Opportunities for leadership are available to all Year 7 girls.
St Aidan’s believes in the leadership potential of all students and the Junior School has a distributed leadership model in which all girls are given the opportunity to experience a position of responsibility. This provides authentic opportunities for the students to develop their leadership skills.
Leadership is an observable, learnable set of practices. Given the opportunity for feedback and practice, those with the desire and persistence to lead - to make a difference - can substantially improve their abilities to do so. (Kouzes & Posner)
We believe that the shared leadership experience will:-
- embrace all members of the Year Seven student community as learners
- lead to the empowerment of individuals
- value each individual’s contribution
- offer each student new opportunities to develop their own leadership style and skill set
- enhance the range of quality of student learning by expanding their capacities
- tap potential yet to be realised
- demand a commitment by each student to learn and develop
- provide opportunities to show initiative, be creative and take risks
- encourage collaboration and teamwork
- demand active participation
- motivate students through seeing that their skills are valued and by being offered opportunities
- expose students to decision making processes that will allow them to reflect on their own values and beliefs, thus becoming more self aware
The leadership development programme formally commences in Year Six. The girls are taught public speaking and participate towards the end of the year in activities designed to introduce them to ideas about the qualities and skills necessary for leaders.
A Leadership Conference (1 day) will be held in the second week of Term One at the beginning of their Year Seven. All girls, including any new students, will have the opportunity to learn even more about being a successful leader and creating and participating in effective teams. Guest speakers will be invited to address the students, provoking further discussion. Personal presentation will be addressed, with discussions about greeting visitors, speaking in public and grooming. On this day, the group will discuss the role descriptions for each position of responsibility and the nomination of application procedure.
A Buddy program sees all Year 7s developing supportive relationships with our youngest students.
Penguin Aid allows all Year 7s an opportunity to show initiative and further develop their leadership and organisational skills in this community service group. Our girls are consistently encouraged to follow the Sisters’ philosophy of “Others before Self.”
A leadership-training program, at the commencement of year seven, readies all of the students for their roles.
Transition
To add to an already successful Transition program, 2004 saw the relocation of the Year 7s into new classrooms in the Year Seven Precinct within the Senior School. This specially designated area is another step towards a seamless transition into the Senior School.
Three spacious and colourful classrooms and a modern courtyard with shady trees and tiered seating, allows the students the security of their own space whilst mixing with the older girls.
Designed to accommodate a mix of learning styles, the Year 7 classrooms have a range of spaces, including big tables for group work, cushions for reading areas, individual study carrels and “traditional” tables and chairs.
The girls, closely supported by the team of Form Teachers, are exposed in this year level to an increasing number of specialist teachers, in the Senior School facilities. The girls have to move from room to room for different lessons following a timetable much as the senior students do. This enables student to find their way around the Senior School, get to know some of the teachers, become familiar with different expectations and develop their independence and organisational skills.
Progressively, the girls are introduced, more and more, to criteria based assessment, due dates and a curriculum that dovetails into secondary school studies.
As well as Music, PE, LOTE and Art, the girls have specialist Drama and Science teachers and use the specialised rooms and laboratories for these. The Year Seven teachers specialise also, taking all of the girls for either English, Maths or SOSE.
The students look forward to these changes with anticipation and excitement however they still feel they are very much the leaders of the Junior School.