Principal's Report

Developing Future Leaders

Providing students with opportunities to take on leadership roles and build their leadership potential has become a feature of our school (both campuses).  This ties in nicely with the fact that our students are keen to put their hands up to give things a try, even if it may be daunting.  These are important aspects of the culture of our school.

Most of these opportunities come in the final few years of school, which is outlined below, but the groundwork for this is laid in opportunities children get in the preceding years.

These include things like:

 Public Speaking – We’re always looking for opportunities to have students prepare and

 present something to their peers and the school community, usually over the PA or at assemblies.  Last week was a good example with a selection of students contributing to the daily announcements sharing what they like about our school as part of Education Week.  And the vast majority of our kids are keen to be given an opportunity to speak at an assembly, even the whole school assemblies in front of a large crowd.  Most are very nervous but afterwards are proud of their efforts.  And there are other public speaking opportunities, such as being part of our debating team or participation in the Lion’s Club Public Speaking competition.  As they go through life, our kids won’t shy away from taking on leadership roles or other opportunities that include public speaking, because it’s something they have experienced and survived.

Voice of the Students (VOTS) – Those selected to be a VOTS representative for a given year take the responsibility very seriously, and from the junior years are keen to be heard and are happy to offer their thoughts and ideas.  The kids get to see that they have a voice and that they can shape the environment around them.  Our students also get opportunities to have a voice in their classrooms and through our Bunjil Award morning teas.  As mentioned before, this is a highlight of our week and we take the opportunity to have a good chat with the kids, asking them what they think is going well and what we could improve.  They take these chats very seriously.

Leadership opportunities ramp up when students make it to the senior school. These include:

Think Tank – Over the past few years the City of Ballarat have invited a small group of schools to be part of the Think Tank program.  The leaders of the program engage with the students to hear their thoughts and ideas for the greater Ballarat precinct.  This has been mutually beneficial, and our participants have made a strong contribution.

School Captains – At both campuses our school captains do an excellent job.  Largely this work focuses on weekly assemblies, with our student leaders playing a role in the preparation and delivery of assemblies.  Their work as part of the process of selecting school captains for the following year is always enlightening for the current school captains.

Grade 6 Leadership Teams – This is something we introduced 7 or 8 years ago and has become a feature of our school.  The roles include sports house leaders, Art, Canteen, E-Learning, Flag & Bike Shed, Maintenance, Photography, Sustainability and Transition.  The kids thoroughly enjoy being part of these teams and get enjoyment and satisfaction from what is achieved and the contribution they are making to the school.  There’s no doubt this keeps the kids invested and connected to the school in their final year of primary education.

GRIP Leadership Conference – In term 1 every year, our grade 6s are invited to register for this conference, which is held at the Melbourne Convention Centre.  There are hundreds of schools across the state in attendance, and the presenters do an excellent job.  The students are encouraged to think about leadership opportunities in their school and the qualities of a good leader.  This is a great day for the kids and is something we will continue to be part of.

Preparing our students to be future leaders will continue to be a priority for our school, and we look forward to seeing where this takes our kids in the future.