Community & Health - HOUSE PARENT

Introducing the Hogwarts' Heads of Houses duties - differently!

Primary Middle  Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

Australian Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Ethical Understanding

Philosophy

Cooperative Learning Activity

1. "Head of House is the title for the Professors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who are responsible for the one of the four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. They may serve concurrently as Deputy Headmaster but not as Headmaster.

Slytherin - Professor Severus Snape (Horace Slughorn - after the death of Snape)	Ravenclaw - Professor Filius Flitwick
Hufflepuff - Professor Pomona Sprout	Gryffindor - Professor Minerva McGonagall

The four Heads of House in Harry Potter's time

Provided they were in the House while a student at Hogwarts, teachers at Hogwarts may apply for the role. They are most likely selected by the Head of the school.

Severus Snape was made Head of Slytherin at the remarkably young age of twenty-one, when he only just returned to Hogwarts. It may be that he was the only teacher who was in Slytherin, following the retirement of Horace Slughorn. When Slughorn returned, Snape jealously guarded the prerogatives of the Headship, suggesting the teacher may not have to retire to lose the role.

Duties

A Head of House is charged with monitoring and maintaining the welfare, safety, and discipline of all members of their designated house, as well as corresponding with the parents of said students whenever necessary. They need to be nearby for emergency situations, such as when they informed students of new safety measures in 1993. It is unlikely that they can be far from the Hogwarts/Hogsmeade area for too long, except during holidays. They probably reside at Hogwarts throughout the school year. Although they can travel to Hogwarts when they live nearby, the school is very protected, which means Apparition, the Floo Network, or a Portkey would not be easy.

When they decide to live in Hogwarts, they will most likely will have private quarters near their House's common room. On at least one occasion, Professor McGonagall heard the noise of a party in the Gryffindor Tower from wherever she was sleeping. This may be the reason why Severus Snape did not take an office closer to his Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom in 1996, despite no longer teaching Potions.

Gryffindor's Common Room
(Source: Wizarding World)

While any professor can give a student detention or take points from any House, they speak to the Head of House when the student is in more than a little trouble. Professor McGonagall once told Draco Malfoy that she would see Professor Snape about him, after catching him out of bed at night.

The Head of House collects signed permission forms from their House's third year students, verifying that the students have permission to visit Hogsmeade on certain weekends. They also hold career counselling meetings with fifth year students, advising them on what N.E.W.T.-level classes they should take in preparation for their desired careers.

At the beginning of the sixth year for students, the Head of House will sit with each student and look at what subjects they want to take and whether they have obtained the O.W.L. grade they needed to continue. They will advise them on what to do when they haven't.

When the weekend Apparition Course takes place at the school, the Heads of House attend and help oversee the participating students from their House.

They may be used as a personal reference whenever one of their former students seeks employment.

As every Head of House attended Hogwarts in the house they lead, they often encourage their team to win at events. The house pride and rivalry was seen when McGonagall and Snape were Head of Gryffindor and Slytherin. They would both support their team when they played Quidditch." (Source: Harry Potter Fandom)

2. After reading the above description of the duties of a Head of House, list the other duties you think they should perform.

Discuss with a group of 3 - 4 students these other duties.

3. Create a list, with the other 3 - 4 students, about the way Hogwarts' School of Wizardary disciplines the students under their care. Eg. House Detention points - both positive and negative - are given to students. Are any of these punishments or rewards "Not Fair"?

4. Create another list of the way you think Hogwarts could have disciplined their students - things that you would obey!

Discuss: Are any of these punishments or rewards "Not Fair"? Remember to work out together the question "What is fair?"

5. Ethics.

Nearly every holiday, Harry is sent back to his aunt and uncle  - the Dursleys.

"Why did McGonagall send Harry back to the Dursleys knowing the situation he found himself in?

Was this being a responsible Head of House?"

The true cost of Homelessness. Can we help?

  Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

Australian Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Ethical Understanding

Philosophy

Cooperative Learning Activity

1. In groups of 3 - 4 students, read the following article from The Conversation 22 September 2020 and list the relevant points being expressed by these authors.

2. Your group is to develop a Public Service Announcement (PSA) about the details in this article to persuade Governments [State & Federal] that it is financially sound to house the homeless. To create a PSA, you are to take note of the following advice from GovTech [USA website] - "Getting Started"

3. Some of the processes involved include: writing a script and storyboarding this script. Go to Storyboard resources here.

4.

Share your group's PSA with other groups in the class. How persuasive was your PSA?

5. Do you know what it is like to "sleep rough"? Each year St Vinnies holds a Vinnies School Sleepout to give you a glimpse into the realities of homelessness by ‘sleeping rough’ for a night to raise awareness and funds for Vinnies homelessness services. Think about holding a Vinnies School Sleepout at your school.