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      HSC Student Leadership Album

      Student Leadership

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Student Leadership

HSC Student Leadership
At HSC, we encourage students to reach for leadership opportunities that excite them. 

At every age, students are empowered to add their voice to the conversation. By channeling their passions into action, students learn the value of supporting peers and fostering positive opportunities for engagement throughout the College and beyond. 
Montessori and Junior School Leadership

Students in HSC’s early education programs focus on nurturing the personal qualities of leadership through practical learning experiences. By encouraging respect, empathy and communication skills, we foster the values of leadership in a manner that aligns with their age and stage development.
 
Mixed age groupings allow our older students to assume responsibility through roles both inside and outside the class community. Our goal for the younger aged students is to instill these valuable life skills so leadership is a present and familiar attribute in their lives both today and in the future.

Grade 4 students trained as Peer Mediators assist the recess duty teachers in the Junior School. Peer mediation helps establish a sense of responsibility in students, and fosters a sense of caring for others. Peer Mediators model acceptable play behaviour, listen to and help articulate disputes, help younger students to solve conflict through discussion and build confidence and self-esteem. Grade 4 students also have an opportunity to act as Lunch Buddies for our Kindergarten students and to take on a leadership role in weekly assemblies. Each grade level partners with another grade for a Reading Buddy program.
Middle and Senior School Leadership

As students enter Middle and Senior School, they become more aware of their influence on those around them. By channeling their interests into formalized committees and groups, HSC students discover their own power to make meaningful impacts on their peers and wider communities. Below are descriptions of the leadership groups available to HSC Middle and Senior School Students.  For a full list of HSC’s co-curricular activities, click here.
Community Awareness Committee (CAC)

HSC’s Community Awareness Committee (CAC) is chaired by Grade 8 students and includes representatives from each class. Philanthropic in nature, the CAC’s members seek to organize initiatives and fundraising events that assist local charities and organizations. CAC provides students  the experience of giving back to the community in a way that is mutually beneficial for all involved.

Several major CAC events throughout the year contribute much needed support and donations to groups including the Neighbour-to-Neighbour Food Bank and the St.Matthew’s House Christmas families. 
Ambassador Teams

HSC formalized multiple student-driven Ambassador Teams who continue to impress their peers, faculty, parents and members of our community with their professionalism and enthusiasm for HSC.

In Senior School, Post-Secondary Ambassadors act as hosts for all recruiters and graciously greet, direct, facilitate technical needs and provide face-to-face contact for over 35 institutions, including Universities and Colleges from Ontario as well as from the US and the UK. Students in Grade 11 and 12 are invited to participate in an annual University Dialogue program in the fall that involves 15 institutions, as well as a Post-Secondary Fair in the spring to help students plan for their transition out of the College.

During HSC’s Career and Networking Afternoon, Senior School student ambassadors welcome, introduce, tour and deliver a biography for our alumni professional guests. Student Ambassadors research their guests and prepare appropriate questions to explore what they do in their professions and write personal thank you cards. The entire Senior School student body can ask questions about the journey and experiences of professionals in various careers. The profiled careers are chosen based on feedback from Careers students. The afternoon inspires and educates our students about future careers.
House Captains

House captains are selected as those students who, in the opinion of their peers and faculty, demonstrate responsibility in academics, leadership, athletics and activities. Two house captains direct each Middle School house and two house captains direct each Senior School house. These student leaders help set and achieve house goals, organize house events, chair meetings and assist faculty with special events and parent meetings. House captains also guide younger students in their Houses to help foster school spirit and Trojan pride.

Senior School house captains are also responsible for implementing a community volunteer event.  In past years, Maple/Tay took on the Juvenile Ride for Diabetes. Cedar/ More participated in the Road to Hope Marathon, organizing a water station and encouraging the runners.  Birch/ Earn partnered with the SAC committee and helped promote the event “A Girl’s Night Out.” Pine/ Yre partnered with a local animal shelter to promote healthy and safe living for their animals. 
 
Senior School house captains also run workshop discussions on teen issues including bullying, sexual assault, respecting differences, coping strategies and on making healthy choices regarding drugs and alcohol. The multi-grade collective environment is meant to encourage mentorship and communication in all of these areas and any other issues that students need support with.
Environment Committee

Students Grade 5 through 8 are encouraged to channel their passion for environmentalism by joining HSC’s Environment Committee. Not only do members take an active role in organizing key commemorative days during Earth Week and the like, students act as ambassadors for our most pressing environmental issues. By educating their peers about climate change, the Environment Committee acts as a key influencer in shifting HSC towards more sustainable behaviours and attitudes.
Senior School Audio/Visual Stage Crew

Working closely with the Arts and Design Department and the IT Department, members of HSC’s Senior School Audio/Visual Stage Crew take ownership in managing the audio, video and stage production for major HSC community events. A background or interest in audio production, video editing and event planning is an asset. It’s members are often able to multitask and express suggestions in a positive and productive manner.
Middle School Life Council

Leadership development opportunities for Middle School students exist in all grades, with an emphasis for students in their Grade 8 year. These students demonstrate a desire to develop their leadership skills further and are actively interested in accepting a major role of responsibility in the Middle School.
Because I Am A Girl

