GET TO KNOW OUR COLLEGE LEADERS AND HOUSE CAPTAINS

College Leader Megan Adrain

As a leader I would describe myself as passionate and inclusive.

I am proud of being a part of the South Australian Student Representative Council start up group because it is an opportunity for high school students to get their voices heard within their local government councils.

My favourite TV program is Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Someone I admire is Sarah Hanson-Young.

In my spare time I like to do anything creative – sew, paint, cook!

The best thing about attending SMC is being a part of the arts community.

Leadership means to me working within a group to come up with initiatives that will help the students at St Michael’s College to reach their full potential.

I have a pet dog whose name is Obi.

To be a Lasallian Leader means to create positive change within the community.

Five words which best describe my personality are creative, empathetic, quirky, focused, and passionate.

If I could create one change for SMC in 2022 it would be creating a more environmentally conscious community.

A teacher at SMC I admire is Ms Burns because she goes the extra mile to provide amazing opportunities for students.

Turon House Captain Nicholas Boeyen

As a leader I would describe myself as an approachable and compassionate person.

My greatest sporting moment was the 2021 Second XVIII Premiership.

My favourite band is the Arctic Monkeys.

Someone I admire is Pat Cummins.

In my spare time I like to watch sport and spend time with my friends.

The best thing about attending SMC is the community and the relationships I have with fellow students and teachers.

One chore I don’t like doing is hanging out the washing.

Leadership means to me being a role model for fellow students and setting an example for everyone in the school.

To be a Lasallian Leader means setting a good example to all people and following in the footsteps of St John Baptist de La Salle.

This year as a House Captain I wish to be best known as a strong leader who led Turon well.

A quote that I believe in is “Actions speak louder than words”.

A teacher at SMC I admire is Mr Biggs because I look up to him.

YEAR 7 LEADERSHIP PREPARATION

As Year 7 students prepare to elect Class Leaders, some of our current Year 12 College Leaders visited their classes to talk about what it means to be a leader at St Michael’s College and some of the opportunities they have had through leadership. The College Leaders provided some excellent insights for the Year 7 students to think about ahead of this week’s Extended Pastoral Care where the leaders are chosen.

“Last week, 7BPC-03 had a visit from some Year 12 College Leaders. They explained what it’s like to be a class leader, and what you need to do to become one. They said if you want to become a class leader you will need to be kind, supportive, a team player, and be fair to others”.  – Jayden Worthley (7BPC-03)

“When the Year 12 College Leaders came into our classroom, they talked to us about how being a leader is an honour and it opens up a lot of opportunities. They told us that being a leader is a position of recognition and not a duty. Their speech convinced a lot of people to nominate to be a leader!”  – Dana Court and Zaria Giessauf (7GPC-02)

Mrs Joanne Howat, Year 7 Assistant Director

ECO SQUAD NEWS

The Eco Squad is a co-curricular group who work on a range of activities. Over the past three years we have

• established the orchard and vegetable garden on Lawrie St (next to the Uniform Shop),
• grown food that our Food Technology classes have used in their cooking practicals,
• run the Clean Up Australia Day activities for the College,
• planted the rosemary hedge in the ANZAC Courtyard,
• developed our own range of personal care products,
• made mosaics,
• worked on mats for charities that support people who are homeless,
• Visited Monarto Safari Park and planted trees as part of their revegetation work,
• Visited the Henley Beach Community Garden,
• Constructed shade structures and worked on paving projects in the garden.

New and continuing students who would like to participate are encouraged to register.

Students in Years 7 – 11 can register using this link https://forms.office.com/r/seniAipznA or by dropping into The Garden on any Tuesday or Friday lunchtime.

Year 12 students who would like to be involved can speak to Miss Pearce during PC or by using the link.

Miss Catherine Pearce, Head of Humanities

MATHSHELP

MathsHelp is once again running every Thursday lunch time in LEC-03 (downstairs in the LEC). If students need some one-on-one assistance with any Maths problems, they are welcome to bring their lunch and come on Thursdays.

Ms Anne Finlay, Head of Mathematics

YEARS 7-9 LEARNING AND WELLBEING CHARACTER STRENGTH FOCUS

Week 4: Leadership

According to the Institute of Positive Education, leadership is “supporting others to be their best and making things happen.” We can be inspired by evident leadership in novels such as The Hunger Games, in films such as The Lion King and in people such as Jesus and St John Baptist de La Salle.

As this year began, students and staff found themselves working online and to be honest, it was inspiring to see how we can ‘pivot’ together and make such a drastic change work, for everyone concerned. One way or another, it seemed to work without too much fuss, though I imagine that it was sometimes a challenge at home, just as it was at school for staff. Our ability to prevail in times of challenge is a testament to the leadership we have and our ability to adapt and change, and to care for each other; staff, students, and families, together.

