On Friday February the 14th, Valentine’s Day leadership students organised all the activities, decorations and marketing for this special and unique day. This day was enjoyed for all Pinetree students and much love was shared. We created a lovely environment which turned out to be perfectly successful! In addition, this event was smoothly prepared thanks to our point people management.👏🏼

First of all, we had to decide our roles to be managing this event. There was marketing, decorations and running the event day at lunch in the foyer. I helped with the event day and to set up and clean up everything. Also, I personally helped a little bit with creating the decorations and setting them up on the board. According to my role assigned, I didn’t have to do anything until Valentine’s Day but, as I said, I helped with the decorations. On the event day, people who had to set up had to meet at the foyer 15 minutes before lunch. I also helped organize the props so they could be visually easier chosen by those who wanted to take the pictures with them, so they could see  all the options available. During the event, I was supervising the props and I encouraged the students to take pictures with them, kindly showing them all the options. After the event, I had to stay to clean up, and so I did. We finally had a post event discussion in which I didn’t say much because, for me, the event was pretty successful and I didn’t have enough experience in previous years to compare how it was this year. Even so, I agreed with some of the improvement ideas other leadership students said.

In the second place, the main competency I focused on for the preparation of this event was to work as an effective team member. This competency is quite generalized but I think is as important as the others because sometimes you need to make an effort to create this desired smoothness in your projects (everything goes properly and the final result is what you wanted). I actually wanted to act as a proper leader and I tried to help with tasks that were not even assigned to me, to share my pretty creative ideas on how to set everything up. My course goals were about acquiring basic leadership skills so in the future I’d be more prepared, I think this competency aligns pretty much with my course goals, here’s why:

• Working as an effective team member means that you need to make an effort and to think further, manage and share your ideas. These can make you acquire certain levels of a leadership personality and when you don’t even realize, this leader personality is your normal way of being.
• The key words here are: “to think further than you normally think”; this normally means that you have to be prepared and mentally active to come up with new strategies, creative ideas and, of course, know how to share them. One of my course goals was to improve my English communication so I can properly help people if needed. I think that being an effective member also means that you need to be active and capable of sharing and knowing 100% what to do. Being able to express yourself is an important point if you want to achieve this state.

For me, to be an effective member basically means to be active in your work; to be the leader of the leaders. Before and during this event I tried to use the best of myself to prepare the decorations and to creatively place them, even though it was not my assigned niche. Furthermore, in my opinion, doing good work also means sharing good vibes of yourself to the ones you are helping. During the event, I was supervising the props but I was also sharing the good vibes of the event by helping kindly and encouraging people to grab props for their pictures. I tried not to lose that Valentine’s essence.

Here you can see some evidences of my active participation, aligning them with the proposed competency:

1. Sharing ideas on how to put the decorations on the board: Even though it was not my role, I was helping Ashlee setting the decorations and making them visually attractive on the board. I gave my proposals on how those could fit creatively better and, of course, I helped setting them. I think my point of view helped, maybe just a little bit, to the overall process and the final result. I’m actually proud of how it finally looked.
2. Trying to help creating the decorations: I knew the decoration group were meeting to create all the stuff so, one of the days at lunch, I went to the class and offered my help to Rachel if they needed. I actually helped with basic stuff but I hope I could positively contribute with the final result at least a little bit. I am not talking about visuals but about efficient and effective help: helping to go faster with the preparation. I also saw there was a lot of stuff to be made and not that many people helping so I just wanted to contribute as I had nothing to do during lunch that day.
3. Organization: I feel like another leadership skill is to have everything organized. When I was supervising the props, everyone using one was throwing them to the table as if order was not a thing. I tried to maintainan everything clean and attractively visible until the end so more people could just feel free to come and see all the options available. Sometimes something well-organized is more attractive than something that is messy. This is working effectively, thinking further.

Thanks for reading! I hope this event was enjoyed with much love…💘

Here are some attached pictures of our event participation:

(Me organizing the props)

From Monday 16th of December to Thursday 19th of December, some leadership students organised all the activities for the School Winter Spirit Week. The purpose of all the events was, as the name says, to create a Christmas spirit in the school to welcome Christmas Break. *I also helped with the Winter Formal event.

In the first place, we individually had to decide which day we wanted to organise. There were 4 days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; Friday was organised by other leadership students due to the Talent Show. I personally chose the Thursday event organisation.  Before the event day on Thursday, I participated in the making of the marketing, not the posters, though; the instagram reel to explain all the different events that will take place that week. I attached the video below. The day of the event we had to leave block 3 30 minutes earlier to help with the preparation. I personally helped with the setting and making the Photo Booth tickets. Then, at lunch, the event started and I had to supervise the line and collect the tickets for those who paid to participate. Finally, I helped clean everything up and put everything in its place. This is an overview of my participation before, during and after the event.

