The Student Leadership Program at Montcrest School has largely been geared toward grade 7 and 8 students. Starting my new role as Student Leadership Coordinator, I am interested in expanding the program to the junior grades by thinking about how students can gain a sense of purpose and build their capacity for leadership through co-curricular action in their school community and by thinking about how to integrate student leadership into curriculum. After reviewing my tasks and goals through the Eisenhower matrix, I have identified some urgent, but important tasks as well as some not urgent, but important tasks. The tasks listed in not urgent, but important are where I intend to focus my action plan in my time in Cohort 21. Given that I am slated to be in this role for three years, my action plan may require a longer timeline than this season of Cohort 21.
Of the Season 13 Strands, my intentions for this season seem to resonate best with Pedagogy, Belonging, and Wellbeing (JK-6): “How might we best engage, support, and assess our JK-6 learners?” My action plan also relates to Pedagogy, Belonging, and Wellbeing for middle school. Thinking about student leadership through this lens, I am considering the ways that a sense of purpose and experiential learning positively contribute to wellbeing and belonging in the school community and the wider community, and therefore engagement in their school and neighbourhood.
Student well-being is promoted by taking into consideration their cognitive, social, physical, and emotional development. Belonging is essential to the human experience and is therefore a main tenet in a person’s well-being. All people want to feel that they are part of a community where they are accepted and can thrive. In order to facilitate this experience at school, educators aim to create communities within their classrooms by facilitating opportunities for students to get to know one another, encouraging group work, or highlighting students’ strengths. In addition to belonging within a classroom community, schools should think about belonging within the larger school matrix, forging relationships and opportunities across grades, school positions, and with the broader community. Positive well-being is also established through a sense of purpose because it allows individuals to feel valued within their communities. When we cultivate our students’ strengths and create time to reflect on these and their challenges, they are afforded opportunities to develop their sense of self.
According to the Ministry of Education’s Considerations for Program Planning, experiential learning consists of opportunities for students to see how their in-school learning relates to the larger community or world, empowering students to explore their sense of self. Leadership within their school community allows students to experience challenges, successes, and growth in their cognitive, social, and emotional development. In a leadership capacity, students use their decision-making, planning, relationship-building skills, and their empathy and emotional-regulation within roles that they are passionate about to affect change within their school. While these opportunities are available to students in grade 7 and 8 at Montcrest, I intend to think about how we can build these opportunities into the school life of our younger students.
As the new school year has begun, new roles within the leadership program have been added to address needs within the Montcrest community and some roles have been given expanded age groups to better include grades 4-6 students. Some of these roles are:
- Equity & Inclusion Leaders
- To attend Equity and Inclusion club meetings, lead discussions, plan opportunities, and connect with other leaders to support awareness and action initiatives inside and outside of the school community.
- Recess Program Leaders
- To take inventory, propose new supplies and games, and to support recess equipment signout on the pitch. Meet with the Director of School Life and Wellness throughout the year to give feedback and ideas on recess.
- Primary Recess Support
- To assist primary students with winter clothing items and support their transitions to recess.
- Sustainability Leaders
- To promote sustainability, love of the environment and nature, and to care for the living wall.
- Innovation Captains
- To solve problems that exist in the school community and collaborate with other captains on initiatives related to their roles.
Sources
Edutopia: How to Cultivate a Sense of Belonging at School
Considerations for Program Planning: Student Well-being and Mental Health