Support Services
School Chaplains
The Seventh-day Adventist Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program assists our school communities to support the wellbeing of their students, including strengthening values, providing greater pastoral care and enhancing engagement with the broader community.
- Provide students, their families and staff with support and/or appropriate referrals, in difficult situations such as during times of grief or when students are facing personal or emotional challenges
- Support students and staff to create an environment of cooperation and mutual respect, promoting an understanding of diversity and the range of cultures and their related traditions
- Support students, their families and staff of all beliefs and not seeking to impose any beliefs or persuade an individual toward a particular set of beliefs
- Attend in-service activities as required by the principal
- Carry out extra-curricular responsibilities as agreed by negotiation with the Principal
- Conduct and/or organise weekly chapels and two weeks of spiritual emphasis each year
- Visit classrooms on a regular basis, both informally and formally
- Mentor students with behavioural and/or emotional needs
- Interact with the students in the playground
- Make themselves available if students need someone to talk to about an issue they may have
- Visit families at home when requested
Disclaimer: The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
Teachers can refer students directly to the chaplaincy service when they see fit. The chaplain can offer referrals to counsellors and outside agencies when and if the need arises.
Students are able to contact the chaplain directly for a meeting. It is necessary that the chaplain contact the parent and let them know that such a request has made and ask for permission to go ahead.
Parents may contact the chaplain by phone and request that he or she meet with their child.
As a Christian school, the Hurstville Adventist School will be conducted under the beliefs of Christianity and The Seventh-Day Adventist Church. It is understood that families of students attending this school knowingly have enrolled and sent their children with the understanding that Christian values and beliefs will be taught. Any programs run by the chaplain involving the whole school are compulsory.
If parents and carers have any complaints they are welcome to discuss the matter with the school principal who will provide the complaints forms if required.
A report is prepared and presented to both the Home and School Committee and the Board of Management each year. Both bodies endorsed that the program will continue in 2016. Parents and students are also given the opportunity to have their say by completing a survey.
Child Safe Standards
Seventh-day Adventist Schools NSW have made child safety a priority in its response to the new Child Safe Standards.
There are 6 public facing documents on the linked website sharing the child safe responsibilities and expectations across our school and college communities.
There is an overarching Child Safe Policy driving the other processes and procedures in our schools and colleges.
Within these documents, you will find codes of conduct and professional boundaries for adults and staff as well as a code of conduct for students.
These documents provide the platform for any member of the school or college community to response to and report a child safe incident or concern. It also provides guidance on how to manage child safe complaints.
With these six public facing documents the school or college community will know what is appropriate and acceptable in relation to child safe matters.
Complaints Handling
Please contact Neva Taylor, School Principal, for a complaints form if required.
