STUDENT LEADERSHIP – How to become a better leader
Transcription
STUDENT LEADERSHIP – How to become a better leader
Vol 33, No. 6, 16 June 2014 STUDENT LEADERSHIP – How to become a better leader Ms Michelle Neat – Senior House Leader Rice During Term 1, the Senior Student Representative Council (SRC) attended a student leadership conference run by GRIP Leadership. They were able to talk to student leaders from other schools and hear about different initiatives that they run to raise money for charities as well as hearing about other fun activities to organise throughout the year. Whilst school is about education and learning, there is a lot that you can learn about yourself and others while organising and participating in various activities. The SRC have been extremely busy doing Easter egg raffles for Caritas, BLINK Day to raise money for various cancer charities and in Term 2, lunchtime Gender Wars and the inaugural Master Chef which will conclude in Term 3. GRIP Leadership have four core values, of which their name is derived: • GENEROSITY: Willingness to use what you have been given (time and resources) on behalf of those you seek to influence. • RESPONSIBILITY: We all have a responsibility to develop what we have and help others to live well. • INTEGRITY: A commitment to truth and honesty in dealings. • PEOPLE: Every human being is of great significance, and has a purpose to fulfil. All students should strive to be leaders and can show their leadership ability in many different ways. Middle students can be elected House representatives, while senior students have a variety of roles they can apply for, including House Captains, Social Justice, Arts, Academic and Liturgy, along with the customary School and Vice Captains. But these only encompass the formal leadership roles within the school community. There are a myriad of informal ways in which all students at Emmaus can show, but more importantly develop their leadership qualities. GRIP Leadership describe some ways in which all students at Emmaus can develop their leadership qualities: Growth: everyone needs to use the gifts and talents that have been given to them. But more importantly, they need to continue to grow and mature these qualities so they can be developing themselves to lead what is in front of them now and also what may come in the future. Reading more so you are continually learning, challenging yourself, embracing change and persisting when things don’t go your way (showing resilience) are four ways in which you can grow as a person, and as a leader. Relationships: all successful leaders have one thing in common: they know how to build and maintain relationships. It is important for leaders to build relationships with other leaders, other students and even staff members. No leader can succeed on their own. But how can you develop these relationships? Be generous with your time and resources, listen more than you talk and always be genuine. Integrity: it is crucial to maintain integrity as it is the foundation to which many other qualities are built upon, such as respect, dignity and trust. Integrity is having a commitment to truth and honesty. Students striving to be leaders should always speak the truth, no matter what the consequences and set the right example with their actions at all times. People: it might seem obvious, but leaders sometimes forget that people, or the student body, should be their focus. It is easy to get caught up in doing what you want to do, rather than what the student body wants to do. Listening to students, helping them to succeed in all aspects of life and encouraging them to come forward with ideas are three ways in which we can include all the student body in our leadership. Reflection: one of the most important aspects of a good leader is that they take the time to reflect. This is probably the most important aspect of becoming a great leader. Life at school can get pretty busy and often leaders are moving from one project straight on to the next. It is crucial that leaders take the time to reflect on the event just passed or on their leadership in general. Practical ways to reflect can be by continually asking questions, continually considering what actions you need to take, continually reading and learning. So whether you have an official leadership role in 2014, are striving to become one in the years ahead or like to have more of an informal leadership role within your sporting team, pastoral group or a specific class, ensure you are taking some time to develop your leadership skills and reflect along the way. There are many people who can help you to become a better leader so ask for help and don’t forget that it is okay to make mistakes. Often the best way to become a great leader is to put yourself in a leadership position and learn from there! ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.’ John Quincy Adams Compliance Data PRINCIPAL’S REVIEW Mr Tony Hirst Sunday June 8 was Pentecost Sunday when the disciples experienced the Holy Spirit and which moved the believers to action: their joy in the ‘marvels of God’ urged them to share the good news with others. The Archbishop’s Pentecost Letter for Youth 2014 has been distributed to Year 11 and 12 students but the message resonates with people of all ages. This year’s Pentecost letter to Youth is an invitation into the joy of a life of faith inspired by the witness of Pope Francis. The theme is drawn from Pope Francis’ Twitter feed from February 7: ‘What zest life acquires when we allow ourselves to be filled by the love of God!’ The Pentecost letter uses the images of surfing and flavour to convey zest. In keeping with the surfing imaginary, Archbishop Hart informs us that he was once a keen surfer and states ‘even today, I can recall the feeling of freedom from onshore cares, and the pure simplicity of the single goal of catching that perfect wave.’ Archbishop Hart invites us “to leave the safety of the shore and step out into the ocean of God’s love, to taste fully of his joy. Discover what zest life can have when the love of God flows in you and through you!” Year 12 Formal Congratulations also to our Year 12 student leaders and students for their conduct at the Year 12 Formal held on Friday 13th June. The theme for the evening was ‘Winter Wonderland.’ Thanks also to the many staff that supported the event during what is a very busy time of year with correction and reporting deadlines. More details will be included in the next newsletter. Parents and Friends Association (P&F) The P&F ran its first Car Park Coffee on Wednesday 4th June. It was pleasing to see a number of parents come for a free coffee from the College Espresso machine in the stadium foyer and get to know a few other parents. We hope to make this a semi-regular event and will publicise dates to give people greater notice. At the last P&F meeting it was agreed to again hold a family evening with Music Trivia/Live Rock band evening featuring staff member Simon Stack. This will be held on the evening of Friday 15th August. The theme for the evening will again be ‘Hot August Night’. This was a great success last year and we would hope it is again well supported. Please mark the date in your calendar. As part of the compliance reporting requirements for the Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), all schools are required to report specific information. Emmaus College fulfils these requirements through regular newsletter information, the College website and College Annual. The College also produces an Annual Report each year which is available on the College website and the State Register. The following statements are included to ensure the College has fulfilled its compliance requirements for 2013: • In 2013 there were 164 staff employed by the school, 93 were female and 71 male. • Corporal punishment is not permitted, and a statement to this affect is included in our Discipline Policy. • Student attendance is monitored on a daily basis. Parents are alerted to student absences if they have not contacted the school by 9.30 a.m. • Statistics on student attendance are recorded in the 2013 Annual Report. • Parent, student and teacher satisfaction is measured by yearly surveys as part of the Catholic Education Office of Melbourne’s School Improvement Framework. College Production Tickets for the Emmaus College Production, ‘Anything Goes’ are now on sale. Emmaus is very well known for the very high standard of our Productions, so it is advisable to purchase tickets early, as the show is likely to be a sell-out. ‘Anything Goes’ is a well-known musical with music and lyrics by the renowned Cole Porter. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London and will certainly showcase the performing arts talents of our students and will be a great night out for the family and extended family. Attendance at the College Production is one tangible way parents can support the school and be involved in the College community. App4 Parents The App4 Students is working well for students, especially those with iPads. Staff are entering homework information that is easily accessible for students to access. Emmaus College is now ready to roll out the next part of the App known as App4 Parents. This App lets parents view on their own devices homework and assignment due dates, receive teacher messages and announcements, view student timetable and diary and other school Information. Details on how to load and use this App are available elsewhere in the newsletter. While we haven’t publicised App4 Parents, we have already close to 400 families that have loaded it. The App also has web access via the following URL http:// emmaus.app4.ws/parent/ so parents can login using the web browser as well. Semester Two – Important Dates While final details are yet to be confirmed, Wednesday 10th September 7.30-9.00pm will see the final major P&F function for the year. The evening is likely to have a sporting theme, with footy finals and Father’s Day occurring around this time. Students return to school on Wednesday 18th June to commence Semester Two. As this is the last newsletter before the winter holidays it is important to remind families that classes for all students conclude on Friday 27th June at 3.15 pm. Classes resume after the holidays on Tuesday 15th July. Semester One reports for Years 10-12 are due to be posted home on Friday 27th June and for Years 7-9 on Thursday 3rd July. More details will be included in future newsletters and on the website. Parents will again receive a new password to log onto Parent Teacher On-Line (PTO). A new password is generated for Continued Page 3 2 all Parent Teacher sessions and will also be included in the report package. As demand for these important evenings is very high, I encourage you to log-on as early as possible to avoid disappointment. The VCE Unit 3/4 Parent Teacher interviews will take place on Wednesday 16th July (the first Wednesday of term) in the Senior Learning Centre. Parent Teacher