STUDENTS at Cohuna Secondary College have been given a greater say in their own education and in the broader activities of the school community.
College principal, Fiona Miller revealed this week that students accepted an invitation to be involved in the interviews and subsequent appointment of a new deputy principal.
Students will also be involved in the appointment of a new teacher and in formulating the college’s vision and values statement.
“We want students and parents to have ownership and the involvement of a broad section of the community in its development,” she said.
Mrs Miller said that a key message being delivered to all students is to show respect to each other and everyone else in the school community.
A mural of hands in the school corridor adorned with the thoughts of students reinforces the messages of kindness and resilience and the stated objective for students to be “the best person you can be.”
Mrs Miller said that these themes are reinforced with messages at school assemblies.
To be the best person that they can possibly be, students can make choices.
“Every situation we are faced with, we have a choice as to how to respond, how to act, how to behave,” she said.
“We can use our personal power for positive rather than negative. We can use our abilities, our talents and our character, which we develop through trial and error for positive actions in our every-day life.
“Our resilience is our ability to bounce back when things don’t go to plan. How to deal with that hard knock. How to deal with hurt. How to deal with disappointment.”
Mrs Miller said that students from all class levels submitted expressions of interest to be involved on the deputy principal selection panel.
Two students from Years 11 and 12 were selected.
“They were very insightful and became very engaged in the process. They were instilled with the need for privacy and their expectations.
The Student Representatives Council will be involved in the early stages of the vision and values statement next term.
