Through opportunities from helping in the classroom, completing group work, exposure to public speaking competitions and a focus on growing and maturing, students are developed as leaders throughout Kindergarten to Year 6.
Several official leadership opportunities are provided to students in the latter years of their time in Gawura. These include the Student Representative Council (Years 5 and 6 students from Junior School and Gawura) and the Student Leadership Team (Year 6 students). These students are self- or teacher-nominated, then elected and voted for by the student body. Gawura student leaders are incorporated into the wider Junior School Student Representative Council and Student Leadership Team.
On the Student Leadership Team, there is a focus on growing as a leader through empathy, being role models and serving in the Junior School and Gawura spaces. There are 19 students in this team: Junior School Captains and Junior School Vice Captains (two boys and two girls), Gawura Captain, 8 House Captains and two of the following Creative Captains: Art, Drama and Music.
The Gawura Captain leads Gawura and is a key role model for younger students. The captain is often called upon to say the Acknowledgement of Country at major school events. They are asked to lead the school and demonstrate the values of Yindyamarra – the Wiradjuri way of knowing based on five principles: give respect, be gentle, be polite, to honour, to do slowly.
Through attendance at leadership events such as the Halogen Conference and fortnightly meetings where student leaders engage in thoughtful discussions about leadership, as well as how to engage and serve the community, these Year 6 students learn from one another as well as the Student Leadership Coordinator and Wellbeing staff.
As each Captain serves in their different roles, for example: as School Captains’ they deliver speeches at whole school Assemblies, House Captains lead fellow housemates in Sport carnivals, and Creative Arts Captains emcee events and help in the Art space, they learn from each experience and continue to develop as leaders. All student leaders are encouraged to be leaders in their own classrooms and in the wider school and take responsibility for daily and weekly roles in morning Assemblies as well as modelling and encouraging compliance to school expectations across the School.
Leadership opportunities themselves are formative experiences for both the SRC and Student Leadership Team.
The Year 5 and 6 leaders assist in leading wellbeing activities conducted in morning assemblies and at whole school shared times, focusing on friendship, celebrating diversity, showing courage and thankfulness. By working with a partner to lead activities in front of other students, and then reflecting on the process and experience, our student leaders grow into their leadership potential and resilience.
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