16.06.2022

By Gabbie Rogers-Smith

“Gabbie! Can I talk to you at recess?” 

“Can you come into our classroom next?” 

“Can you sing for us again?!” 

These are some of the most common, delightful questions I get asked (repeatedly! My poor voice box!) each day in my role as school chaplain at Port Sorell Primary School (and at Westbury PS for that matter!). 

Part of a school’s wider student support team, school chaplains in Australian government schools work toward the overall wellbeing of students, and the wider school community (including staff and families) – the National School Chaplaincy Program flyer on the Department of Education website has a great summary of the role! 

In short, our aim is to identify and respond to the (primarily) emotional, but also physical, social, and spiritual needs in the school community, providing pastoral care and support. 

But what does this actually look like on the ground? 

Here’s a usual day in the life of Chappy Gabbie at Port Sorell PS. 

Breakfast club before school (courtesy of Loaves and Fishes, and some champion volunteers), visiting various classrooms throughout the day (getting alongside individuals and small groups, assisting with their work while getting to know them over time), meeting with 1 or 2 individual students to do art/drama/gardening while providing pastoral care and/or building resilience and emotional maturity, chatting to staff in the staff room and/or being present in the playground at recess and lunch, talking with parents and grandparents before and after school, and (inevitably!) singing with/for students…what a joy and privilege this role is! 

Devonport Chaplaincy skilfully delivers the chaplaincy program to schools in our area, as well as breakfast clubs and student mentoring programs. 

If helping with breakfast club or student mentoring interests you, I would love to hear from you (or if you would simply like to know more about the chaplaincy program in general!) 

my email is: gabbie.rogers-smith@devonportchaplaincy.org.au.