Community & Business
15 May, 2024
School leaders attend Mayoral Morning Tea
Local secondary school leaders from Pittsworth, Millmerran and Cecil Plains attended a Toowoomba Secondary School Leaders Mayoral Morning Tea at the Highfields Cultural Centre last Thursday morning.
Master of Ceremonies Cr Kerry Shine welcomed all schools to the venue, and made special mention of Cecil Plains and Pittsworth as some of the regional schools that had travelled in from afar.
Toowoomba Region Mayor Geoff McDonald offered his congratulations to the new school leaders and provided leadership tips, things to consider and a challenge to the school captains in attendance.
He implored students to heed the words of Margaret Mead who said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world.
“In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Mayor McDonald offered the following tips to student leaders.
1. Remember the GREAT acronym. Grateful. Respected. Energetic. Attitude. Trustworthy.
2. You have two eyes, two ears and one mouth. Use them in those proportions.
3. You don’t need to have all the answers.
4. Learn to inspire and empower those around you.
5. Ask for help.
He asked the leaders to consider the Toowoomba Region as a place to continue to study, learn, work and return home to after adventures elsewhere.
Finally, he challenged leaders with the following quote by Muhammad Ali. “Don’t count the days, make the days count.”
Leaders heard from selected leaders from Harristown State High School, St Mary’s College, and Quinalow State School who spoke about what being a leader meant to them.
The student leaders of Millmerran P-10 State School said they were impressed by the presentation skills of the speakers from the different schools.
This is what they each had to say:
Irish - “I enjoyed other people’s stories.”
Isabell - “I really liked how the leaders spoke.”
Amelia - “All leaders spoke well.”
Lilly - “The speakers were relatable.”
Pittsworth’s Ava Schultz was presented with a certificate from Mayor Geoff McDonald noting her position on the Toowoomba Region Young Leaders Program.
