.

Throughout the day, the students were given opportunities to get to know people in their groups that they may never have interacted with before. Capably led by a Year 10 or 11 Student Leader (and supported by teachers), the Year 8s worked in their groups on activities such as storytelling, active listening and watched inspirational clips on the big screen.

Later, Mr Mitchell led students through some more difficult discussions and the day culminated in an activity know as ‘Crossing the Line’ where students were asked some confronting questions and bravely indicated their answers by stepping out of the group and into the middle of the stadium. This was done in silence and there was a lot of respect on display from our students as they supported those who have ‘crossed the line’.

A very big thank you must go to all the staff who were involved in Impact Day and of course to the student leaders and Year 8 students themselves. It is not easy to talk about some of the things we might be struggling with, and Impact Day was a success because the students were able to fully embrace many opportunities to grow on the day.

Simone McLaughlin
Director of Students Middle School