Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders: Year 5–6 Peer Leadership Day
On Thursday, 30 October, our Year 5 and 6 students took part in the Peer Leadership Program, a day dedicated to exploring what it means to lead with purpose, empathy and collaboration.
The Year 6 cohort began their Leadership Day incursion with facilitator Ben Righetti, arriving full of energy and excitement. They were guided by reflective questions such as:
- What have I learned about myself and leadership?
- How can I share my learning about leadership with next year’s students?
- What activities can I design to teach next year’s students about important aspects of leadership?
In the morning, Year 6 students worked together to design, trial and refine interactive activities to run with the Year 5 students later in the day. Their goal was to help their younger peers explore leadership in action, identifying different styles, understanding key values, and recognising the qualities that make an effective leader.
Through teamwork and creativity, the Year 6 students demonstrated the values of care, empathy and service, along with the key competencies of collaboration, communication and persistence. Rather than just talking about leadership, they modelled it through their actions, showing what it means to lead with integrity.
Meanwhile, the Year 5 students also spent their morning with Ben Righetti, reflecting on the quote “Be the change you want to see in the world.” They explored leadership of self, leadership with others and leadership through service. Highlights included navigating the Minefield Challenge to strengthen communication and trust, collaborating to clean the school’s long jump pit, and discussing real-life leadership scenarios. The activities encouraged them to think deeply about how small actions can have a positive impact on their community.
When the two year levels came together in the afternoon, the result was an atmosphere of laughter, energy and mutual respect. As the day drew to a close, Year 6 students shared their reflections and advice for their younger peers:
“It’s not the loudest or strongest that’s the best leader, but the one who builds trust.” “A real leader doesn’t boss, they work collaboratively.”
They also offered thoughtful insights into what leadership means to them:
“If I could be the change I want to see in the world, I would ask everyone to do small things in an awesome way, because even though we have great power over the world, with great power comes great responsibility.” – Lucas Wu
“If I could be the change I want to see in the world, I would encourage everyone to be more empathetic to others, stepping into someone else’s shoes and experiencing what they might have felt like. This would benefit everyone, like otters hugging each other.” – Brianna Zhang
The Year 5–6 Peer Leadership Program was a wonderful success, filled with reflection, teamwork and genuine leadership in action. Every student participated wholeheartedly, strengthening their confidence and connection with others.
“A fantastic Leadership Day — a glimpse of our great future leaders!”
– Year 6 Teachers, Ms Martin-Hill and Mr Williams
