Student Leadership
Dear Saltwater Community,
What a term it has been for our student leaders! Our Junior School Council representatives and Class Captains have truly stepped into their roles, becoming more visible, proactive, and engaged within our school community.
From sharing their voices in meetings to representing their peers with pride, it’s been inspiring to watch them grow in confidence and purpose.
One highlight this term was our Leadership Day on June 23rd, where our Year 5 and 6 leaders came together for a full-day conference to explore what it means to lead with integrity, empathy, and action.
Student Leadership Day – Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders
On Monday, 23rd June 2025, our Year 5 and 6 student leaders came together for a full-day Leadership Conference led by Noah Mernik, Brent Syme, and Sarah Grenfell. With the support of guest facilitators Alice and Matt, students were taken on an engaging and empowering journey to deepen their understanding of what it means to lead with purpose, empathy, and confidence.
What is Leadership?
The day began with students reflecting on what leadership looks like at Saltwater College. They explored different leadership qualities, shared their insights, and were introduced to the core idea that leadership starts with self-awareness.
Team Challenge: The Spaghetti Tower
Students participated in a hands-on team task to build the tallest spaghetti tower using only blutak, tape, and spaghetti. This activity encouraged collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity. Afterward, students discussed the importance of strong foundations—both structurally and as leaders—and the value of open communication and shared decision-making.
Using a Venn diagram, students explored three distinct leadership styles: Director, Supporter, and Peer. They reflected on their personal style and how it influences the way they lead and interact with others.
CAT Model – Building Self-Leadership
Through the CAT Model—Confidence, Awareness, Talk—students learned self-leadership strategies that help develop a strong inner voice and identity:
Confidence: Action backed by knowledge builds self-assurance.
Awareness: Recognising where you are and where you want to grow.
Talk: Speaking kindly and honestly about yourself and your potential.
Students also created their own “I am” statements, highlighting personal strengths and sources of pride—fostering self-worth and positive self-talk.
Human Knot – The Power of Teamwork
In the Human Knot challenge, students worked together to untangle their interlinked arms. They reflected on what made the task easier—clear communication, patience, and trust—and how these skills directly relate to effective teamwork in leadership roles.
Approach & Apologise – Communication Framework
Students practised using the A&A strategy:
Approach: “I see… I feel… Next time, please…”
Apologise: “I own… I apologise… Next time, I will…”
This framework supports constructive conversations and accountability—essential traits in student leaders.
New Student Enrolment Tours
Over the past week, our JSC student leaders practised how to support new student enrollment interview tours. They looked into what features and areas of our school would be important and of interest to new students before they began with us at Saltwater.
Florence (1D, JSC) showed the new students around the school. We went to the canteen, the year one playground and Mr Syme’s office. I went around and introduced these places. For example, “ this is the canteen where we can get our lunch orders or buy food if we have money”. I felt really proud doing this work; I felt I was really good at it. It was fun and I would happily do it again.
Owning Our Choices
Through interactive games like Simon Says, students explored the difference between honesty and excuse-making. They discussed how accountability builds trust and how leaders take responsibility for their actions, even when it’s tough.
Big Issues, Bold Ideas
The final part of the day focused on identifying and addressing real-world issues that matter to our students. Working in groups, they brainstormed causes and solutions to problems like:
Discrimination
Road safety
Climate change
Bullying and cyberbullying
Students began developing student-led initiatives, focusing on how they can be agents of change both in their school and the wider community.
This inspiring day left our student leaders feeling empowered, connected, and motivated to take action. We look forward to seeing their voices and ideas lead meaningful initiatives across our school.
Buddies
Prep G and Year 5A feel very lucky to be the only Prep and Year 5 buddy pairing at our school. We love spending time together and building strong friendships. In our most recent buddy session, each Prep student brought two stories—one to read aloud to their Year 5 buddy, and another that was their favourite story and their Year 5 buddy had read to it to them. It was wonderful to see the younger students growing in confidence and the older students showing such care and leadership. It was a special way to celebrate our love of books and the bond we share. We’re already looking forward to our next catch-up!
Thank you,
Student Leadership