1 minute read
Junior School
Enterprise learning in action
Providing opportunities for student leadership is a focus in MLC’s Junior School, where every student in Year 6 acts as a role model for younger students and is encouraged to lead by example.
“This idea of ‘distributed’ leadership isn’t new for us. Every Year 6 student has a meaningful role and an opportunity to contribute as a Junior School leader,” explains Head of Junior School, Louise Peyton. Students apply for one of six leadership teams: Environment, Service, Wellbeing, House, Events and Activities. Within each team, students work collaboratively, sharing tasks and responsibilities. This year, students across several teams joined forces in a unique way when they took over the running of the Junior School Snack Shop. “The Snack Shop is normally co-ordinated and staffed by our Junior School Parents’ Committee (JSPC), but COVID-19 restrictions meant these parents could no longer come onto the school grounds,” explains Louise. Year 6 students embraced the responsibility, leadership and learning opportunity. “Each Year 6 class was allocated one term to run the facility and business. Students across multiple leadership teams needed to work together to decide what to sell, how much to order, manage the budget and manage communication with JSPC representatives.” “Students were beginning to consider the packaging of the goods they were purchasing and how it was impacting on the environment. In addition to the economic bottom-line, they realised that they needed to consider the sustainability bottom-line.” Louise says students honed skills in project management, financial literacy and communication. “They’ve been innovative, flexible, collaborative and entrepreneurial – all attributes of value across many areas of life and work.”
As the JSPC typically run the Snack Shop as a fundraiser, students were also given the chance to demonstrate service leadership by deciding how a portion of the proceeds would be directed.
“Students researched charities of interest to identify which projects they would support,” Louise says. At the time of writing, 2021 Snack Shop funds have been directed to Sisterworks and the Alannah and Madeline Foundation.
Louise Peyton, Head of Junior School
