At Dutton Park State School all of our Year 6 students are considered to be leaders within the school community, whether they have a formal position or not. They run school assemblies, maintain sporting equipment, mentor and nurture the younger students, help to keep the students safe by caring for post pads and the sandpit area, and model the school values.
At the end of Year 5 our students take part in a discussion about what roles, responsibilities and expectations exist for our school leaders. They are then invited to nominate for the School Captain positions.
Once children have nominated for the position of School Captain they are interviewed by the principal and another member of staff and a short list of nominees is announced. The nominees are then invited to address the children from Year 3 and upwards about why they would be a good choice for School Captain and what they hope to achieve throughout the year.
The students and staff vote and the decision is communicated to the school community.
Early in Year 6, students nominate for other leadership positions:
- House Captains (Kangaroos, Emus, Dingoes)
- Music Captains (Choir, Ukulele, Band)
- Art Captains
- Media Crew
Our Student Leadership team will meet regularly with the Principal and Student Leader Coordinator to discuss and plan initiatives. Examples of these initiatives include: reading to young children in the library at lunchtime, rostering senior students to referee handball, and the collection of batteries for recycling. The Student Leadership Team take on a fundraising role to help a charity and they coordinate Operation Christmas Child where items are collected for children in need in other countries.
Our student leaders contribute greatly to the wellbeing of the entire student population.