Jason Rea - Hurstville Boys Campus
Jason Rea really enjoys his challenging role as Head Teacher Wellbeing at Hurstville Boys Campus. He was appointed to the College in 2015. After Jason graduated from Wollongong University in 2004, he taught PDHPE at Sir Joseph Banks High School until his appointment to GRC Hurstville Boys Campus.
Jason grew up in the Wollongong area and attended both primary and secondary schools in Wollongong. He has very fond memories of Ms Briend-James his teacher in years 5 and 6 at primary school. Ms Briend-James from Boston USA certainly made an impression on him when she attended his Year 12 graduation after six years at high school to wish her former primary students well and encourage them to follow their dreams. Until his last years at school Jason was unsure of his career path but in year 12 he applied to study Physical Education at Wollongong University and was very pleased when he was accepted into the course.
Teaching Health and Physical Education proved to be an ideal background for his later promotion to the leadership role of Head Teacher Wellbeing. Jason leads the Wellbeing Team at HBHS which includes the four Year Advisers for years 7-10, the School Counsellors, one of the Deputy Principals and the Youth Worker attached to the school. The Wellbeing team has a strong focus on mentoring vulnerable adolescent students. The Team is seeking to prevent alienation and disconnection, especially during the last two years as we battle a global, one in a hundred years pandemic.
It is very challenging to rely on Zoom meetings to foster connections with students but the Wellbeing team meets regularly to discuss strategies which will ensure that the boys and their families receive strong support and encouragement during such difficult times. Jason believes that teachers play a vital role in generating optimism and hope for the future. The Team also maintains a strong focus on developing resilience during the many weeks that organised sports and games have not been allowed to proceed.
During term 2 this year Jason was relieving Deputy Principal for five weeks. He welcomed the opportunity to further refine his leadership skills. He gained a greater understanding of the challenges facing school leaders both at the Hurstville Boys Campus and across GRC more widely.
Jason has a strong interest in programming for the PDHPE curriculum across years 7-12, including the HSC subject in years 11 and 12. As Head Teacher Wellbeing, he is also a member of the PDHPE faculty at Hurstville Boys Campus and is the GRC Key Learning Coordinator the PDHPE cross campus team. He welcomed the opportunity to teach the Years 11-12 course at the senior campus in recent years. Cross campus teaching is a feature of the GRC cross campus philosophy. He strongly believes that the key topics in the mandatory Years 7-10 curriculum regarding alcohol and drugs, at risk behaviours, safe driving and road rules, fitness, nutrition, health and wellbeing are of vital importance to young Australians. Jason is always alert for new and interesting resources and programming approaches in his desire to create the best learning opportunities in PDHPE for his students.
Outside of his role as a PDHPE teacher and more recently Head Teacher Wellbeing, Jason has enjoyed coaching soccer for Sydney FC. He is currently the coach of the Under 14 Team and has coached both Under 16 and Under 18 Teams in the past. Unfortunately, the soccer competition has been suspended until we emerge from the pandemic and lockdown restrictions. All of the Sydney FC teams and coaches are eagerly looking forward to the resumption of the competition. Jason has encountered several former students in his coaching years at Sydney FRC and he is always glad to see them. No doubt they would be equally pleased to see their former teacher/mentor.
Physical activity and sports coaching really make a huge difference to the fitness of young Australians who live in so many of the high rise buildings in and around Hurstville and the Georges River College drawing areas. In the virtual PDHPE classes and in the wellbeing monitoring sessions Jason, the PDHPE teachers and the Wellbeing team are alert for signs of frustration, boredom and alienation and recommend various physical fitness strategies for the lockdown period.
Story by Judy King