At our school, we offer lots of ways for students to develop their leadership skills in formal leadership roles. Students also engage in informal leadership by working with and mentoring younger students such as in the P-2 and Grade 5/6 buddies program, Kinder Pals (VCE Vocational major students and Kinders).
The Senior School Captains are responsible for representing our secondary school. They lead weekly Year 5-11 school assemblies after meeting with Mr Ralph and Mrs Butters to work out what needs to be communicated to and celebrated by our school community.
The Senior School Captains regularly make formal speeches on occasions such as the annual Investiture Ceremony, ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day, and at various graduation and school gathering events.
The senior school captains chair Student Voice meetings, tasked with getting ideas rolling and making sure there is order in meetings, and that everyone gets to have a say.
In this role students work hard to develop their leadership and communication capabilities, and represent our school within the school and wider community.
Students in Years 7 to 12 have the opportunity to be elected to School Council to represent students on our school's peak decision-making body for two-year terms. Student representatives are responsible for attending monthly School Council meetings during term time, and representing student views on the uniform sub-committee. They attend Student Voice meetings, and report back to School Council on Student Voice matters.
House and Vice House captains are Year 11 and 12 students elected by members of our secondary houses - Spring and Mitchell - to help coordinate the house sports carnivals. They assist students to sign up to various sporting events, help to ensure that school sporting events run smoothly, and work to develop a sense of house pride and healthy competition amongst students. They encourage the involvement of younger students, especially Year 7s.
Bus captains are senior students who are responsible for maintaining a calm environment for all students who travel to and from school on each of our school buses. They are chosen for their responsibility and ability to mediate disagreements between students.
Each year, students enrolled in the Vocational VCE lead our annual ANZAC and Remembrance day commemorative ceremonies. These are completely student led and offer a wonderful opportunity for students to develop public speaking skills. Vocational Students also work with and support the kinder students from the Hawkesdale and District Family Services Centre in a program called Kinder Pals.
Collaborating. Communicating. Creating. These are the things we want for our students; working together to get the best outcomes while connecting with culture and country. While we try to meet every week, our purpose is to gather and yarn about the things that are happening in our lives, sharing story, listening to school visitors and completing projects in our school.
Recently our students have been collaborating to create a garden that promotes bush tucker usage and creates connection from community to our flora and fauna. We have collaborated with a local Indigenous artist, Sherry Johnstone, to create artwork within this garden. Students have learned about the importance of story telling. Next year we look to explore the region and its history, delve further into learning more and sharing it with our school - new experiences, new opportunities.
The School Captains of our Primary School are our leaders, role models and always show our school values; Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. These students organise and coordinate our primary school assemblies, are available and approachable for all students, offer support to teachers and present to outside organisations through interviews, consistently displaying our school motto to Dare to Achieve. They are asked to represent the school during important events throughout the year, such as our Remembrance Day ceremonies, ANZAC Day ceremonies and many more and represent primary school students on Student Voice.
The ICT Captain is a position for a student that will help set up computers for assemblies, provide clear instructions on how to solve ICT problems and help our ICT staff with any small jobs that may be an easy fix. The ICT Captain will also be responsible for beginning ICT Clubs, exploring design and technology in all its forms. They will create slide presentations, assist teachers and give and listen to advice around digital technologies of our school.
Our Arts Captain is not necessarily someone who has to be good at art. They are someone who loves to create, loves to have fun and share that with others. It is a role that involves bringing people together to have fun. The Arts Captain will help organise Arts Club during lunch times, build a creation station for students, assist in organising art accessories and items and provide a safe space for people to feel they belong and are welcome to create what they wish.
The Sports Captain will be the leader that will support sporting events and equipment when at school and out of school. They will ensure equipment is ready before the day, assist sport teachers and leaders and assist in organising students and equipment throughout particular sporting days. They will lead conversations on sport and give reports on student performance and discuss points of both victory and improvement.
The Buddy Captains (two positions) are your go-to leaders of primary school during lunch times on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They will help students with small issues such as arguments or unfair rules when playing games. They will be wearing highly visible jackets so students can find them for peer mediation. They will also help those who may seem alone, playing games or helping others join in on games. These students will also have the opportunity to lead buddy-orientated games to assist with transition from kindergarten to school.
