Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care

Connection and wellbeing via student leadership

It is a well-researched and documented fact that a sense of connectedness to school is a protective factor for young people. The positive impact on longer-term health and wellbeing and education outcomes is very apparent when students feel connected to and within their school environment. It is our job as educators to provide students with opportunities to have meaningful input into decisions and to drive new initiatives. By providing opportunities to show leadership at school we are able to enhance students’ sense of belonging and connectedness. These opportunities are also one way of enabling students to develop social competencies.  

Hence, both our formal student leadership structures across Years 4-12 and the multitude of ways we are able to provide opportunities for leadership skill building have become an important part of our wellbeing framework at Santa Sabina. Our Year 4 leaders all hold leadership positions and contribute to key activities across the campus; leading assemblies, fundraising and inspiring their younger peers to get involved and demonstrate kindness towards each other. When a student leads the way, not only do others follow but they are also exposed to the skills and capacities they need to step into similar roles in the future. 

In Gioia House our student leaders also act as role models and capacity builders. The leadership program at Gioia House encourages our badged leaders to walk alongside all Gioia House students in their leadership journey; encouraging collaboration and involvement in all activities. Our Year 7-12 Leadership Team and the House Captains this year have been enthusiastic in their leadership and have ensured that as many of them are coming up behind the student body encouraging and promoting involvement, as there are leaders striding ahead at the front – showing the way. Wellbeing Wednesday, a new initiative from our current Senior Student Leadership Team allows these traits to be clearly evident to the student body.

Term 3 on the Year 7-12 campus will see the start of the leadership election process for our new Year 12 leaders who will begin their leadership journey in Term 4 this year. Year 11 students will be hearing more about this in the first weeks of Term 3. The most important message they will be hearing is that this journey is not a solo journey – its intent is to bring others along with them so that all students’ leadership capacities can flourish and grow. 

Melanie van der Meer
Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care