On Friday of Week 2 this term, Astha, Jake, Nicola, Krishan and I had the privilege of attending the Anglican Schools Association Student Leaders Day which aimed to prepare us for our leadership roles next year. We started the day with an address from Mr Phillip Goldsworthy and listened to a reflection from The Venerable Mandy Herriman, who introduced the idea of ‘flying as a flock’ to do the best we can in a leadership position. The Reverend Peter Laurence also talked to us about leadership and seeking to be respected rather than liked.

While the beginning of our morning was very helpful, nothing could beat the food we were treated to during breaks! While we indulged in our scones, we enjoyed meeting students from other schools. I really enjoyed talking to the other students about the subjects we were studying as well as our leadership roles.

After morning tea, we rotated in small groups to learn about leadership in faith-inspired schools and then, after lunch, we walked the Labyrinth and worshipped in the chapel. Walking the Labyrinth was something I had never experienced before and worshipping in the chapel felt very special as the acoustics were amazing.

One of the actual highlights of the event was this opportunity to meet with other student leaders from all different schools. Our school group was quickly split up and put on different tables, encouraged to mingle and socialise with new people. By lunch time we were all sitting with separate groups, making friends and contacts with all new people.

Meeting with new people and interacting with other student leaders gave us a fantastic opportunity to talk about each other’s schools, regarding programs they have done / going to do. It was honestly a fantastic opportunity to bring new ideas into our school, while also provide them for others. 

One of the very important things we learnt whilst we were there was the concept of SEED which is the acronym for the skills and thought processes we should adopt in our leadership roles.

S : Social and emotional competence

  • Self- awareness (of yourself and your personal actions)
    Social awareness (for your peers and those around you. The expectations at the time)
    Social skills

E : Emotional Resilience

  • Having the ability to cope with shock (short and long term)

E : Enterprise, innovation and creativity.

  • To form new ideas in a creative manner to benefit the school, its students and teachers.

D: Discipline

  • Defer gratification (to be aware of selfish wants or needs that would not benefit the school. We must always be sure to never be selfish or put our needs in front of those who need it most times)

Here is an example of how this would work in a situation!
We are asked to come up with a new fundraiser plan and we have an idea that we as a team wish to propose to the school and our fellow students and teachers. Some students are against it, while others love it. The process will be:

S: (for the people who do not approve)

  • Is what I feel right? How will my actions affect others?
  • Do they have a point?

E:

  • How has their response affected me?
  • Does it have to affect me in this way?

E:

  • Could I manage things differently?

D:

  • Do I have to get what I want?
  • Does it have to be right now?


This helped us to learn how to analyse and calculate our actions so that we can be proactive, conscientious and active leaders in our schools. Our actions should inspire others to follow as we encourage them to achieve their goals!

After listening to an informative speech from Reverend Peter Laurence, we separated into three groups consisting of students from different schools. An interesting activity we participated in was called ‘Minefield’.  We entered a room with various objects such as overturned chairs, large Lego blocks and other obstacles covering the entire floor. We were instructed to form pairs and line up at one end of the ‘minefield’. One person was the instructor and the other would navigate the minefield with their eyes closed. The instructor was expected to provide clear directions for their partner to follow and escape the minefield without crashing into any of the obstacles. The activity was very enjoyable and was more difficult than expected. However, we were able to successfully navigate the minefield and form friendships with the other student leaders through the process. The activity taught us about importance of communication and teamwork in our roles as leaders using an entertaining and effective method. 

The labyrinth was a complicated irregular network of one path given within a specific shape (in this case a circle). When we entered the labyrinth we were told to follow the single path. The path however was long and did not seem to finish. Along the path we picked up a rock, this represented the burdens/stress/problems that we face and carry in life, which we carried for the remainder of our journey along this metaphorical path. When we reached the centre we reflected upon our journey and readied ourselves for the long walk out of the labyrinth. Even though the path was long, it gave us time to reflect and ponder upon thoughts while doing the simple task of walking within a labyrinth.

Written by Astha Sinha, Jake Alderson, Nicola Viviers, Krishan Nain and Tess Croker