Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning

Year 9 Ethical Leadership Program Certificate of Completion

With the conclusion of the Year 9 Ethical Leadership Program, the students gathered to acknowledge and celebrate all they had learnt and experienced in this time.  

Student Bella S was called upon to speak on behalf of the Year 9 cohort and provided this insight:

It is my pleasure to speak today about how much we have learned from the Year 9 Ethical Leadership Program. From Ms Charles' passionate support of the program, to the calm and steady leadership of Ms Andrews, along with the enlightening and engaging programs that we undertook here in Melbourne visiting Melbourne, Monash and Deakin Universities, experiencing mooting courts, Indigenous walks, museums, science labs and art galleries, we have discovered so much.  These are lessons that extend what we have learned in the classroom and that we will take with us for the rest of our lives. 

While learning a range of ethical skills, we were privileged enough to explore the breathtaking property we were staying on. Spending time on Narmbool gave us the opportunity to reflect and think deeply while surrounded by nature.  While we were all worried about how we would cope without our phones, it was amazing to see so many of us reading, knitting, playing cards or just lying around talking, connecting with each other.  

Throughout the program, we were taught by the enthusiastic Fi and Leslie from Cranlana who immersed us in the world of ethics and taught us how to truly think like ethicists.  I would like to share my most meaningful of many sessions that we had with the Cranlana team. This session took place during the first week on retreat and has remained as a discussion point throughout our whole time in the program and even when back at school, The Trolley Problem. Even though some of us had some awareness of The Trolley Problem it became a large turning point when translating our base knowledge of ethics into a real example, although hypothetical the whole group took it seriously and debated each side of the scenario. The Trolley Problem had four different situations to display the four different ways that ethicists decipher and decide where they stand within this problem, today I will reflect on the first one.   

In this scenario the trolley runs down the track and would hit and kill five workers instantly unless you pull a lever and direct the trolley to only hit one worker, instantly killing them. When Leslie posed this question to us we all tried to find a way to avoid answering, some said that they would yell at the workers to get off the track or call ambulances and police to save the people before they died. But Leslie reminded us that these were the hard questions ethics is faced with and there is no way to get out of choosing to pull the lever or not. After we accepted the fact that there was no way to avoid answering, the group was divided into two sides: people who would pull the lever and people that would not. Both sides had fair arguments, and, in the end, there was no right choice.  

Not only did the Cranlana sessions play a major role in our time at Narmbool, but we also made unforgettable memories; from the Craftanoons inspired by what we had learnt each day to the sunset runs and the unimaginable views during our hikes and walks.  

Although the camping trip involved either spending a freezing night in a tent beside a creaky old wooden house or sleeping on a concrete floor at the halfway stop because of severe weather warnings, these are the moments we will look back on and remember most from this incredible opportunity. 

Of course, the movie nights were my personal favourite. Everyone's laughter and shared love for The Hunger Games made those evenings even more memorable. 

Whether it was playing Uno, Trivia, Puzzles, Murder in the Dark, Pit, or the group of girls bedazzling everyone's name tags for their cabin doors, every activity was fun and helped to create the welcoming atmosphere around retreat.  

Not only did we strengthen the relationships with our friends we formed a bond that will last all throughout our time at St Catherine's and beyond. We will forever be grateful for what we have learnt and been able to take away and implement into our everyday lives.  

Before this experience, I didn't even know how to explain ethics. 

Now, I can confidently navigate moral dilemmas, consider different perspectives, and make thoughtful decisions based on ethical reasoning. The Cranlana program has given me skills and knowledge that I will continue to use long after Narmbool.   

I will forever be reminded of the Cranlana sessions whenever I hear the song, Roxanne.  

Words by Bella S

Year 9

St Catherine's School