Student Leadership Overview
Overview
At ACS (Independent), the Student Leadership Team comprises teachers who oversee three Student Leadership Boards - House, Prefectorial Board, and Student Council. Students appointed to these Boards are referred to as student leaders. Student leadership is an integral part of the school’s talent development programme.
We believe that student leadership is values-driven and practicable. Student leaders should exemplify the school’s S.H.I.E.L.D. values. In line with the belief that everyone can practise leadership and improve in their leadership skills, the school adopts Kouzes and Posner’s The Leadership Challenge® as a model. The Leadership Challenge serves to select, train, mentor, and train to select student leaders.
Student leaders serve the school by:
- rallying the school family towards its core purpose to be catalysts for change, for God and humanity,
- contributing to a better school-going experience, and
- representing the school as ambassadors.
The specific purpose of each Board is as follows:
- House serves to strengthen students’ sense of belonging to the school by bringing members of the school family together through their participation in House activities.[1]
- The Prefectorial Board represents students from Years 1-4.
- The Student Council represents students from Years 5-6.
Student leaders are primarily focused on the following initiatives:
|
Type |
Examples |
|
Planning and executing large-scale school events |
Family Events, community partnerships |
|
Supporting large-scale school events |
Sports Day, Y1 Discovery Camp, Y5 Orientation, Y6 Prom Night |
|
Building up school spirit |
cheering at National School Games Finals, House Hour |
|
Representing student voice and working on feedback |
Year 1-6 Townhall |
|
Leading student-initiated projects |
ACtive@ACS(I) |
|
Representing student body in appreciating others in school family |
Teachers’ Day, Custodians’ Day, Project Appreciation |
|
Celebrating the school family |
IndepOnline, ACSemble |
|
Supporting daily functions of the school |
morning assemblies |
|
Ushering for major whole-school events |
Founder’s Day, National Day, Honours Day |
|
Stewarding shared resources |
OurSpACe, ceremonial attire |
|
Raising awareness about shared causes |
green initiatives, food/clothing collection drives |
Through their time with the three Boards, student leaders will grow in the following areas:
- Doing what is right, even in private or even when it is unpopular to do so
- Committing to responsibilities
- Understanding and serving the needs of others
- Communicating and collaborating with different groups of people in the school
In addition, the Student Leadership Team provides support for the training and development of CCA leaders and Class Committee members. The Student Leadership Team also works with the teachers overseeing the Boarding School’s Junior Common Room Committee.
To encourage and provide for more leadership opportunities for class committee members, CCA leaders and students in Talent Development Programmes, the following initiatives involves them in the planning and execution process, under the guidance and supervision of the respective event owners[2]:
- Level-bonding events
- Inter-level mentoring
- Ushering for CCA/Department events
Put together, the various leadership opportunities for students in ACS(I) contribute towards realising the school’s vision for Year 1-4 students (Every ACSian a Scholar, Officer, Gentlemen) and for Y5-6 students (Every ACSian a Scholar, Leader, Global Citizen).
[1] House forms vertical bonds amongst ACSians throughout Years 1-6 and also provides an additional community for students within each cohort.
[2] On a case-by-case basis, student leaders support these events/initiatives after taking into account their range of work at that point in time.