Because I Am A Girl Group (BIAAG) is part of the Plan Canada umbrella. BIAAG works to eliminate poverty by empowering girls around the world to get an education.  If we can send girls to school, and give them health care, they can become productive members of their community and break the cycle of poverty.  HSC's BIAAG has sold chocolate flowers, held bake sales and sold mugs for Mother's Day to raise money.
Career Peer Helpers

The top Careers students in Grade 9 are selected as Careers Peer Helpers based on their performance and leadership in the first three careers assignments. During the values group assignment, these leaders emerge and are appointed as Careers Ambassadors and Peer Helpers. As helpers, they complete assignments before their due date and then are made available to assist their peers during extra help Tuesday lunch breaks in the learning commons. Peer Helpers also critique the course website and create a Teen Help online resource for various teen issues.
Colin B. Glassco Foundation Group

The Colin B. Glassco Foundation group raises awareness and funds in support of the charity begun by Old Boy Colin B. Glassco '61 with a goal to raise the standard of living in the Gwembe Valley in Zambia. In the previous years the group specifically supported the Chishawasha Orphanage Breakfast program, providing many children with food and shelter. Students have the opportunity to run events such as dances, alternate dress days and fashion shows, learning the invaluable skill of giving of their time for others in need.
English Conversation Circle (ECC)

English Conversation Circle (ECC) is a unique program that partners Hillfield Strathallan volunteers with newcomer refugee youth from war torn countries. Caring, intuitive, patient and understanding volunteers help instruct English, offer homework help and become friends to many new Canadians. The ECC meets once a week at a downtown Hamilton location. The experience develops strong leaders out of dedicated volunteers.
Fashion Show

The HSC Fashion Show provides students with real-world experience planning, promoting and organizing a College-wide event. Students brainstorm and design promotional pieces that pertain to the event, coordinate and book models, create the set design, find the venue and choose the theme. The fashion show involves Junior, Montessori, Middle and Senior School students. In past years, the Fashion Show raised money for various charities, both local and international including the Pinky Lewis Recreation Center, United Way, Colin B. Glassco Foundation, Earthquake Relief Fund and the English Conversation Circle program. The Fashion Show won the United Way Fundraising Event of the Year in 2010.
International Week

During International Week, HSC Language students and teachers promote the many cultures represented at HSC, including French, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin cultures. The week is highlighted by exciting events such as tasting food from different parts of the world, Latin dancing, French films, Hapkido demonstrations and dressing in national or traditional costumes.
Me to We

Me to We student volunteers run events throughout the year to raise funds for both Free The Children and local initiatives. In previous years, the Me to We group hosted a coffee house each term, ran First Friday Lollipop sales (which raised funds for different charities each month), organized We are Silent, volunteered at the Pinky Lewis Center and ran the 30-Hour Famine.
Pinky Lewis

A group of student leaders help run programs at the Pinky Lewis Recreation Center, including activities in the gym and on the computers, crafting, and assisting in the pool. The goal of the program is to expand connections across socio-economic divides and create positive healthy friendships that bring awareness to the lived experiences of our wider community. In the past, students have brought healthy snacks, involved the children in the fashion show, led science experiments, had a spa day, led dance classes and had a holiday Christmas drive where each child received a wrapped gift.
Quills

Quills is a literary magazine published every spring featuring short stories, poetry, essays and other fiction and non-fiction forms from student writers in the Senior School. The magazine also includes visual artwork and photography. While the editorial work is carefully supervised, one or two student editors take charge year-round, attending to the writing, collating, organizing, refining and printing of the publication.
Semi-Formal and Formal Planning Committee

The Semi-Formal Planning Committee works closely with their teacher advisor to plan, promote, budget and decorate for the annual Senior School Semi-Formal event. Ideal candidates are responsible, organized and able to work under timelines and a budget. An interest and experience in Business or Communications Technology proves beneficial for members of this committee.
Social Action Committee

The Social Action Committee (SAC) was founded in 2005, launching the College's first World Issue's Conference (WIC) with Marc Keilburger as its keynote speaker. SAC's work is led by students who have a strong social conscience and are passionate about making an impact on the lives of those outside their own social sphere. The SAC has organized events that focus on assisting local charities to accomplish their mission. Past events include the CityKids Rise and Shine Breakfast, which raised $25,000 to fund the purchase of two additional buses that transport local public school kids to after school programming; The Wellwood Fashion Show, which raised $22,00 for non-medical cancer support; and most recently, the Girls's Night Out, which raised approximately $7,500 for Phoenix Place, a stage-two home for abused women and children in Hamilton's downtown.
The Peer Helpers Group

Composed of a group of Grade 11 and 12 students, Peer Helpers are dedicated to leading the HSC student body in any non-academic related area. Whether planning large meetings and assemblies or brainstorming solutions to pertinent social issues, the Peer Helpers are an integral extension of all HSC leadership committees and groups.
The World Issues Conference Organizing Committee

The young leaders selected to help organize and plan the World Issues Conference (WIC) have an important role to play in the annual calendar at HSC. This small group of dedicated students, drawn from Grades 11 and 12, bring approximately 250 Grade 8 students from around the region onto the HSC campus for a day of dialogue and learning about the most important issues facing our world today.
Get in Touch
Please reach out to us if you would like to talk about anything at HSC. We look forward to hearing from you!

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