PHOTO: Coonamble High School captains for 2024: Patrick Forbes, Temia Robinson and Clare Hopkins. PHOTO SUPPLIED.
The Coonamble High School is introducing their student leadership team for the new school year.
Patrick Forbes and Temia Robinson are the school captains with Clare Hopkins as the vice-captain.
All students and staff got to vote in the election although the staff votes carried slightly more weight than the students vote.
To become a school captain the applicants had to prepare a speech about their ambitions within a few days.
“It was a bit difficult to build that in time,” Temia said.
She said one of the reasons students should become school captains is to hone their leadership skills and practise public speaking.
Despite feeling nervous about preparing a speech for the assembly, Temia said she practised with her friends and family, overcame her fears, and went on to become school captain.
One of Temia’s goals is to get new shorts for the CHS students because she says she and some of the other girls don’t like wearing them.
The responsibilities of the school captains include attending executive staff meetings and working for the student representative council.
“The main point of being school captain is giving students at the CHS a voice and raising problems with the school. It’s a good role. I’ve got many things to work on and to try to improve at school,” Patrick said.
Patrick said one of the main issues he intends to address at school is bullying, both towards other students and teachers.
He said he plans to create a buddy system where students work with another teacher or student to engage them and work on a challenging task.
Patrick got the idea by remembering his time as school captain in primary school in 2019.
He said the buddy system was effective in getting students more interested in the curriculum.
School captains also work as a conduit between teachers and students.
“We can bring it up with the head teacher and voice their opinion.”
Michelle Elliott, Clare Hopkin’s mother, said several younger students approach Clare because she has a smiley and friendly nature about her.
One of Clare’s goals is to include more girls in sports and be a role model for her peers.
“It’s something that gets you out of your comfort zone and it gives you more experience in leadership.”
She has also been a school captain at the Quambone public school in Year 6.
Coming to the CHS was a big jump for Clare whose primary school years were spent with only a dozen or so students.
“I stuck to my work and tried making nice friends and that worked out in my favour,” Clare said.
Clare recommends that more students apply themselves as school captains.
The trio all have different goals during their term as school captain but the mission that unites them is making the Coonamble High School a better place.
“I just hope I can leave the school next year having created a safe environment that’s ready for the future,” Patrick said.
The trio take over from previous captains Dekoda Jackson, Laiken Robinson-Cooper (Temia’s brother) and Vice Captain Montana Hodgson.