Our Leadership Program

“Effective schools build a culture where teachers and students work together, and where student voice, agency and leadership are understood as inter-related factors that contribute to the notion of empowerment and sense of school pride” (Education Department: ‘Amplify’ booklet)

Student leadership at Jells Park Primary School is an integral part of the development of student voice and equipping students with significant life skills and experiences that prepare them for high school and beyond.

Why do we have a Leadership Program?

FISO suggests that student leadership is evident when the students:

• Set high expectations for themselves and feel motivated and empowered to exercise agency

• Have a growth mindset and believe they can learn, and build their knowledge and skills, through effort

• Can represent their school and its students as confident members of a student leadership team

• Generate meaningful discussions on behalf of those students whose voices are less likely to be heard, who are disengaged, or who lack the skills and confidence to express views and opinions

• Actively participate in a student representative organisation and effectively contribute to school decision making

• Want to learn about themselves, and contribute to the community and the world around them

How do students become part of the Leadership Program?

There are two key programs for students to experince leadership responsibility.

The Level 6 student leadership team at Jells Park Primary School is chosen by their peers from Level 4, 5 and 6. The successful students hold the role for the entire year in Level 6 and incorporates the following positions:

• School Captains and Vice Captains

• House Captains and Vice Captains (Fraser, Perkins, Freeman and Bradman Houses)

• Performing Arts Captains and Vice Captains

• Media Captains and Vice Captains

• Environment Captains and Vice Captains

The Junior School Council at Jells Park Primary School is elected representatives from Level 3, 4 and 5 (plus the School Captains). The successful students hold the role for a semester each year.

Our Student Leadership program has grown over the past few years and now includes a range of opportunities to develop skills, initiate events, build partnerships with community groups, contribute to school events, reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, raise awareness of local and global real world issues and lead student teams.

Highlights of the 2018 Program

• Leadership workshops (discussing leadership traits, successful leaders, goal setting and public speaking)

• Full day Leaders Forum (organised at JPPS and involving up to 6 local schools and over 100 students with guest speakers and workshops)

• Running House athletic events (both our own and a neighbouring school)

• Coordinating our Fundraising Colour Run

• Running Clean Up Australia Day

• Packing Operation Christmas child shoeboxes

• Organising a sleep over for Mission Australia

• Produce Jells Park News episodes

• Implementing a House rubbish collection competition

• Assisting with the development of the school vegetable gardens

• Running formal assemblies such as ANZAC ceremony

• Raising money for our World Vision sponsor child, Abel from Ethiopia

• Other significant fundraising efforts.

In 2019, Student Leaders will continue to grow their voice in the running of the school and will be taught about managing a team and running meetings. They will manage a team of students in their School Agency Teams who will complete tasks and have greater voice in school decision making. School leaders are encouraged to think about ways that they can make our school and their local and global communities better.