Reflecting on Leadership

ALICE GARLAND & FRASER PETERSON, MIDDLE SCHOOL CAPTAINS

We chatted to our Middle School CoCaptains about the highs and lows of their roles.

Alice Garland

The challenges of leadership

Being a student leader presents occasional challenges, particularly when it comes to organising events with short amounts of time, while still balancing other school responsibilities. Effective time management and self organisation became really important for me this year.

A time where I was challenged this year was during the creation of the Year 8 jumpers, from getting them organised by Term 4 to handling the needs of my peers and their parents.

Advice for new leaders:

After all my experiences this year, there is one main piece of advice I would share with future Middle School leaders, which I can encapsulate in a quote:

“You cannot change where the wind comes from, but you can always adjust your sails.”

There are many things I learnt this year from being a leader, some of these I wish I knew before my role began, and some I’ll be able to use for my own future at school.

The most important thing I wish someone could have told me before I became a Captain this year, is that communication with your fellow leaders in the school can really help you get things done.

In order to balance leadership while still having an academic and personal life you must try to not do too many things at once, and allow yourself to enjoy other things away from your role.

Get one job done well before moving onto the next idea, rather than trying to do many things at a low standard.

A key thing I would tell the upcoming leaders is to establish what you want to achieve as a leader and how you want people to see you. By acknowledging my own values, I was able to improve the decisions I made, while supporting the approach I took to my role.

Working with others

Working with others was a key part of my role as a Captain this year, from communication of events to creating a safe space for ideas.

I would always do my best to talk with someone about my thoughts on something we may have been planning, or even just a presentation at Assembly. Communicating with others about your thoughts can really improve your relationships with the leadership team and the teachers who support us. Giving everyone the opportunity to share their ideas while discussing a topic in a group setting was something that was really important for the leadership team this year. We wouldn’t leave a meeting before everyone who had wanted to share their thoughts was given the opportunity to do so. This allowed the group to hear different perspectives on the topic. Having positivity towards others and yourself is really important in creating an inclusive atmosphere. Even if you disagree with someone’s opinion on a topic, listening to their idea and maybe even asking a few questions really allows an open and supportive discussion between your team.

Fraser Peterson

Over the year of being a School Captain for Middle School, I have reflected on leadership as a whole.

There have been many rewarding things about being a student leader at the Middle School.

The challenges we have faced and the sacrifices that we have made have brought great rewards. The greatest of all has been the friendships I have made with my fellow leaders – and being able to watch them strengthen and grow throughout the year.

To be a good leader, the qualities you have as a person are vital. The qualities I believe that are most important to be a good leader are integrity / courage, kindness, and respect towards one another. Having these traits will not only make you a good leader but will help you to be a good person.

Vision for the future

Looking ahead into a vision for the future of leadership here at Middle School, there are many things I hope I have left behind.

Throughout the year, I have worked hard to leave a lasting legacy at this College, encouraging fellow students to try something new and to try their best in everything they come across at the Middle School.

To help the leaders in 2025, I encourage them to have regular meetings as a leadership team to catch up on what has been happening.

Finally, for leaders to have a strong connection across primary and secondary it is important for people to get to know you as a leader.

In 2025, I hope that the students and staff of Middle School continue to form a vibrant and happy community.