On Tuesday the 4th of March, our Primary and House Captains from both Werribee and Melton attended the GRIP Leadership Conference at the Melbourne Convention Centre. We joined thousands of other students from other schools around Victoria to learn about what it means to be a leader, the responsibilities they now have and the best ways to accomplish their goals within their year of leadership.
They learned how to be an example, a helper and a voice for different groups of students within their school community and were given opportunities to write down ideas for what impact they can have at school. The students were shown examples of the amazing work done by other Primary leaders around Australia and even had opportunities to share and discuss ideas with other students at the conference. They were challenged to think about all aspects of being a leader and be willing to do what the school needs, not just what they are comfortable doing.
A big takeaway for our students was that they need to be smart with their time. Many leaders struggle to achieve their goals because time passes so quickly. The Captains were given tips on how to achieve the goals they have set for themselves within the time that they are a leader in Primary school.
Not only did our students actively learn what the GRIP team were teaching, but two of our Werribee Captains and three of our Melton Captains were given a chance to go on stage! One of our Melton Captains, Bella, even got to be a part of a skit with two students from other schools to help reinforce one of the teaching points.
This was such a great day of learning for our Captains, and I can’t wait to see them grow and flourish in their roles this year!
“One of the key takeaways from the conference was that leadership is about service, not status – it’s about being a voice for others, leading with friendship, and helping both our school community and those beyond it.” Jo Dixon, Coordinator – Melton
Here's what some of our student leaders thought about the conference:
“The Primary leadership team went to the GRIP Leadership Conference, where we learnt ways to become good leaders. In the meeting, we participated in fun, interactive activities called Loud Noises, where we competed against the other side of the room in a game. In some of the activities, we would choose one leader from our school to go on stage and do a challenge. It was really fun, and we learnt how to become good leaders at the same time! Two things I took away from it were: work together, not alone, and make things fun, not forced. I learnt how to be a good leader while having fun with my friends.” Noah W, Stanway Captain – Werribee
"One of the things I learnt was that a good leader always needs new ideas. There were lots of activities that I got to do, and I even got the opportunity to go up on stage and perform with one child from each school that attended. In the breaks, I enjoyed spending time with the kids from Werribee campus. Overall, the conference was good. I am glad I learnt because now I can improve my job as a leader." Isaac C, Sports Captain – Melton
"I found this conference very helpful and informative. It was helpful because I got to learn new skills and ideas that I can use as a leader. Furthermore, this conference was also entertaining and had me waiting for more. It was a great day out, and helpful for leaders and teachers to learn about the responsibilities of leading and have fun while doing it." Kaitlyn B, Environment Captain – Melton
"The leadership conference that we attended was mainly about how to be a better leader, student and friend. The three topics we learnt about included the responsibilities of a student leader, leadership through friendship and sharing new ideas to help others. It was an absolutely great experience. From interactive and fun examples to the facts about what lies ahead in our journey as student leaders, I learnt a lot, and I look forward to applying my new knowledge to my role as a student leader." Leanne P, Wellbeing Captain – Melton