Interviews for all year levels are on the 14th and 21st August. Holiday Trip Best wishes to the Emmaus Netballers who will be competing in the Gold Coast Netball Carnival held on the Gold Coast in the second week of the holidays. The Carnival has been running for 21 years with over 70 teams competing annually. This will be the second time an Emmaus team has participated in the Carnival. Thank you to Mr Elia Carter and Mrs Kendall Otten who will accompany the students. Federal Funding for Education MEDIA STATEMENT 13 May 2014 Catholic Education Response to 2014-15 Federal Budget The National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) has expressed strong concerns with the Government’s decision to use the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as the basis for school funding indexation after 2017. Catholic education welcomes the funding certainty for Catholic schools confirmed in the 2014-15 Federal Budget through to the end of the 2017 school year. This funding certainty will help systems and schools to plan for the next three years and assist school and system leaders to focus on the learning needs of students. In the context of the Government’s priority to reduce spending in many policy areas and reduce the budget deficit, the commitment to fully fund the Australian Education Act arrangements from 2014 to 2017 for all schools in all states and territories is welcome. However, based on recent experience, the school funding assumptions contained in the Federal Budget for 2018 and beyond will not meet the needs of schools and students. In the last decade the CPI has averaged less than 3%. This contrasts with school funding increases reflecting real costs in schools of almost 5.5%. NCEC Executive Director, Ross Fox, said that limiting the rate of school funding increases to the CPI will likely mean funding would not keep up with school costs. “School funding must keep up with real school costs. For the last ten years CPI has been around half the rate of school cost increases including teacher salaries and access to technologies that support learning. “Using CPI after 2017 is likely to increase school fees, and strain the needs-based funding approach of Catholic education,” said Mr Fox. “If funding fails to keep pace with true costs, the fee increases needed to cover the shortfall could put a Catholic education out of reach for some families.” Catholic education welcomes the capital funding in the Budget for non-government schools. This is important funding that will help build new schools and expand school facilities in growing areas. The number of students in schools is projected to increase by more than 25 per cent in the next ten years. This growth in student numbers will present a huge challenge for all school sectors. “Hundreds of new schools will be required for new students in the next decade and without additional capital funding it is difficult to see how school places will be found for all students.” School funding arrangements for Catholic schools for 2018 and beyond will need careful consideration. The review of funding indexation scheduled to begin this year will be an important starting point. Funding arrangements for 2018 and beyond must provide certainty and sufficient funding to meet the true costs of delivering education across Australia. “The NCEC will continue to work with the Government to achieve fair funding beyond 2017 that reflects the long-standing commitment to a needs-based funding approach and ensures funding keeps pace with real school costs.” Ian Zakon National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) ALUMNI NEWSLETTER & 2014 REUNIONS SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOP To assist parents purchase Winter Uniform items, Tracey will be available on Thursday July 17, August 7, September 4 and September 18. The year of 2014 will mark decade reunions for the Classes of 1984, 1994 & 2004. Also planned is a reunion of More College students from the Year Level that commenced in Form 1/1971 and concluded in Form 4/1974. Expressions of Interest are sought for all reunions of our past students. Work has commenced on the next Alumni Newsletter and we welcome any suggestions, articles and contributions from our past students, families and staff. Please feel free to contact Michael Jones, Alumni Rep. Ph. No: 03 9758 7784 or E: [email protected] • • Location: Beside Drama Room Day: First Thursday of the Month • Time: 8.00am - 9.00am 3.00pm - 4.00pm Contact: Mrs Tracey Foster Girls tights are available at the Cashier’s Office for $5.00. 3 THE EMMAUS WRAP IMAGES AROUND CAMPUS Mr David White Assistant Principal - Staff and Administration The main focus recently has been students preparing and completing exams. However, Term Two has also seen many other events take place. Year 11 Debutante Balls Information Evening The Year 11 Debutante Ball Information evening was held on Monday May 12th. Over 200 parents and students were in attendance to start the annual “Deb” season for Emmaus. This year there will be two balls with approximately 37 couples per ball. NAPLAN All Year 7 and 9 students undertook the 2014 NAPLAN tests on May 13 - 15. NAPLAN was held on both campuses and students are to be commended on their manner and the way in which they approached these tests. NAPLAN results, even though only based on three days of testing, provide good feedback to parents and the College as well as the students themselves on their continued progress. Thank you to our Assistant