Investing in Leadership
Shining a spotlight on the Student Representative Council (SRC), a significant arm of the ³ûÖÊÓƵ student leadership program.
Members of the ³ûÖÊÓƵ SRC, past and present, attended Australia’s largest conference for youth leaders last week in Darling Harbour.
Along with the chance to network with student leaders from other schools, they learned ways to foster important soft skills such as self-leadership, personal agency, and connection-building for better interactions and a greater sense of community belonging for all.
There are three 2024 SRC members from each cohort from Years 6 to 12. Most received their badges on 12 March after a democratic and inclusive selection process. Potential SRC members self-nominate and Heads of School narrow down the list to five candidates. These finalists deliver speeches to their year group in Assembly, and the student body takes an anonymous vote.
Their position is sought on a range of School issues, and they also help raise money for important charity efforts, from anti-bullying to cancer research.
Year 10 SRC leader, Scarlett, expressed her motivation for taking on a leadership role: “I love both the ³ûÖÊÓƵ community and my year group. By showing involvement and integrity, I aim to lead by example in putting forward my year group’s recommendations for further improving the School.”
In turn, ³ûÖÊÓƵ takes the student leaders and their views very seriously. “³ûÖÊÓƵ is committed to supporting the SRC and listening carefully to its members,” said Dean of Students, Ms Sue Foxcroft. “Their concerns and requests are passed on to Principal, Dr Briony Scott, who together with the wider School, works to implement their ideas and suggestions, where possible.”
The SRC also forms part of ³ûÖÊÓƵ’s compliance with international Child Safe Standards, number two of which states that children must be taken seriously and made part of a school’s decision-making process.
“I am motivated to be an SRC leader by a desire to positively impact our School community,” said Georgia (Year 8). The qualities I look for in a leader myself include empathy, honesty, and adaptability. I'm also excited for the chance to improve my own leadership abilities along the road.”
Another ³ûÖÊÓƵ student leadership opportunity is the Peer Support program that sees Year 10 students receive fortnightly training to support our new Year 7 students, as they adjust to secondary school life. The older girls scaffold activities through small workshops that are designed to help the Year 7 students form fast bonds and quickly get to know the School and its culture. They also provide them with goodie bags, including handmade sweet treats, and ensure they are always contactable should the younger students need support at any time during the year.