Leadership and Service

Driven by our values of caring for others and self and caring for the community, your child is encouraged to serve others, including their peers, the School and the greater community through Leadership and Service Learning programs at Northholm. We are a school that promotes in each student a strong sense of belonging as global citizens through our opportunities for representation, leadership and community engagement.

Student Leadership programs at each level of schooling give our students the chance to discover and develop their leadership potential as both individuals and within teams through roles in and outside the classroom. Participation in service programs and outdoor experiences is anchored in values of respect, integrity and compassion, as students undertake activities to support their understanding of the difference an individual’s contribution can make to the wider community.

Student Leadership Framework

Leadership at Northholm takes the form of formal positions as well as encouraging students to participate in forums, debates, peer tutoring and mentoring programs. We believe in providing guidance and opportunity to young people to support them in finding their purpose in life and become positive influences in the world.

There are four key dimensions to student leadership at Northholm which are measured as part of our student metrics: leading self, leading academically, leading with others and changing your world. Understanding the challenges that leaders face both within the school context and after they leave, there are four fundamental competencies that a Northholm graduate needs to learn and master:

Self-awareness: To understand your behaviour’s impact on school outcomes.

Communications: To effectively communicate goals and inspire trust.

Influence: To be comfortable persuading, promoting and delegating.

Learning agility: To know when to change course and to help others to do so.

Leadership positions

In the Primary Years, Captains run assemblies, assist with House activities and represent the school at community events. Students in the Year 6 cohort have an important role by undertaking the responsibility of nurturing Kindergarten students as part of our Buddy Program. Primary Years monitors also volunteer in a variety of areas around the campus.

In the Secondary years, the Student Representative Council, led by the Senior Prefect who is supported by the Prefect Executive with members from Years 7 to 12, gives students an authentic voice within the School. The Prefect Body consists of two School Captains, the Senior Prefect (Character), the Senior Prefect (Community) and supporting Prefects who have key responsibilities in developing and promoting academic and character-building programs. House Captains support in the coordination of House Assemblies, carnivals and inter-House competitions.

The Year 11 Leadership Program is a voluntary initiative in which the students take responsibility for the coordination of service initiatives such as organising charity events, fundraising and school events. Our Peer Support program links new students with current students across different year groups to build confidence, friendship and trust as they settle into a new school.

Service Learning

Northholm Grammar is committed to building a culture of ‘service as a habit’, allowing students to lead, own and shape their needs, ideas and decision-making to help others. Service Education projects allow students to increase public awareness of key social issues, develop leadership, decision making, collaboration and communication skills, build positive relationships with community members, develop a deeper understanding of themselves and empathy and respect for others and apply their energy and creativity to community needs.

While Service Learning Week is Northholm’s most significant service initiative, other opportunities are available throughout the year including the ANZAC Ambassador and the Rural Fire Service Cadets Program, as well as through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Service Learning Week

During Service Learning Week, held in Term 4, teaching staff and students from Kindergarten to Year 10 are involved in a range of service activities that promote an attitude of selflessness and greater resilience in our young people. Learning areas may include recycling and sustainability, care of the elderly, poverty and homelessness, human rights and more. Through a range of experiences, including presentations from guest speakers and hands-on activities, students are exposed to different perspectives that may challenge their thoughts and views on the world. This will ultimately add to the development of their compassion and empathy, instilling a level of understanding for individuals in our community and the local and international environment.

Read more about how our Leadership and Service initiatives are enacted in The Arcadian magazine.

Read The Arcadian

Student Leadership Framework

Leadership positions

Service Learning

Service Learning Week

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