As we have made our way over the half-way hill of the year, it’s time to look at 2022. Over the past few years, we have placed a great emphasis on student leadership at the College. We have fantastic young men at our school, and we are in a wonderful position to have these young men as co-creators of our great College. The aims of student leadership at Whitefriars are:
- To develop the leadership capabilities of students across all year levels so they can develop as servant leaders and active global citizens
- To promote a culture of active student voice and involvement in matters affecting the school and to use student voice to enrich the school community
- To enable students to advocate on behalf of their peers on issues relating to school life
- To act as a role model for the rest of the school by upholding the mission and values of Whitefriars College
Our Year 12 leaders form a key component of student leadership at Whitefriars, and the formation and selection of these young men has already begun. Our Director of Identity, Mission and service, Mr Joshua Vujcich, runs a rich leadership formation experience for all the current Year 11 boys considering putting themselves forward for leadership. The cornerstone of this program, and the principle which underpins leadership at Whitefriars – Servant Leadership. We have 50 boys who have put themselves forward as potential leaders of the College which is comforting and inspiring. Charlie Schroder, current College Captain, spoke to the students at their first session and imparted some very wise words from his experience. One very sage point he mentioned which resonated with me, and I’m sure all the boys, was to take a risk and step up for a role even if you feel you may not be equipped to do so. In Charlies words, “Those selecting leaders are far better at telling you if you would be a good leader than you are.” The six-week formation program will culminate in a Leadership Retreat at the end of August involving leadership workshops and nomination process for the College Captain and Vice-Captains.
I wish all students good luck on this journey and thank you for being courageous and putting yourselves forward.
Mick Lafferty
Deputy Principal – Students
