Student leadership

Meadow Flat Public School provides many opportunities for our students to develop leadership and representation skills, including as leaders in school PSSA events. 

Formal student leadership and student representation programs provide important benefits for individual students and schools. Student leaders have the potential to influence the school environment and the behaviour of their fellow students by becoming advocates for positive change in the school community.

Students feel listened to and valued, they feel respected and encouraged to make further contributions.  

They have:

• increased communication skills 
• improved academic performance for students involved 
• greater commitment to the school from the wider student body 
• positive influences on the climate of the school 
• strengthened school spirit 
• increased cooperation from students. 

Student must:

• show an ability to make decisions for themselves
• demonstrate exemplary behaviour and always follow school rules and expectatioons 
• have shown a willingness to be involved in extracurricular activities
• display initiative and a positive attitude to learning
• work well as a team member
• possess strong communication skills
• proudly wear school uniform on a daily basis
• always be punctual and have limited absenteeism from school
• work to their full potential in the classroom, completing set tasks to the best of their ability

At Meadow Flat Public School, students have a variety of ways to become leaders within the school setting.

Our school encourages leadership roles to be spread amongst the student body. Students, who have been enrolled for at least six months, can only take up one of the leadership roles within the year. 

It is important that students are aware of this so that they can prioritise the role they wish to take in the year. These roles include:

• Library monitor (Yr 5 or Yr 6)
• Sports captain (Yr 6) 
• Environmental Specialist Team (Yr 5 or Yr 6)  
• School captains (Yr 6) 
• Aboriginal cultural leader (Yr 5 or 6 students) 
• Technology monitor (Yr 5 or 6) 
• Farm monitor (Yr 5 or 6) 
• Canteen monitor (Yr 4 to 6)  

The principles which Meadow Flat Public School advocate are that:

• All students have the potential to develop leadership skills: 
• Students will be encouraged to apply leadership skills to initiatives that strengthen the school community and the communities in which they live;  
• Leadership programs can build students' confidence that their views are important to staff and that they can have an influence on what happens in the school. 

Student leadership programs will be most effective when they: 

• are planned and developmental; 
• receive active support from teachers, parents, and peers; 
• encourage a range of leadership styles inclusive of cultural differences; 
• engage all groups in the school; 
• provide fair access and participation for all students including equal participation for children; 
• encourage more experienced student leaders to support those who are less experienced; 
• draw on the expertise and resources of the wider community; and 
• are perceived as relevant and valuable by the students and the school. 

Sports and school captains

Aim:

Meadow Flat Public School endeavours to develop students’ leadership skills and to share decision making processes. 

The procedures put in place at Meadow Flat Public School have been developed to be fair, unbiased, fair and inclusive for all students. 

Timeline for school leaders

Term 1 Week 1  

• Inform all Year 5 students of the criteria, which will enable them to be eligible for candidacy 

Term 3 Week 10

• Student nominate themselves to stand as a Sports or a School Captain. Nominations close at the end of the week.

Term 4 Week 1 and Week 2

• Candidates standing for election are announced at the school assembly. 
• Students are asked to present a speech at a special school assembly. Each student is given a 3-minutes restriction.  
• They must have their speech signed off by a teacher before they present it to the school assembly and use no props. 

Term 4 Week 9

• Captains announced at the Presentation Day assembly. 

Nomination of Candidates

Students can be nominated if they fulfil the following criteria: 

• Displays good leadership skills 
• Always wears full school and sports uniform and worn appropriately 
• Shows willingness to always assist 
• Is a role model in the classroom and playground and when representing the school 
• Displays exemplary behaviour 
• Takes responsibility for their actions 
• Shows no violence at anytime
• Always shows respect for all adults 
• Upholds all classroom and school rules
• Participates in school events 

Nomination process

Students complete a nomination form and return it to the office 

Lobbying of candidates

Each candidate will be limited to a 3-minute speech with no props.

The speech presented at a whole school assembly and must be previewed by a teacher. 

Students will present their speeches in random order and as they appear on the ballot paper. 

Polling Day:

Voting will take place by secret ballot. 

Each student and staff member voting will be marked off a class list. 

The electorate will consist of students in all years, plus all school staff members. 

A secret ballot will elect 2 school captains and 1 sports captains.  

The “First past the post” voting system will be used. Electors will indicate 4 votes with the 2 highest students will be the school captains, and the next 2 to be offered the sports captains  

Counting of Votes:

They will be counted by the School Administration Manager and the P&C President. This will occur at a suitable time on the day of voting. 

All ballot papers will be kept by the principal for a period of 3 months 

Weighting of votes:

1:1 ratio for students voting 

1:1 ratio for staff members voting for school captains 

Captains announcements:

The announcement of the school captains will be made at the Annual Presentation assembly. 

Parents are invited to the Presentation Day Assembly. It will be live streamed if they are unable to enter the school site due to Health NSW restrictions 

Students will read the captains pledge at this assembly and receive their badges.