The following is a transcript of an interview conducted with Mr Mark Reeves, Principal, School for Student Leadership

How did you come up with the idea of a leadership school?

He said that it took him a while to come up with the idea of having a leadership school. He said that because he had been working with year nine students for 25 years that he thought it would be a good idea. Mr Reeves then said that the department of education had wanted to make a leadership school like Gnurad-Gundidj, Snowy River and Alpine School, so he then put the idea into action.

How did you know what to teach?

His experience taught him to know what to teach the students, after coming up with the initial idea they then got whole group of teachers together and had a workshop about it.

Why only year nine students? What about year 8’s and 9’s?

He started to explain that if he were to choose from year eights, nines and tens than it would be a greater amount of students to choose from, therefore it would be harder. Not only because of the amount of students to choose from but you had to think about the age leaves and weather the year eights were mature enough to come, but on the other hand of year tens they are starting to get into the higher schooling so it would be hard for them miss school.

Where do you see Gnurad-Gundidj in ten years?

Mr Reeves said that he hopes that Gnurad-Gundidj will be a part of not just three schools but as well as building new schools for leadership. He then said that he thinks that there will be a big change in the technology that will be used at the campuses, but there will still be focus on the outdoor activities. Also with the technology changing they would hope that the schools become more internationally orientated.

Do you think that you will still be Principal in ten years?

Mr Reeves said that he didn’t think that he would be the Principal still; he also said that he hopes to keep a good relationship with SSL. He said he’d maybe like having an important job such as doing something within the government area but still surrounding education.

If you were to start up another campus like the other schools, would you change anything that may not have worked well?

Not that thing haven’t worked, perhaps things like international programs, or even shorter or longer terms (5- 12 weeks). Some more things like maybe having partnerships with organisations such as the Foundation for Young People.

Interview Conducted with Mr Reeves

by Skye Twite Term 3 2013, Korumburra SC
18th of September 2013.

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