Craigieburn Primary School Language Leaders
Craigieburn Primary School participated in the Refugee Education Support Program during 2018/19, and among many wonderful practices implemented across the school as a result was their Language Leaders initiative. The EAL and MEA team worked together to modify the traditional student leadership processes and prepared a role description to attract potential candidates from the school’s main language groups. The successful Grade 5/6 students participated in training sessions, where they explored and determined what makes a good leader. The responsibilities that the Language Leaders undertake include:
- Running school tours for prospective parents
- Acting as buddies for newly arrived students
- Attending parent information sessions to support new families
The school EAL leader has noticed the benefits of this initiative in terms of confidence and connection to school, for the Language Leaders themselves, for newly arrived students, and for parents new to the school community. It has been wonderful to witness the younger or newer students transitioning from being reliant on the Language Leaders initially to making their own friends and independently navigating their way.