Leadership Team Update - Term 2 Events
The leadership team at SVACS had a very eventful Term 2. We were lucky enough to travel to several events, all of which broadened our understanding of what it means to be a leader and what we can do to further improve ourselves for the betterment of our school.
High Tea
The Ellenbrook Community High Tea on 8 May, hosted by Ellenbrook Christian College, was an excellent opportunity for young leaders to voice some of our thoughts on what comprises a leader in our modern society. We left feeling enriched with pivotal knowledge for our futures as leaders at SVACS and very grateful of our positions.
From the Chapel Captains:
During Term 2, our school participated in a Casual for a Cause free dress day to raise money for All Saints Anglican School in Samoa. We raised a total of $1169.75 towards educational supplies for the school.
WAASA
On Friday 10 May 2019, the Year 12 Student leaders were invited to a reunion from 2018 which involved a group of us meeting with a range of schools overseen by the Western Australian Anglican School’s Association (WAASA). The Reunion took place at the Archbishop’s House in West Perth. We were welcomed by Archbishop Kay, Penelope Russell and Reverend Peter Laurence OAM.
During discussion with Archbishop Kay, we learnt the significance and purpose of the Leader’s Reunion. We also learnt the importance of interacting with other schools to assist us not only to create a sense of belonging but also to provide a platform to collate all our experiences as school leaders, we hope to enhance these for the remainder of the year.
Our discussion with Reverend Peter Laurence included a range of contributions from leaders across all schools, such as the predominance of Australian politics and our understanding of the current political leadership. Reverend Peter Lawrence also spoke to us about what we believe the ethics of a good leader encompasses. We then discussed any conflicts that had arisen within our leadership team or challenges presented to the school.
Our discussion with Archbishop Kay was centred on what Year 12 is like and what our leadership roles have involved along with what we endeavour to achieve after school. Whilst a majority of the leaders discussed their roles in organising fundraisers such as the World’s Greatest Shave, other school’s contributed to some of the difficulties they have faced in certain areas. On the discussion of our hopes after school, responses ranged from attending University, having a gap year or not being certain just yet. No matter the responses, Archbishop Kay ensured us that it is okay to be uncertain as we learn different things.
Our time with Penelope Russell, the Curriculum Advisor of the Anglican Schools Commission, was spent addressing the topic of leadership goals and motivations. She expressed that it’s good to want to be a leader, but we need to know what our goals and ambitions are. She wanted us to acknowledge the motivations that were pushing us in this direction and what type of leader we want to be. We then participated in an activity that gave us an opportunity to talk with another student from another school, one we hadn’t met yet, and to tell them what type of leader we want to be and why.
Overall, we all enjoyed the day and came away feeling very positive about the year ahead. Interacting with the other Anglican schools really gave us a sense of belonging and community and we learnt a lot about how each school is so different, yet so similar.
“The WAASA trip was an experience to remember, the Archbishop’s house was like an oasis in the middle of the city, it is a wonderful vintage house with a small and delightful garden surrounded by high rise buildings. I enjoyed spending time with our sister school JSR, becoming increasingly involved with each other as our year 12 experience continues, the development of our relationship being very important as we will be meeting with JSR numerous times in the future. My favourite part of the trip was sitting down with Archbishop Kay and discussing some struggles that people have faced in terms of leadership, hearing what struggles other leaders have had, like trying to connect to students or organize events that have not worked. This has reminded me how lucky I am to be a leader of a school with such a close community where students feel safe and at ease to interact with one another.” – Tyler Davey
“I really enjoyed meeting everyone again and had a lot of fun hearing the opinions of others. The biggest thing I learnt was the fact that we are so lucky to be such a close-knit leadership group and cohort. As other schools are predominantly larger than us, we found that some of them struggled in regards to leadership discussions. Despite this, they still overcome the barriers and ensure to progress forward.” – Claire Lenson
“I found the WAASA reunion to be beneficial as we discussed what being a good leader is, what motivates us to be a leaders and how to cope with being both a student leader and a year 12 student at the same time. It was great getting to work in groups with student leaders from other Anglican schools around Perth, as we were able to discuss our own opinions and ideas of how our leadership groups work within our schools.” – Keeley Wallace
“The leadership day was very engaging and extremely enjoyable. We were able to interact with a range of different schools and learn from their experiences about their roles as leaders at their respected schools. The leadership reunion not only allowed us to understand the essence of leadership but also presented the strong sense of values and unity that continue to be predominant in all Anglican schools.” – Jesamreen Brar
“The WAASA trip was extremely valuable in reconnecting with other schools and making a marker in the progress of our year 12 experience. Talks from such officials as the Archbishop allowed the students to unwind and to share our experiences with one another, whilst still keeping in mind the importance of leadership as school captains in our school communities. The SVACS students were warmly welcomed into the Archbishop’s home, and shown exceptional hospitality, to that we were very grateful. Overall, it was an invigorating day that gave us time for meaningful reflection around our peers.” – Rhiannon Connley