In the second place, the main competency I focused on for the preparation of this event was identifying and developing goals and steps required to plan/guide a project. This complex event  needed a lot of organization; it was a whole week filled with events and everyone needed to know their specific job. As there were various things to do, we had to plan everything step by step and focus on the process, without doing it wrong. An example could be the promotion stuff, in which we had to decide how many videos, how many posters, how the videos will be made and what kind of things will be said in each. In my opinion, this event had a huge relevance with my course goals, here’s why:

• When I was in the marketing group we had to make a promotional video for instagram. I had an idea and I wanted to share it with the other members; it was about the transitions and what to put in the promotional video. As I was the only one to have, at that moment, an idea, I had to try to explain and teach them how to do it, because I was the person speaking and not recording. One of my course goals was to make myself more understandable and I think I applied the competency pretty well as I explained the steps properly.
• But, finally, not everything looked like what we wanted it to be like (the final project, our goal) but, as from mistakes you learn, I could tick the things I liked and cross out the things that didn’t go as we wanted, so, next time these are not going to be repeated and we could work faster and efficiently. So, aligning this part of the competency with my course goals, I can say that, with a previous organization, putting what you want to do in practice can make you develop skills and gain experience for future similar activities. 

In the third place, applying this competency in the event process is what makes it useful. Before the event, as I already explained, I helped record the instagram video (it was just posted in stories), which needed a certain previous step-organization. In addition, when they told me what would be my niche during the event I tried to imagine the event structure and see how I could make it better well-organized (the line, the things the participants needed to do before taking the picture with Santa…). Finally, put that in practice! During the event I tried to stay calmed and not stress out due to the crowded area. I helped the participants know how to get to take a picture with Santa and I answered any questions they had. Meanwhile, I was trying to make the line visible and maintain a certain order just to make it easier for everyone. This required a mental map filled with little steps (pre preparation). After the event, I just tried to maintain an order and help clean up, I didn’t apply the competency though.

Here you can see specific evidences I am proud of:

1. Realise something was missing and create it: When we met 30 min before the event, I realized something important was missing: the tickets for the Photo Booth! These ones were necessary because we could identify the participants that paid for the activity. I didn’t help with the event setting but instead I told Arisa that I would do the tickets quickly. In my opinion, my stressed reaction and the locking in for the making of this important element, tells a lot about my leadership skills. I realised that something wasn’t made and I prioritized this before anything else.
2. Instagram video: I am quite proud of the instagram video because all the information is explained and put properly. In addition, the transitions resulted to be quite good and I thought that the idea of putting a little clip of me dancing could be something uncommon but that could attract more people, somehow. It was actually a hidden clue of what they would see on Tuesday at lunch: dance performance, I was performing too!
3. Create a mental map and make sure I know everything: Finally, I personally think that this is something that every leadership should consider before the event day. Making sure you know how everything is going to be, knowing your niche and making a mental map with the important things or things you have to prioritize during the event, is something I normally make sure I’ve done before the event. This is something that makes me proud and confident during the event as you have more control over the situation. Of course, this is a leadership skill that can be developed better and efficiently.

Thanks for reading! I hope the event was pretty well-organized and that It was something enjoyable for the participants. Merry Xmas!!!🎄💫

Here you can see our work attached and a group picture:

• Link for the promotion video for instagram (Made by Khadija, Natesh and I (Laia):

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• Group picture:

On Wednesday, November 25th, the Grade 9 Day took place during lunch and after school. Some leadership students prepared a warm welcome for all the new students currently in Grade 9. The purpose of all the activities organized was to help the Grade 9 students get to know each other and the school better.

First of all, Grade 9 Day was a big event that required a lot of preparation and organization. We had to assign specific tasks for the event preparation: marketing, trivia, raffle, and Q&A. I personally chose marketing again because I am new to the school and didn’t want to take on a task that required a lot of prior school knowledge. Additionally, I enjoy using my creative skills to design posters, and I think the final result was quite good (poster attached below). I also helped with recording the Instagram video post, including making smooth transitions and contributing ideas on how the video should be. In terms of my participation during the event, marketing students weren’t required to attend, but the Grade 9’s day leaders asked us to come and take pictures. I went to the library at lunch because I had an appointment after school and wouldn’t be able to attend then. Although I was willing to take pictures, they needed a scorekeeper for one of the Grade 9 groups, so I ended up taking on that role instead. This is a summary of my participation in both the preparation and the event itself.

