The end of Middle School signifies a very special time for All Saints students and, particularly at Year 9 Camp, the theme of Leadership shines.
The end of Middle School signifies a very special time for All Saints students and, particularly at Year 9 Camp, the theme of Leadership shines.
The end of Middle School signifies a very special time for All Saints students.
In Year 9, students dip their toes into the elective pool, begin to forge their own unique academic pathways and learn more about what it means to lead.
The Year 9 Leadership Camp is an annual event dedicated to facilitating discussion on this overarching theme.
Students learn about the different styles and positive qualities of a leader, and then spend time putting these principles into practice through a variety of activities.
Year 9 Leaders Lachie Horton and Chiara Cimini say highlights from the camp included an Indigenous cultural session, cleaning up a local beach and visiting the Coolum Aqua Park.
“There were fun activities where we learned more about the others in our house groups, including their different strengths,” says Chiara.
“We learned that there are many different types of leadership, depending on who you are and how you act around others – like being participatory leaders or servant leaders,” adds Lachie.
Chiara says the cohort gained a much greater understanding about servant leaders and how one from All Saints ought to represent themselves.
“The best thing about being a leader of All Saints is having the freedom to make up our own decisions and help others instead of just helping ourselves,” she says.
It is tradition for each cohort of Year 9 students to create a unique statement of intent as a moral guide for the year ahead.
Lachie says it is nice to see his classmates connecting to faith by incorporating scripture into their statement.
“I think it shows that our grade is not only respectful, but we can have fun a lot of the time in chapels for example,” says Lachie. “Everyone gets involved, and nobody is excluded.”
“"As Middle School Leaders, we will strive to inspire even greater respect and unity within and across all three year levels. We will also endeavour to exemplify the year’s theme of ‘truth’ by modelling the sort of servant leader described in Psalm 15: 2-3: The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart, whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbour, and casts no slur on others."”— - Year 9 Statement of Intent
Year 9 Leadership Camp took place in Gubbi Gubbi Nation at Alexandra Headland where students participated in several workshops guided by local First Nations representatives.
Libby Harward and BJ Murphy of the Ngugi and Jinibara culture groups respectively led sessions on ochre painting, weaving, yarning and wayapa (a traditional form of Indigenous yoga).
Year 9 student Mariana Ng was excited to try out these ancient crafts and says her classmates delighted in learning many new things about First Nations Australia.
“I personally really enjoyed learning how to make string,” she says. “It’s something I’ve never tried, so being taught by a person who has been doing it for years and years was very interesting – also very time consuming!”
The students learned about Indigenous leadership structures and the tradition of growing understanding by passing on knowledge and skills.
Mariana feels it’s helpful to hear these kinds of perspectives on Aboriginal culture as a regular part of education.
“I think their teachings are very eye opening… and I feel better knowing more about Aboriginal culture now than I did beforehand,” she says.
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