When things are difficult, we instinctively look to leaders to light the path ahead of us towards a resolution. Sometimes we step up and take positive action, in whatever way we can, and it’s true that we can all lead in different ways, whether we hold a formal role or not.

Research tells us that effective leaders manage to acknowledge and harness the strengths of the people they lead. It’s about positively influencing others by organising and encouraging them to accomplish goals, nurturing positive values and at the same time maintaining unity and cohesion. That can be a hard task!

While there are many different models of leadership, relationships are a source of strength and connection and also enable visions to become reality. At a PESA (Positive Education Schools Association) conference last year, one of the presenters, Daniela Falecki, discussed the work of Jane Dutton, one of the editors of the book, How to Be a Positive Leader: Small Actions Big, Impact (2014), and her chapter on High Quality Connections (HQC).

This notion of HQC – where people feel attuned to each other and experience a sense of worth and value- resonates strongly with the Lasallian ethos as strong relationships sit at the core of our tradition.

Dr Brené Brown, bestselling author and researcher, believes that the connections we make with others is our purpose and meaning in life. In her book, Dare to Lead, Brown indicates that connections are possible when we have the courage to be ourselves and embracing our vulnerabilities is a necessary part of this. For leaders, it’s important to show that vulnerability isn’t a sign of weakness. Admitting our faults, asking for help, and embracing weaknesses shows others that we all share the same feelings. This humility allows others to connect with us and trust to follow our example. Leadership is intrinsically connected to gratitude, being a life-long learner, kindness, hope, appreciating our value and that of those around us, cultivating inclusion and belonging and leading from the heart. This also resonates perfectly with our vision at St Michael’s College.

There are many people who are strong and true leaders without a formal role. We see them every day. They lead by example without thinking about ‘what’s in it’ for them. We too can do our best to develop the most authentic leadership we can, in every context.

Students at St Michael’s are afforded many opportunities to explore leadership in a myriad of roles, in and out of the classroom. Class Leaders have just been appointed, College Leaders and House Leaders are already active in their roles, Eco Leaders never stop… just to name a few. In recent times, I also had the pleasure of working with an extraordinary group of young people in planning the refurbishment of bathrooms so that they might be a safe and affirming space. There are many similar examples of fine leadership all around us for all of us to see and notice in our classrooms, on the playing field, in our homes and in our places of work – it’s likely you’ll find them reported in each section of The Star!

Each one of us is a member of the St Michael’s College inclusive and respectful community, where we do our best to be leaders in whatever way we can, and strive to ensure that each person is known, valued, and cared for, confident to explore their curiosities and flourish…to be the learners and leaders of the world.

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Mrs Tonia Carfora, Year 7-9 Wellbeing Initiatives Leader

YOUTH ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL 2022

Are you a student aged 11-17 with a passion for sustainability? Do you want to make a difference and develop your leadership skills while having heaps of fun?​

The Youth Environment Council (YEC) of South Australia provides young people with a voice in key environmental issues facing South Australia and gives them opportunities to take action to achieve a more environmentally sustainable future for SA. Members learn and share ideas about sustainability, take part in online and face to face forums, and receive support to run their own environmental projects at school or in their local community.’

Applications are now open for the Youth Environment Council SA 2022. Applications must be submitted by 9:00 am Friday 11 March 2022.

Places are limited on the Council with only one or two students per school being selected. Although young people from 11 to 17 can apply, it is ideal experience for people in Year 9 onwards as the students do need to be able to work independently on their project with some support from other people.

Students who would like to apply need to speak to Miss Pearce by Wednesday 2 March 2022.

This year’s activities include:
Term 1
Week 11: Thursday 14 April 2022 – Welcome Forum,  Adelaide Hills

Term 2
Online discussion forum: to be used throughout the year from the first event to the last event.

Week 3: Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 May 2022 – Two-night camp, Adelaide Hills

• Join in fun team building exercises and activities to develop your leadership skills.
• Develop skills and knowledge on environmental and sustainability themes and ways to take action.
• Work with other like-minded students to research areas of interest and develop a plan of action.

Term 3
Work on your project.

Online discussion forum: to be used throughout the year from the first event to the last event.

Monthly online catch ups: will be on Zoom for members to share and seek support for their projects, network with other members and participate in workshops. These provide optional support to members and run for maximum 1 hour. Times and dates are released later in the year.

Term 4
Week 3: Thursday 3 November 2022 – YEC Sharing and Celebration Forum, Adelaide CBD
Share and celebrate your environmental achievements, demonstrating your skills and knowledge in practice, and reflect on actions and changes as a group.

Miss Catherine Pearce, Head of Humanities