Our school chaplain Shane Scott (Chappy Shane) commenced at The Arundel State School at the beginning of 2020. He is an employee of SU QLD, Australia's largest employer of school chaplains. Chaplains are present in government schools at the invitation of the Principal and with the support of the P&C Association.
Chaplains are a safe person for young people to connect with at school, providing a listening ear and caring presence. The chaplain helps foster a supportive and caring school community. This support and pastoral care extends to staff and families.
Engaging with the Chaplaincy service is voluntary and available to everyone in the school community regardless of their religious beliefs. The Chaplain does not provide religious education in the school and does not initiate discussion pertaining to Christianity or spiritual matters. Such discussion is at the instigation of the parent or student (with parent consent) and is dealt with in a sensitive manner.
This position is predominately funded through the National Schools Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program (NSCSWP).
The chaplain can provide a broad range of services including:
• Support and assistance for the students, staff and parents of the school community.
• Support for students dealing with issues such as parent separation, grief and loss, friendship and peer issues, mental health, etc.
• Student programs that aim to develop self-esteem, resilience, life skills, coping with grief and loss.
• General involvement in the life of the school community (E.g. carnivals, camps, excursions, sport, etc.)
• Liaison between the school and community groups/agencies
Chappy Shane is at Arundel State School on Wednesday and Thursday and can be contacted at the school or by email shanes@chappy.org.au
For more information on school chaplaincy you can visit https://www.suqld.org.au