Snowy River School for Student Leadership
Community Learning Project
Hello, my name is Tess and I am from Frankston High School, though currently attending the Snowy River School for Student Leadership. I applied to attend Snowy River as it was an amazing opportunity to develop my leadership and an overall life-changing experience. My highlight of Snowy so far has been working closely with my Expo group during classes, including bridge building, social awareness, surfing and cultural diversity. These classes have helped me learn more about why effective communication is so important in a team, and how to do this. I have also enjoyed snorkelling with a group of students outside of my Expo group.
School for Student Leadership (SSL) is all about developing your leadership while living in a community of students like yourself. Living in a community like this leads to having more responsibilities including duties like cleaning up, taking care of the chickens, kitchen duty and living with a roommate.
At SSL, you have three classes throughout the day that go for around two hours each; morning, afternoon and evening class. Classes can be taught in your Expo group, Community Learning Project (CLP) group or whole school community. There are typically two different classes, more indoor or outdoor classes. For example, yesterday my morning class was a half day bike ride, and my afternoon class was self-awareness and management. I really love all of the classes here, and all of the valuable lessons that are taught.
The six Year 9 students from Frankston High School, Lucy Philpott, Matt Debenham, Jack Westley, Alex Hayes, Amelie Rule and myself, are all currently working on our CLP, which asks you to create a project that will positively affect and bring together your community. Our CLP focuses on making children’s hospital experiences more positive. We plan to visit the Monash Children’s Hospital and involve kids in fun, rewarding activities that can make their day a little bit better.
Overall, I have thoroughly been enjoying my time here at Snowy, and would highly recommend it to those who are thinking of applying. Snowy has already been so rewarding to me and it is only the beginning.
Tess Rogers
Year 9
Hello, my name is Jack and I’m a Year 9 student from Frankston High School, currently at the Snowy River Campus of the School for Student Leadership. I wanted to attend the Snowy River School because I wanted to improve my leadership skills and to do something different that will change my life. My highlights have been the amazing activities and classes with my Expo group, which includes Bridge Building, Surfing, Decision Making, Self/ Social Awareness and a Half Day Bike Ride. I have also enjoyed being the student leader (and will continue to), to improve on my public speaking and speech making. In these classes I’ve learnt the importance of being a good communicator and cooperative team member in order to be a great leader. The classes are all equally important as they are all meant to improve on your leadership for your future.
At the School for Student Leadership (SSL), you learn to become a great leader for a period of ten weeks instead of the subjects from normal schools like Maths, English or Science. You also live in a community of a variety of different students from different schools, which comes with responsibilities like doing duties. The duties include setting and packing up meals, cleaning bathrooms, looking after the chickens and cleaning your room, which is shared with another student that you don’t know. A normal day at SSL would be divided into three different classes, a morning, afternoon and evening class, which go for two hours each. We get breaks after each class for meals and we also have rest days on Saturday where we can choose what we would like to do.
The other Frankston High students at the SSL are Lucy Philpott, Matt Debenham, Amelie Rule, Tess Rogers and Alex Hayes. We are currently planning our Community Learning Project (CLP), in which we plan to visit the patients at Monash Children’s Hospital and make their day by getting them involved in some exciting activities. The reason we are doing this is to give our community a positive effect and to bring it closer together.
In the time I’ve been at SSL I have done so many exciting and educational activities that have certainly improved my leadership skills. I would highly encourage anyone who might be interested to attend the Snowy River Campus, as it is worth going. I have learnt and improved so much on leadership and it is just the beginning of a long and exciting journey.
Jack Westley
Year 9
Hello, my name is Matthew and I am currently attending Frankston High School. Late last year, an amazing opportunity came up to participate in the School for Student Leadership (SSL) up at the Snowy River Campus. I had to hand in an application and have a meeting. I was so pleased once I found out that I had been successful and been chosen to attend SSL. It was the most excitement I had felt for a long time! I have come to SSL because I really want to mature and build on my current leadership skills. For the time I am here, I would love to make some great friendships that will last forever!
At School for Student Leadership (SSL), you have three classes a day at around two hours each. Those classes can either be outside or inside lessons. You can have classes in your expo teams, Community Learning Project (CLP) groups or the whole community which is 45 people!
Whilst we are now living in a community, we have to take on a few responsibilities. Those responsibilities include cleaning up, taking care of the chickens, working in the kitchen and living with a roommate!
From Frankston High School, there have been six lucky students able to attend the Snowy River Campus! They are Jack Westley, Amelie Rule, Lucy Philpott, Tess Rogers, Alex Hayes and myself.
Our Community Learning Project is an activity that positively affects and brings your community together. We have planned to either visit the Royal Children’s Hospital or the Monash Children’s Hospital. We will go down to the kids' rooms and play lots of games and activities with the sick children to make their day!
Overall, I have been really enjoying the time I am spending at Snowy and have been making some great friendships. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of applying.
Matthew Debenham
Year 9