Principal, Teaching and Learning, Dr William Keane and Year 9 Director, Mr Michael Lafferty, on their co-ordination of these days. Visit to Mt. Scopus by Year 11 RE Classes Students enrolled in the Religion and Society Unit 1, study a variety of religious traditions including Judaism. Mt. Scopus again kindly offered our students the opportunity to visit the College and talk with their Year 11 students about aspects and rituals of the tradition. These visits took place over the last few weeks. Students on arrival were taken to the Synagogue where the Torah Scroll, prayer shawls and other elements were displayed and explained. From here students were escorted by Mt. Scopus Year 11 students to discussion rooms where they explained the weekly Jewish rituals and showed some of the symbols used in prayer. Students also explained a little about Israel and told of their school visits (5-6 weeks) to Israel at the end of Year 10. Students who elect to study Hebrew at VCE have 3 months in Israel living on a kibbutz and attending school. Our Year 11 students came away with a greater insight into the Jewish traditions which will assist them in completing their next SAC. Rice Day On May 20th, all students in Rice House from Years 7 – 12 shared Mass together followed by activities in the Tony Frizza Stadium and then lunch. These days are important parts of school life as they build identity and give all members of each House a chance to celebrate their James Battaglia has been doing a number of physical activities with his HPE class 8F. With the assistance of Mrs Sherwyn Rogers common bond together. Well done to Ms Michelle and Mrs Heather Maynard he has completed a skills analysis of his Neat, Mr Terry Carman and Mrs Mary Rhodes (new bouncing and catching skills with a basketball, soccer dribbling Rice Senior House Leader, Semester Two) as well as and kicking, and pictured here teaching and playing games of many staff who assisted in making this day possible swish on the new table with his class mates who wore a blindfold. for all members of Rice House. Ms Kirsty Sanderson 4 Y9@E REPORT Mr Michael Lafferty - Director Y9@E ELECTIVE EXHIBITION On Tuesday 27th May, Year 9 staff and students hosted an Elective Exhibition which showcased much of the work the students produced during first semester in their electives. Year 9 is the first time in their secondary schooling where the students take an active role in choosing subjects they would like to complete. Many of the subjects involve a hands-on component where the students can be proud of a finished product and showcase their talents in a variety of forms. The night was a wonderful success with over 250 people in attendance as well as some incredible work on display. The Food & Technology students, led by Ms Monaghan, played a special role on the night by catering for the evening as well as serving the food which they cooked. An abundance of savoury and sweet delights were served as families marvelled at the talents of the Y9@E students. The evening culminated in a very professional and entertaining performance by the Theatre Studies class which was an appropriate climax to a fantastic evening. Thank you to all parents and students who attended the evening. A special thanks to Ms Clements for setting up the exhibition and all the elective teachers for facilitating the production of such superlative work from the students. Also, thank-you to all Y9@E staff who continue to inspire the students to achieve their best. 5 First steps to setting up your App4 Parents Using your child’s iPad... Using your own iPad... 1. Download the App4 Parents app from the App Store on your iPad. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/app4students/id577927583?mt=8&uo=4 2. Open the App4 Parents app. The first time you open the App, or whenever you are not logged in and tap the icon, the screen you will see is as follows: 1. Open the App4 Students app on your child’s iPad. 2. Tap on ‘About Me’ (green book in book stack). Select ‘Parents’ from menu. The following screen will appear: 3. Fill in the School Identifier and your child’s User Name (as supplied by the school, OR you can find these details by going into Settings in your child’s App4 Students app). 4. Once you have logged in, the App will attempt connection to your student’s school’s data. Once successfully connected, you will then automatically be redirected to the ‘About Me’ screen. Here, you can set up your Parent/Guardian user access (or select a name from the list - this screen will also show all parents/guardians already nominated for the student). 3. Tap the ‘Add New’ button. Fill in new parent/guardian details. Fields shaded red are compulsory. 4. Select your own 4-digit Parent Access Code. (PAC) Please note: Your PAC should be recorded somewhere safe and kept confidential. If at any time you should lose or forget your PAC, please contact the school for this to be re-set. 5. Once all fields are completed, tap ‘Done’. You will now see the new parent/guardian entry, as follows: 5. Tap the ‘Add New’ button. Fill in new parent/guardian details. Fields shaded red are compulsory. 6. Select your own 4-digit Parent Access Code. Please note: Your PAC should be recorded somewhere safe and kept confidential. If at any time you should lose or forget your PAC, please contact the school for this to be re-set. 7. Once all fields are completed, tap ‘Done’. You will now see the new parent/guardian entry. 6. Setup is now complete. 8. Setup is now complete. 