From our Principal

Dear Parents, Students and Friends,

I hope this finds you well and individually and collectively you are all managing through this pandemic. I have used the word hope deliberately in the previous sentence as I wish to speak a little of hope, something we currently need a good dose of. To be hope-filled is to experience a sense of purpose and positivity. This is a state of being that many crave at this stage of 2020.

Student Leadership

I feel privileged and blessed to have obtained my dose of hope and positivity when I listened and engaged in our Yr 11 Leadership program over the past weeks. This was particularly evident when I listened to our Yr 11 students articulate what makes an effective leader and how the attributes they possessed made them the leader of choice. The leadership speeches, as most other things, were undertaken remotely, yet the quality of presentation was impressive and the passion to contribute as potential leaders was inspiring.

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

- John Quincy Adams (6th President of the USA).

On their leadership day I presented Yr 11 students with this quote. Under this definition a leader is someone who: walks alongside people – rather than preaches from above, who considers others before self, actions things or initiatives and doesn’t just use words - the effective leader backs them up with actions. A leader is someone who inspires others to be more, to become better people and who is a team player.

My learning from listening to our prospective college leaders is that they possess an excellent understanding of what makes an effective leader. Here were just some of the quotes I gleaned from our nominees:

“A leader must possess the qualities of servant leadership, that is putting yourself last and everyone else before you”.
“A leader must possess a vision of what is possible”.
“An effective leader has the skill-set to contribute to making the school a better place”.
A leader, “keeps school spirit alive”.
“A leader strives for others to become the best versions of themselves”.
“A leader goes beyond what is expected”.
“A leader offers a listening ear”.
“Leadership is about: gratitude, passion, empathy and being inclusive of others”.
A leader is, “open-hearted and open-minded”.
A leader is “patient in everything you do”.
A leader possesses the attributes of: “compassion, respect, support for all, courage, determination, resilience and is humble”.
A leader is someone who is: “willing to serve, is present and is courageous”.

Many used the following quote to illustrate their understanding of leadership:

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world”.

- Mahatma Gandhi

What are we, the St. Peter’s College community looking for in our student leaders?

Contribute positively to a faith-filled community and nurture faith in others
To be Christ-like in thoughts, words and actions
Possess an authentic commitment to serve our college community
A commitment to be a team player
A passion to leave the college in a better place than they found it
A focus on developing student voice, and
To be that positive influence on those they meet along the journey

I congratulate those students who are seeking leadership portfolios. I wish them well for the next stages of the process and I look forward to announcing our School Captains and our Student Leaders with portfolios in a special edition of the College Newsletter next Thursday.

Stay well, Stay safe