Secondly, utilizing different leadership styles to complete tasks was the main competency I focused on, as I wanted to challenge myself to contribute more beyond just creating the poster that had been assigned to me. While the poster was important, I also wanted to share my ideas with the marketing group. In my opinion, I participated a lot in this process—more than I did in the previous event—despite feeling a bit nervous to speak up since I didn’t know anyone at first.
I’d like to explain how this competency was useful in helping me achieve my course goals:

• First of all, using different leadership styles involves being able to communicate effectively and make yourself understood. One of my course goals was to improve my speaking and communication skills, as I’m an exchange student from Spain and came here to study English. I think I applied various forms of communication and was able to share my ideas clearly. Additionally, I helped plan and record part of the Instagram video.
• Secondly, I wanted to become more open to learning and using more leadership skills. In the future, I hope to be able to choose the most effective leadership style for specific situations, as I will have a wider range of options.

Not less important, I’d like to discuss how I applied this competency before and during the event. Before the event, I created part of the marketing materials, which required management, planning, and creativity. First, I reached out to other marketing members to share and discuss ideas for the posters. Then, I used those style ideas to create a visual poster that would appeal to 13/14-year-old students. These two steps involved applying communication and idea-sharing, as well as my own critical thinking to design an attractive poster that would encourage Grade 9 students to participate. During the event, marketing students didn’t have a specific role, but an unexpected task came up, and I had to carry it out as best as I could. This was another challenge I hadn’t anticipated, but it gave me an opportunity to learn and apply a different leadership style in an unexpected situation.
Here are some pieces of evidence of my participation (applying the competency):

1. Helping with the Instagram post: Although I was initially assigned another task, I contributed ideas and helped with the recording of the Instagram video. I shared my thoughts and tried to incorporate elements that would attract more Grade 9 students to participate in the event. Marketing, in this case, was about making things more understandable and creative, since the goal was to encourage students to take part in an activity. The content needed to be engaging and compelling.
2. Switching roles for an unexpected task: During the event, I wasn’t given a specific role, but I was asked to help scorekeep and supervise one of the Grade 9 groups. As a leadership student, I was eager to help, but I soon realized I wasn’t fully prepared for this task. I calmed down and asked one of my marketing peers (Heela), who had been assigned to supervise a different Grade 9 group, to assist me. We both weren’t sure how to handle the situation since it wasn’t part of our original responsibilities, but we helped each other and managed the task well. I think this was an important example of applying a leadership style that focused on teamwork and supporting each other in unexpected situations.
3. A very important point for me: I think I managed this well. As a marketing student, I wasn’t expected to attend the event unless it was absolutely necessary. However, I wanted to contribute during the event, so I made sure to attend. Initially, I planned to attend after school (since I had worked on the poster for the activity), but I had an important dance meeting at lunch. Just before lunch, I received a notification about an appointment after school, so I decided to skip the dance meeting and attend the event instead, since I wouldn’t be able to come after school. The point is, I didn’t have to attend either part of the event, but I felt they might need help, so I prioritized the Grade 9 Day. I emailed one of the Grade 9 Day leaders (Alexia) to inform her that I wouldn’t be able to attend after school as I had originally planned, but I would attend the lunch part of the event instead. For me, this was another example of how I applied the competency: prioritizing tasks and responsibilities.

Thanks for reading! I really hope the Grade 9 students had a great time and that they will start this new chapter of their school life as well as we did!💫

These pictures attached show my work and participation before and during the event:

• The poster I made (just one):

• Group photo (at lunch – Trivia):

*I wasn’t wearing my leadership t-shirt because I didn’t expect to come at lunch.

On Wednesday, 30th of October ‘24 (the Halloween week), some Leadership students organized a Scavenger Hunt during lunch, which was free for all students. Students participating had to find Halloween-themed pictures hidden around the school.

There were different roles to choose from for the Scavenger Hunt day, but, previously, I volunteered to create the posters for the event marketing, with Jayden and Sophie. First of all, talking about my part, I think I did a good job in creating the posters; all the necessary information was creatively written to catch more attention. I believe the marketing was good enough, as many students participated in this Halloween event. A picture of my poster is attached in this same post. Secondly, I helped hide the Halloween-themed pictures around the lower A wing at ESS. I decided to supervise this same area during the event. This was one of the main roles you had to carry out on the event day. Actually, there were two roles: supervising different school areas (where all the Halloween-themed pictures were hidden) or being at the foyer, receiving the pictures that were found and giving out the prizes. During lunchtime, no questions were asked by the participants. Nevertheless, not many minutes after the activity started, most of the pictures were already gone (this, indeed, means that the students’ interest in this event was quite high). This is a brief description of all my participation in this event.

