Mission and Catholic Identity News

What is the leadership we want in our community?

Ask many people about what they feel students need to learn in College, and you will hear a common answer: students need to learn leadership skills. Sadly, in schools, few students learn the leadership skills they need for their future jobs or to serve their communities. In most schools, the development of student leadership skills is not part of the curriculum but relegated to ‘extra-curricular’ activities.

Therefore, how can a student gain the necessary leadership skills that will empower them to serve their communities and prepare for future jobs?

Students in Year Ten Religious Education this term are examining in depth the core aspects of Servant Leadership. To create students in a Catholic Education setting who are going to aspire to be servant leaders in the future in the public sector, non-profit, human services, business, education, health care and other organisations.

Leadership is crucial because its style determines organisational culture – ‘How we do things around here’ and so it sets the values and environment that influence behaviour. Leadership also establishes the vision that sets the direction of an organisation and leads people on the journey to achieve it.  We want our students to have this bedrock of skills to prepare them for their future.

Year Ten students will learn in this Servant Leadership unit about the legacy of St Peter. Building on knowledge from previous years of study at St. Peter’s College. An in depth analysis of who he was, what he stood for and what we take from the life and message of St Peter into a living charism for students in their present moment.

The unit will have an emphasis on the leadership model lived by St Peter - servant leadership. Students will complete the unit with an understanding of what are the core elements of servant leadership and how they can put into practice the skills and themes of this model of leadership into their current living and into the future. They will understand the call and commissioning of Peter as a call to us all. Students will embrace the call of Jesus to ‘Be Not Afraid’ and go forward confident in the guiding presence of God.

At the successful completion of the unit, with all tasks completed to an appropriate standard and with a consistent engagement in class – a Servant Leadership certificate will be granted to students who satisfy the criteria, signed by Principal, Mr Chris Black. With an aim that the leadership certificate can go into the students’ CV and displayed to potential part-time employers.

The Year Ten cohort will also participate in Reflection days on August 21 and 22 that will have this Servant Leadership theme.

Have a think to yourself to the following themes that Year Ten students will be presented with:

1. What are the practices of effective Catholic leaders?
2. What do you think the mission would be in a Petrine charism school to be a good student leader?
3. Give examples of events, people that display a Petrine mission.
4. Do you agree that the effective leader loves to empower others?
5. Do you agree that the effective student leader in a Catholic school promotes the Catholic culture with integrity?
6. Give an example of a peer who you think does the above well.

We celebrated this week on August, 8 the Feast day of St Mary of the Cross – Mary MacKillop. Do we need to go much further into our Australian history to find a better servant leader? If you do not know much about the story of Mary, stick her name in Google and have a read. A truly inspiring life account of someone who was ‘not afraid’.

Mr Matt Williams

Deputy Principal - Mission and Catholic Identity