6 ANYTHING GOES Rehearsals are running at full pace and our 2014 Production is looking stylish! All musical numbers have been learned and all dance routines have been choreographed. The sets and costumes are looking fantastic! We now need to perform to you, the Emmaus College community! Tickets for Anything Goes will pre-sale to cast members on Wednesday 18th June. The College community will be able to purchase tickets from Monday 23rd June. Tickets will be made available via completing the Booking Form included in this newsletter. Spare Booking Forms can be downloaded from the College website or from the reception desk at both Vermont South and Burwood Campuses. Only bookings received with payment (cash/credit card/cheque) will be accepted. All tickets will be processed during the mid-year school holidays. The Cashier will be available during this time for seating allocation and requests. Once tickets have been ordered, changes cannot be made. It will be the buyer’s responsibility to make necessary changes. Anything Goes is promising to be another energy-driven performance with very high production values. You do not want to miss it! Mr Jordan Thomas – Production Director YEAR 10 OUTDOOR ED. CAMP On the 18-19 May, 24 students from the Outdoor Education class headed up to the Cathedral Range State Park for an amazing adventure. Students were able to experience a rock journey which involved a hike over boulders, through caves, a 50 foot abseil and navigating around cliff faces to Sugarloaf Peak at a height of 689m. They also got to experience rock climbing and abseiling up a number of different rock faces, some of which were highly difficult. Over the two full days, students overcame many personal challenges by themselves and as part of a team. A fantastic experience which was enjoyed by both students and staff. Mr Elia Carter – LAL PE 7 Mental Health Week 2014 – “Bounce Back” Mental Health Week has become an important part of the Emmaus College calendar, and this year was certainly no exception. The Counselling Service organised a number of events for staff and students, in keeping with this year’s theme: “Bounce Back”. The aim of the events was not only to emphasise the importance of mental health and wellbeing, but also to remind every individual of their inherent resilience and their ability to “bounce back” when faced with one of life’s many challenges. An exciting addition this year was the 5-day “Bounce Back” Challenge. Participants were given a daily task designed to increase their resilience, positive coping skills and general wellbeing. We were thrilled with the numbers of participants and particularly with the final entries whereby participants reflected on what they had learned by completing the daily challenges. Participants reflected on the importance of including moments of calm and reflection in their week; others gained improved feelings of confidence by taking on ‘safe’ risks or challenges; others noted that, by scheduling self-care activities they were more productive and focused in their school work. Congratulations again to our student winners: 1st prize – Millie Adamic, 2nd prize – Liam Hartrick and 3rd prize – Amelia Poloso. Senior students were fortunate to hear from Beyond Blue Ambassador Mr John Hopkins, who discussed the importance of addressing mental health issues as a College but also as a wider community. Mr Hopkins inspired students with his positive outlook on life and his personal and professional success, in spite of his own experience with Depression and Anxiety. This was followed by an information stall where showbags were distributed and students from all year levels were able to come along and obtain tipsheets and resources. SPORTING ACHIEVER Jake Marinov - Year 8/ More 3 was crowned Australian champion in trampolining after winning the gold medal in the under 15 Men's category. The national championships saw athletes from all states and territories as well as athletes from New Zealand. The take home message from this year’s Mental Health Week is although life at times presents challenges for us; by facing problems head on and remaining positive, you will gain the ability to manage any adversity and “Bounce Back” better, stronger and more confident. Mrs Madeline Sibbing & Mr Jeremy Cass - College Psychologists COMING EVENTS [JUNE] 16 Report Writing Day—no classes for Year 7-12 students Year 10 Work Experience, until June 20 17 Report writing day—no classes for Year 7-12 students Finance Committee/Board Executive, Vermont South, 7.30pm 18 Year 7–12 Semester 2 classes commence 19 Corpus Christi World Refugee Day Dante Alighieri Poetry Competition (Selected Students from Years 9, 11 & 12) – 9:00 – 1:30pm 21 24 Congratulations Jake! 27 30 3 Year 7-9 Semester Reports posted 14 Staff Conference Day– No Classes 15 All students commence Term 3 Visit from Emmaus/Italian Sister School, until Aug 1 Winter uniform compulsory 16 23 House Cross Country 22 29 Y9@E City Explore II Year 7 Interschool Winter Sport commences College Production until Saturday, June 26 More House Day Year 9 & 10, 2015 Course Information Evening, 7.30pm, Vermont South End of Semester School Mass 26 Parent-teacher evening, 4.00-8.30pm Newsletter No. 7 Year 12 Further Maths SAC 4 3:30pm – 5:00pm Y9@E City Explore II Term 2 vacation [JULY] Winter Solstice Board Meeting, 7.30pm at Vermont South End of Term. School finishes at 3.15pm Year 10-12 Semester Reports posted 30 Year 8 Learning Assessments 31 Education Committee, 7.30pm, Vermont South