Student voice matters!

The SRC has achieved so much this term - executing events, generating ideas and discussion, as well as mapping out the year ahead.

As you will read about in this issue, the team staged events to celebrate both International Women's Day and Harmony Day,  which were very successful. SRC members worked hard to deliver these activities and events, and can be very proud of their efforts. 

The 2024 SRC is a very motivated and enthusiastic team - we are lucky to have them!

Student Forums

In Homegroup last week Harper, Tameka, Ms Goss and Harry arranged and conducted the Student Forum for Year 11 and Year 12 students. 

The forum was a huge success with a range of students out of each year level coming to provide feedback for what they thought the school could do to improve. 

 To gather feedback, the SRC wrote six topics (or 'prompts') on different pieces of paper. Using these prompts helps students to look at the school from a wider perspective. and spread them throughout the room, and students were encouraged to discuss the topics and note their ideas and suggestions below the prompt. 

These topics included:

• Teaching and Learning
• School Life Balance
• Infrastructure
• Wellbeing Services
• Work Practices
• Homegroup

 After transcribing and analysing the feedback from students, we took the initiative to organise a meeting with Ms. Harris to discuss possible ways to implement the proposed ideas. In doing this, we empower the student body and amplify the collective student voice, and aim to do this each time we conduct a forum. 

On reflections and following student input, the SRC will introduce another topic for future forums to address: Inclusivity, Bullying, and Discrimination.  Students agree that these are crucial issues for which students can provide positive,  informative and meaningful feedback that staff to draw upon when addressing student culture and developing programs for student body.

Leadership Convention

Several weeks ago,  members of the SRC -  Tameka Brown, Marlie Cassinides, Sunny Estorninho,  Oscar Hagarty, Georgia Hatton, Harper Hopkins, Harry Lalor and Juanita Myers - attended the Melbourne Secondary Youth Leadership Conference 2024. 

This conference was an excellent opportunity for us to develop leadership skills, and to learn new strategies towards more effective leadership. At the conference, they learned about different types of leadership, as well as how and when to employ each type of leadership model to best advantage.

• director: setting clear directions, making decisions and holding authority; 
• peer: working together on a common goal and influencing each other in making decisions and 
• supporter: helping empower others to succeed using empathy and support

The convention emphasised the importance of 'taking the chance'  - how leaders must take on the challenges that they and others fear. 

We acquired many skills from this conference, and found it highly valuable and informative. 

Representing the Student Body

Two students have been elected to represent the student body on the BSC School Council, and we congratulate Oscar Hagarty and Harper Hopkins on their appointment. 

Oscar and Harper will attend School Council Meetings twice per term, alongside the School Captains, staff and parent/carer representatives. 

Students fulfill an important role on School Council, on hand to offer student comment and perspective to the other members. Oscar and Harper will  ensure that the School Council can hear the Student Voice loud and clear!