Deputy Principal's Report

Student Leadership Development Day

On Friday, 15 November, the whole-school student leaders for 2020 met to put in place some initiatives for the coming year.  Bridie Wilcox (School Captain), Juliana Neild (School Vice Captain), Bridget Saundry (Faith & Mission Captain), Kiriaki-Kiara Katiforis (Academic Captain), Kas Thomas (Music Captain) and Ella Brinksma (Sports Captain) were all present, whilst Ava Li (International Captain) was absent as she was doing her Unit 3/4 Chinese Exam.  Discussion centred on models of leadership that have been provided, particularly from Nano Nagle, as well as why the group have chosen to lead the school.  More pointedly, we were looking to find a purpose to the opportunity that 2020 presents.

Having worked closely with student leaders in the past, this always presents a challenge. It is ‘easy’ to reduce leadership to a series of tasks and events; we look at what we have to do, the timelines, the requirements and what we need others to do. What our leaders were challenged to do was to find their ‘why’ as a team. What are they trying to achieve through everything that they are doing? This prompted a lot of thought with some clarity towards the end of the day.

Coupled with this purpose was defining some of the actions that will be the hallmarks of their leadership. Promoting stronger cohesion with the students, providing more opportunities to experience school life and ensuring that the year is one of joy and celebration were all central in the girls thinking.

The final statement of the ‘Why’ is yet to be finalised. Nevertheless, I do believe that in the eyes of the student leaders, the purpose of their leadership is very clear. Additionally, it is perfectly suited to the context of PCW in 2020. As they are the final PCW student leadership team their motivations to lead will serve the needs of the College as well as provide some clear direction for the school community. We look forward to supporting them in their endeavours; I am confident they will excel.

Brenden Mair

Deputy Principal