At Wooroolin State School we acknowledge that all students are potential leaders and role models. In order to develop these skills we offer a variety of opportunities both formal and informal for students to engage in.
Formal leadership opportunities
Leaders
Each year our most senior students apply for leadership roles and promote themselves for this role through a competitive system. Potential leaders complete a leadership application. This comprehensive form outlines their interests, skills and capabilities. It is then signed off by a parent and separately by a teacher at the school. In this document the aspiring leader must outline the speech they will deliver on the Leadership Speech Day. Leaders give their speech to the whole school who then vote to elect their representatives.
Leaders are supported by a committee of senior students. All senior students must belong to one committee and must attend meetings called by their student leader. Committees report back to Student Council and may present motions to Student Council for discussion. Leaders are supported by a teacher mentor.
Students in Year 6 attend a leadership camp with their peers from small schools in the cluster to build leadership skills.
A number of roles are on offer: School Captain, Vice Captain, Fun & Fundraising, Health & Fitness and Environment and Gardens. These positions are briefly described below.
School Captain
The School Captain is the spokesperson for the student body. They lead all Student Council meetings and work with the Principal, all Leaders and their teams. When guests visit the school or we have an excursion, the School Captain is responsible for saying a welcome and thank you and lead some school ceremonies.
Vice Captain
The Vice Captain's role is to support the School Captain in their responsibilities. They act as Treasurer and Secretary at Student Council meetings, support other Leaders and their teams and assist in ceremonies throughout the year.
Fun and fundraising
This Leader promotes and organises events throughout the school calendar. They raise money for the Student Council as well as outside organisations. Through events organised by the Fun and Fundraising committee, the students have supported Daniel Morecombe Foundation, Jeans for Genes Day, Biggest Morning Tea and have donated to various other appeals. They have also supported school events such as camps and excursions as well as supporting school resources.
Health and fitness
The Health & Fitness leader together with the committee and mentor teacher, manage the sports shed and maintain equipment. They organise lunchtime activities for students. This includes practice for Winter and Summer Carnivals and Athletics Carnival. They promote healthy eating throughout the school.
Environment and gardens
This committee’s main role is to assist in maintaining the school gardens. This can include weeding, laying mulch, harvesting from the kitchen garden and orchard or raking leaves around our eating area. This committee is also responsible for emptying and reminding others of our Containers for Change recycling scheme. They promote the use of bins for rubbish.
Year 6 leadership opportunities
As the Senior Year in our school, Year 6s are offered the opportunity to attend Leadership Camp at the beginning of each year. These students attend with Year 6s across the South Burnett Alliance small schools. They are involved in team building and self-awareness sessions across the 3-day camp. To build team spirit, students participate in specific leadership activities and leader focussed learning.
Informal leadership
Students are encouraged to fulfil their own desire for leadership in simple ways around the school. Seniors help juniors, juniors help Preps and established students assist new students to the school. Students in the middle years may aspire for leadership when they reach Year 5 & 6 and these students are regularly encouraged to be role models for others.
Our school uses a positive behaviour approach to promote a strong values culture thus making Wooroolin Proud. Values are shared on Parade and are modelled throughout the school. Individual students are rewarded with a Student of the Week award at our weekly Parade.
In addition, we teach and model leadership behaviour at each Parade as a form of positive behaviour support and capability-building.
Our students recognise the importance of our motto "Make Wooroolin Proud" and are reminded of our school motto and its components daily by all members of the school.
Student Council
Wooroolin State School has an active Student Council where student representatives may promote their student voice. Student representatives (Student Leaders) are elected democratically in ways that model wider Australian democratic processes. The role of Student Council is to promote the wider views and interests of Students within the school and to offer opportunity for Students to become actively involved in leadership at our school and in the wider community.
Student Council at Wooroolin State School meets regularly. The meetings are led by the School Captain and assisted by the Vice Captain. The Vice Captain also takes the responsibility of Secretary and Treasurer. The Principal acts as facilitator.
Student Leaders (Fun & Fundraising, Environment and Gardens and Health & Fitness) deliver their report to Council and have the opportunity to put forward any motions for discussion and voting. Any member may add topics of interest to the current agenda for discussion in general business.
Students are active in promoting change around the school and in the curriculum. These changes have in the past generated the inclusion of parents and the community in Arts and Crafts sessions; dress-up days; involvement in a variety of fundraising ventures. In smaller, practical ways, Student Council provides assistance to our school community by maintaining gardens and promoting healthy eating and fitness.