We are committed to developing students to be effective and moral leaders in a challenging and dynamic environment and have thus developed the innovative Leadership Academy as a means to guide each student through a personal leadership journey each year. By engaging in their personal leadership journey, students will be better equipped to be effective leaders on The Leadership Program in Grade 11.
Each student has a Leadership Academy portfolio to guide them on their leadership journey. This includes a list of some of the things students may like to record and have evidence of each year. Keeping records of leadership growth and evidence in the file are the student’s responsibility.
The aim of the Leadership Program is to give all Grade 11 students going into their Grade 12 year an opportunity to experience leadership and thus be inspired to develop their potential as leaders. Students build up a personal leadership file of the activities and events in which they have participated and the training they have had. They are also expected to serve their community through the school’s outreach activities. In Grade 11, interested students put together a leadership CV and apply to head up a particular portfolio in their Grade 12 year. They motivate their application with a speech to the school before their peers and the school staff vote.
Unlike the traditional ‘prefect’ system, at AIS each student on the Leadership Program is then appointed to a specific Leadership Portfolio, and is assigned a personal mentor teacher who guides them and challenges them to grow their leadership skills. At the end of their term of office, the leaders are assessed on their performance and how well they have managed their portfolios. Based on this, top achievers are then rewarded with a Leadership Scroll, Full Colours, or Honours for Leadership, ensuring they are recognised for their performance rather than their status.
Here, we strive to give as many opportunities as possible to all our learners to develop and hone their unique leadership style and skills through various platforms. In the Sport Portfolio, we have captains and vice-captains. In the Cultural Portfolio, we have chairpersons of societies and opportunities to direct and manage various spheres in our stage productions. In Grade 10, our learners can opt to attend a leadership camp with the sole purpose of leadership development and networking with their peers. However, it is in the Leadership Portfolio itself where most development takes place. Here we offer something for everyone.
These four groups work in unison to collectively support and promote what is in the best interest of AIS’s student body, teachers, and community. You will notice that various aspects of their roles overlap, and this helps us to ensure that the leadership bodies, while they have different core focal points, work cohesively towards a common goal.
They work tirelessly to enhance the experience of every Monty and strive to set an example of moral leadership for all to emulate. They are courageous young men and women who have heeded the call to take up the lead. They rise to serve their fellow Monties, not through force, but through friendship, humility, and integrity. “If you are too big to serve, then you are too small to lead.” These words, by Rich Wilkerson Jr., are what our Monty leaders choose to live by. We are extremely proud of those who have gone before, those who have been custodians for today and those who will rise to lead tomorrow.
Always remember that as a Monty leader you are standing on the shoulders of the great young men and women who led before you and it is your duty to safeguard their legacy and pass it on to those who will follow in your footsteps
Our four main leadership groups are as follows: