Friday saw 29 aspiring Year 5 leaders partake in a leadership day camp at the Shearwater Broadwater Park and then the Runaway Bay Super Sports Centre. The camp is designed to further develop the leadership and team work skills of students who are seeking to gain a badged position next year, in particular, as Head of School or Head of Student Council.

Students were asked to focus on 3 attributes for effective leadership ~ Communication, Persistence and 'Mind Toughness'. This meant their resilience was set to be tested and they needed to work together to acheive success.

Stand-up paddle boarding was probably the highlight of the day and saw students working in pairs to manoeuvre the board from one end of the beach to the other. Students needed to contend the tide going out which meant steering was tricky and the current was enough to make it a little more challenging, however they didn't let this deter them from making the most of their time in the water. Students were also lucky enough to have a pod of dolphins swimming nearby.

After a team game on the beach where students had to escape 'prison' by digging a hole big enough for all students to pass under the 'wall', students then walked back to the Sports Centre to get changed and have lunch. Competition was fierce in our next activity where students learned a game that resembled 'stuck in the mud' but was played with a pool noodle. This is a game that encouraged strategic thinking and team work and the best part was probably being allowed to whack one another with the noodles!

The final team building activities included plank walking to avoid the 'lava', the 'electric current' challenge, low ropes and the blind fold maze. These challenges required our aspiring leaders to not only think strategically but also to communicate effectively, consider and be patient with their team mates, and when something didn't work, reflect on how to improve.

Staff from the Sports Centre were once again blown away with the calibre of leadership qualities these students already display and we are very confident that the role of our 2021 Head of School and Head of Student Council are in good hands. The next step is to short list this group of 29 to just 12 students who will then move on to an interview phase. To say this is a difficult decision is an understatement.