Students
Student Representative Council
What is the S.R.C.?
The S.R.C. is a group of students elected by their peers to represent the wider student community. Each class from Years 3 – 6 elects two representatives to be a part of the S.R.C. each semester. This group of students, along with teacher coordinators, represents student voice within the school. Their role involves actively participating in the school and broader school community by putting forward students’ views, concerns and ideas. The group meets fortnightly and the SRC aims to make our school an even better place to learn.
What is the role of the SRC?
Our SRC provides all students with a voice. Their role involves actively participating in the school and broader school community by discussing issues that concern students, raise awareness of broader social issues and aim to improve not only our school as a place of learning but also the world in which they live.
Our S.R.C. regularly suggest improvements to our school buildings and grounds and conduct fundraising activities to support local, state and national causes of interest to them. Their achievements have included:
- Creation and planting of garden bed in the courtyard area outside the Library
- Supported our farmers in drought stricken areas of Australia by fundraising with hay bale initiative and promoting awareness with an accompanying ‘farm dress’ theme day
- Campaigned for additional sports equipment and organised games in the yard
- Sponsored a third world country child through World Vision
- Lent a ‘helping hand’ to Envision by collecting bottle tops to be made into prosthetics for disabled children
- Helped heal our injured and homeless native wildlife after the bushfires by asking for a gold coin donation and promoting awareness by holding a whole school animal dress up day
Student Leadership Program
Leadership is taking responsibility for making a positive difference in our world and other people’s lives. The development of student leadership skills involves opportunities which encourage students to:
- Act in roles of responsibility with integrity and honesty
- Foster a sense of vision and purpose
- Work with others to determine and achieve collective goals
- Take on responsibilities and use decision making skills in order to carry a project through to a successful conclusion
- Be active, reflective listeners who respond effectively
- Earn the respect of others through their actions.
Every student has and deserves the opportunity to build upon their inherent leadership skills. At Weeden Heights Primary School student leadership is promoted and developed from their very first day at school. Class monitors, group leaders and classroom Learning Agreements empower our students to display and expand upon their inbuilt ability to lead.
As their schooling continues, students’ leadership opportunities continue to grow through the weekly classroom meetings, Student Representative Council, Buddy Program and similar opportunities until each student completes their final year of primary school as confident informed global citizens.
Year 6 Leadership Program
At Weeden Heights, our point of difference is that EVERY student is recognised and given the opportunity to lead one or more areas in which their strengths, interests and passions drive them. Our philosophy is that leadership skills can be developed, with the guidance of a mentor, in every student. Leadership development is also well supported across the school with the formal focus on public speaking. In addition to the traditional School Captains and House Captains roles, leadership for our senior students can include captaincy roles in the following areas:
- Arts
- Chess
- Choir
- Environment & Sustainability
- Fundraising
- ICT
- Language
- Library
- Peer Mentors
- Sport
- Kitchen/Garden
When first visiting Weeden Heights Primary School, you will most likely be greeted by our School Ambassadors (students who display a strong sense of school pride and who have made the most of every opportunity Weeden Heights has to offer them throughout their primary years). In this role, they will proudly tell you or take you on a tour of Weeden Heights PS.
Students look forward to gaining a leadership position and relish the opportunity to support students and ‘give back’ to the school community.
Student Voice & Agency
At Weeden Heights we believe that finding opportunities to enhance and promote student voice and agency will improve student engagement, wellbeing and achievement outcomes.
Student Voice is not simply about giving students the opportunity to communicate ideas and opinions, it is about students being empowered to influence change. Authentic student voice provides opportunities for students to collaborate and make decisions with adults concerning what and how they learn and how their learning is assessed.
Student Agency is interconnected to student voice and refers to a level of autonomy and power that a student experiences in their learning environment. Agency empowers students to direct, take responsibility and ownership of their learning, creating independent and self—regulating learners.
Both student voice and agency provide our students with an opportunity to be involved and engage with their learning, their school and environment.
Students from Prep to Year 6 have the opportunity to be involved in what and how they learn. Our teachers are skilled in planning learning experiences that engage students through their own strengths and interests, while catering for individual student needs, skills, dispositions and relevant curriculum standards. We believe that effective learning requires purpose, context and an audience to ensure students are empowered, take ownership for the learning, make connections and most importantly, have fun!