While organizing this event, I was focused on how to apply different leadership styles to complete my tasks, which, in my opinion, is one of the most important competencies, as you demonstrate your leadership skills during the process, and the result is the visual evidence of the efforts you’ve put in. There are some points I would like to highlight about my course goals and how I applied them to this competency:

• First of all, one of my goals was to improve my responsibility when doing a task that has been entrusted to me. This requires innovative ideas and organizational skills, which involve different leadership styles, as you need to think creatively about how the final result will leave the best impression.
• Also, I would like to talk about independence when doing the task. You know you are probably going to disagree with some of your teammates’ ideas, and that’s okay. You have to know how to put the ideas together and produce good work. Contributing your ideas can lead to great improvement! Think for yourself and be creative.

Next, I would like to talk about how I applied this competency to the event. Before the event, I was entrusted with making part of the marketing materials, which definitely required management, ideation, and creation. With that said, I can say I applied these three main leadership aspects to carry out those tasks. During the event, I was mostly attentive to the students who were participating. My role was to ensure that everything was going well and to answer any questions. However, no one felt the need to come to me. I tried to maintain my role and was willing to help if needed. This was not just a task, but a role I had to perform, and other leadership styles were applied as well: responsibility, event knowledge, etc. After the event, we had to help clear the table and put everything in its place. Personally, I walked down the lower A wing to remove all the Halloween-themed pictures that had not been found (since I was the one who hid them). This is an example of a responsibility task.

There were many things happening, but now I’m going to list the ones I am most proud of:

1. The poster: I created a poster from scratch using Canva. I think I did a great job, as all the important points were clearly presented in a creative and different way. I enjoy doing this kind of work, which is why I chose the “marketing part.” Not only did I handle the ideation and creation, but I was also the first to contact my two teammates and start organizing and sharing the Canva file, which I think is an important point.
2. My duty before the event: I was a little bit lost five days before the event, so I reread everything and asked questions to ensure I knew everything and could answer any questions correctly if needed. I’m proud of this because, in my opinion, this part (rereading everything) shows a certain level of independence and responsibility toward the event.
3. Finally, my role during the event: Since I knew how to manage the situation during the event, I felt prepared to answer any questions and to promote the event to more people in the area I was in (explaining to them what the event was and how to win the prizes).

Thanks for reading! It was a fun event, and I enjoyed being part of the organization process. 🤗

Here you can see two remarkable event photos:

• The poster I created:

• Group picture:

Learning objectives

Being a leader can lead to a very successful future and improve the people around you and your life. It helps you be more independent, know how things work, and, consequently, be able to face many situations where more people are involved, organize your time and tasks better, be alert if something is needed and improce your communication and critical thinking skills.

In my case, I joined leadership to resume and improve my skills of responsibility and independence when there is a situation that has been entrusted to me so that I can feel prepared enough to carry it out. I feel that by the end of the course I’d like to be aware of and know the situation I’m in well so I can lead and help people. In my learning process, I need to reach certain levels of responsibility and acquire all these useful skills for my own future. I’m also from another country (Spain) and I came here to study English, so I thought that joining leadership could be a great way to develop my english skills when talking and helping someone. These ages are the best ones to gain some experience, as there are many things and situations that can show you how sometimes stressful life can be, so it’s a pre-preparation for the reality of your future. I feel that, as society is established nowadays, being used to being a leader and acquiring all the skills you develop at a young age is a positive thing; if you don’t do anything in your teenage years, it will be more difficult to adapt and learn in the future.

Application of knowledge

I’m actually always applying these skills in daily situations. Sometimes it is so stressful, but it helps your life be established. Knowing how and to whom to speak in group work and contribute something beneficial is something that you can find whenever. I am daily involved in these situations, and I try to show the best of me. In leadership, apart from teamwork, we learn how to apply critical thinking, responsibility, independence, and much more in the upcoming events. I plan to apply the skills gained by being a leader outside of “leadership” and I will use my critical thinking to improve society, as well as my daily life.

Personal Growth

Being in leadership makes me feel the necessity to use certain skills, which means I am practicing them somehow. When I practice the same thing permanently, I’m making improvements and normalizing what  I’m developing, which means making these practiced skills part of your life. You may not realize that you are always applying them, but you are. In a few years, you will feel that you do better in life. You succeed more. I mean, I’ve been practicing different skills during these past years, and I’m still trying to improve them. I feel like I am gaining a lot of experience as I’m part of many events and situations that require certain analysis and study. I feel that my critical-thinking is improving as well. I joined leadership for this purpose: to gain more and more experience and improve what I currently have.

Challenges and strategies

One thing I will find challenging this course year is prioritizing all the things I have to do when participating in an event led by leadership students. It always happens to me; when there are many things to carry out and to be aware of, it’s kind of stressful. I feel like it’s too much. What I will have to do is to calm down, be patient, and make a mental list where I organize all the tasks from most to least important. If I need help because I need to do a lot of things at the same time, I will ask my leadership group mates.

Thanks for reading!