Always+A+Leader-WESTGATE

media type="custom" key="8254078" Always A Leader

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= =Session One= = Big Idea 

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We talked today about how leadership is not a technique you learn but it is about having a sense of what you stand for, believe in and hope for. We completed a private self reflection on what we think our leadership strengths’ and talents are and also what other people have said about us in terms of being a leader. Our key discussion points were:
 * our ability to lead depends on what we think of ourselves
 * We are each individually made to be just who we are - having courage to use our unique and creative ideas
 * The danger of comparing yourself to others

We read story called “Timmy’s Flowers “and then did some creative thinking challenges. 

In the second part of the session we focused on integrity and summed up the idea by using the quote “Integrity is doing the right thing when nobody is watching"

We talked about integrity is not just related to what you do by rather what you do and say. We read the Emperor's Story and had an excellent discussion about how that story relates to us as leaders and set a goal each to work on this week by using ideas from the story that challenges and interested us. We reflected on being honest, sincere and admitting mistakes. We used play dough to make symbols that reflected integrity.



School Leadership Team Challenge

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;"> <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Session Two <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Big Idea-Belonging  <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Big Idea-Self Confidence <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Welcome back to “Always a Leader” Before we got into the session we talked about all the people showing leadership abilities and skills in helping the Christchurch<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> community.

We started with some balloon games and each game forced us into a different set of restrictions that we had to accept about our team. We then watched our DVD clip from Jason Gunn about accepting others and followed this up with the cultures game. We had a certain taboo action, a way to greet others and an attitude towards another group of people.

We completed a group PMI reflection about how people base their decisions around which people to accept as leaders. We used the I reflection to look at interesting ways we make people feel welcome in our schools. We then talked about stress and what that means in terms of being a successful leader. We completed two challenges that put us under a little stress. The “lost at Sea” challenge and the Labyrinth Game <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">We completed a team challenge where restrictions were put on team members. Some members were not allowed to talk or physically help we had to accept our differences make the most of each others strengths’ to complete the challenge. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"> Well done to Hamish and Jocob who got a suggestion box made for their school this week. As part of todays session we collated how we think we are judged as leaders. We each recorded 1-5 characterstics we think we reflect and made a wordle.Click on the image to get a bigger version to read.

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<span style="background-color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Session Three This week our focus was on decision making and we started to look at service learning. To get our leadership energy levels up we started with the hoop game. With our hands connected our aim was to transport the hoop around the circle as fast as possible. Mrs. Ineson then made it slightly more complicated by changing direction and asking us to keep our eyes closed. We also played the domino game again but this week had to link the images through a leadership idea or connection. We watched the DVD clip around decision making and split into school groups to look at what decisions we make as leaders. We put these decisions into categories from simple decisions to hard decisions to make. We then joined up with another school and shared answers before coming up with 4 common ideas that could be agreed upon. We placed these out and everyone had five counters to vote for which decision they thought was the most important one. The top issue was decisions linked to friendships. We took this issue and used a problem solving grid to show how you can work through a group decision by ranking ideas against a criteria. In our example our best ideas was to run a school theme day based around friendships.

We also did another fun decision making challenge called moon landing. We then watched the DVD clip about service to others. We listened to the book “The Giving Tree” and did a personal reflection. We then moved onto the creativity challenge and spoke about how as leaders we need to help reflect the school vision and we need to have vision of the future. We used Walt Disney as an example. From the words waterfalls, mountains, giant tea cups, castle we identified the mystery place as Disneyland. We talked about this is linked back to Walt Disney sharing his vision and giving visual images we can relate too. Our challenge was to create a bus shelter that reflected our school vision. We will display these in our final session but we made a great start with masses of ideas flowing. Remember as part of your bus shelter someone in the group will need to explain how it links to your school.

== <span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; margin: auto 0cm;">Remember next week to bring your treasure maps about your leadership journey. Congratulations to our Thornbury team who designed a wish jar this week. media type="youtube" key="ibYnJoYwCXI" width="253" height="210"media type="youtube" key="zegLOWzISUM" width="253" height="210"media type="youtube" key="EPO20PkSztE" width="253" height="210" media type="youtube" key="zacF1pZR1Fg" width="253" height="210"media type="youtube" key="jF80RqLkl6E" width="253" height="210" == Session Four

Welcome back to our final session. We started the session off with some parachute games which required energy, enthusiasm and cooperation. Some of the games required as to compete as teams and other challenges meant we all had a part to play to achieve the outcome successfully. We suspect our little kola had a bit of a headache after that.

We then finished off our making decisions focus from last week. We talked about the processes that you might need to go thorough when wanting to put an idea into action. Some of the points we covered were getting permission form relevant people, raising awareness of activity, making sure the idea reflects school vision, values and is inclusive of everybody, that there is a clear outcome to set goals towards achieving, seeking advice from people who may be able to help, thanking and acknowledging people who helped, keeping leadership values at core of your involvement.

We then did a reflection activity where using the pieces we each had from a tangram puzzle, combine with other group members to create a visual representation of leadership. The ideas created and presented here were outstanding. This was followed by talking about sometimes we have to think big picture goals, other times we have small picture short term outcomes. We together had to put a series of pictures together in a sequence from the “Zoom” book that zoomed in and out of big picture, small picture ideas. Full Link- []

After morning tea we had the Head Girl and Boy from Central Southland College visit. They talked to us about their roles as school leaders and what leadership means to them. They answered a lot of well though out questions from our group.

They then judged our creative bus stop designs started last week. Well done to the team from Aparima who were judged as the winning bus stop presentation. We were really impressed with your ideas and how you all incorporated in your school vision and values. A lot of thought had gone into these – well done to you all for your effort.



We then talked about part of our role as a leader is giving feedback to others and encouraging them in their roles. We each selected a leader that we drafted a letter too to give them a pat of the back for the work they are doing in their leadership position.

To round up the sessions we read to book “Oh the places you will go “and gained our treasure from being part of this leadership journey. Well done for those of you who completed your own treasure maps of your leadership journey. These show a lot of creative thought and reflect the big ideas we have covered over the four sessions.

“You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way!

Thank you to the Thornbury staff and students for hosting us and to Alice, Jared and Thomas from Central Southland College for being part of our final sessions. Thank you too to the parents and teachers who helped with the travel and arrangements each week.

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Thank you for being such a great group of young leaders – Oh The Places You Will Go!! media type="youtube" key="IQRWeZy-S8Q" width="253" height="210"