Active student citizenship and leadership is a valued approach at Gymea to promote a sense of unity and connectedness of all in our school community. Active student citizens and student leaders take action to improve their community, to make a difference and in turn, support a positive learning environment.
At Gymea Technology High School our aim is to create opportunities for student voice and decision making built on valued participation and lead. We continue to work together with students to maximise their opportunities to participate at the highest level of individual ability.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care is a provision of support for students to develop with their academic and well-being needs. Our Pastoral Care program builds on the domains within the NSW Department of Education Well-being framework that include Student’s cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual development.
Pastoral Care is delivered once a week through a timetabled session. Students are linked up in groups of 10-12 with a teacher who will continue with their group throughout the year. During the session, students will have a chance to connect with their teacher and each other, discuss elements around the key themes and reflect on their own performance and growth as an individual.
Active Citizenship Programs
There are many ways that students can actively participate in their school, within everyday and learning and with activities and initiative undertaken across the school.
Regular feedback on engagement at school and with learning help provide reflection on everyday learning focused strongly on the effort and commitment to active learning as an individual and in supporting learning within their classrooms.
Students are encouraged to involve themselves in the broad range of activities and initiatives at school. These are a mix of curriculum related activities such as Music, Dance and technologies through to whole school activities that representative sports, the Student leadership assembly, outdoor community service as examples.
Students receive acknowledgement for the contribution made to the school community and individual development through Citizenship and Leadership Awards presented at celebration assemblies and identified in semester reports.
Emerging Leaders
Our emerging leading program aims to build on the successes with our active citizenship programs and the two leadership programs, the Student Leadership Assembly and Year 12 Prefects.
The Emerging Leaders Program in 2023/2024 is targeting Year 9 students heading into Year 10 in 2024 who actively and positively participate in their school with their learning and active citizenship.
The program aims to provide experiences for our students that include:
- Opportunities to learn and lead whole school initiatives.
- Develop speaking and conversational skills.
- Strengthen demonstrated self regulation and self-organisation skills.
- Opportunities and initiatives that aim to ignite higher personal aspiration.
- Participation and experience within student leadership initiatives.
