What are your hopes for Ivanhoe Girls’ in 2023 as both Year 12’s and leaders of the School?

As both Year 12s and 2023 leaders, it’s our mission to further the collaborative, unified nature of our school community. To us, it is impertinent to nurture a welcoming, connected environment where everyone can express themselves without judgement. Creating a holistic experience where students feel encouraged to embrace the wide variety of opportunities our school provides as they move through school is vital to us. As a collective, we want to ensure that we allow everyone to thrive in their own way. In addition to this, we feel that it is imperative that students know that at Ivanhoe Girls’, they will always be supported and that failure is not only normal, but also a part of learning and the entire experience.

How do you hope the Junior School students, from 3 Year Old Kinder to Year 6 will respond to your messages and calls for action? 

We hope that through our different initiatives next year, we might be able to inspire the Junior School students to find ways to display leadership qualities in their own lives. Of course, there is more than one way to be a leader outside of holding a position. Leadership can be displayed through commitment, encouragement and self-expression. Only through displaying the qualities we value can we hope to inspire others to act in the same way. We hope that the Junior School students will be able to find ways to demonstrate the qualities they value and inspire those around them to follow their passions.

How do you plan to empower other students to be leaders themselves, both with and without a position of responsibility?

Leadership is something everyone is capable of, regardless of age or title. Leadership is about inspiring and encouraging and empowering others. This is something we aim to show the student body and invite them to join us in our mission to spark initiative. Our goal is to celebrate the fact that everyone has their strengths and areas for growth, and by putting yourself out of your comfort zone, and taking charge of your insecurities instead of letting them lead you, those lesser areas will evolve into assets.

What is your message for the incoming Year 7 students and those new to our School in 2023?

For both new students and incoming Year 7’s, we really want to encourage all students to take advantage of the wide variety of opportunities that will be available to them. Whether it be trying something new or furthering an interest in a certain area, such as sport, music, or drama, just giving everything a go will open so many opportunities and connections for them. To try something new can be an incredibly daunting task, whether it be a new co-curricular activity or to try a leadership role such as the SRC (Student Representative Council), Tutor Captain or be a House Representative.

Out of our five new values, which do you think will be the most prominent in your actions as part of the 2023 Student Leadership Team?

We hope to be able to foster meaningful change in the School and are fortunate to have a variety of skills and experiences in the team to draw from. We aspire to use our connectedness as a team to highlight these various experiences and draw from them ideas on how we can improve school life for others. By embracing our differences not only within in the leadership team, but within the student body, we aim to cultivate a thriving student environment that encourages students to learn and grow. Through the School’s connectedness and our actions as the 2023 Student Leadership Team, we hope that students feel empowered and brave enough to try something new and learn something valuable from their experiences.

Ideally, what is your ultimate plan or dream you can achieve by the end of 2023 in your individual positions of responsibility?

As Social Service Prefect and SRC President we hope that we can promote student voice and encourage service, both within our school community and the wider community. We wish to create an atmosphere which elevates student voice, to make progressive change that reflects current student values. Additionally, we wish to inspire our peers to give back to both the School and wider community. We aim to motivate everyone to find a passion that allows them to support others and make the most of opportunities to make in other people’s lives. 

As School Captain and School Vice-Captain for 2023, we hope to inspire students to accept their failures as part of the process. Failure is something that we all experience, although it is often hidden or minimised in order to avoid embarrassment. However, failing is essential, not only for progress but it also proves that we are all human, and connected in our flaws. As such, we hope that next year, we can emphasise the cliché that ‘our failures do not define us’, and they should instead be celebrated.

2023 School Captain - Paige
2023 School Vice Captain - Saambavi
2023 Social Service Prefect - Skana
2023 Social SRC President - Mary