A LEADER IN EVERY STUDENT

At CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School, we believe that there is a leader in every student. It is the school’s desire and responsibility to nurture that leader in every girl the moment she steps in at Secondary 1.

Our aspiration is for every St Nicholas student to be a leader who demonstrates the values of truth, justice, freedom, and love, serving the needs of the disadvantaged and underprivileged (in line with the IJ mission). A St Nicholas student will exhibit these attributes in the way she lives, always upholding the school motto, Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty.

At St Nicholas, leadership development is based on the Ministry of Education’s Social Emotional Learning (SEL) framework and 8 core leadership competencies that the school has identified. Our desired outcomes are as follows:

 

At the end of their secondary education at St Nicholas, students should:

Social-Emotional Learning Competencies (Ministry of Education)

Self-awareness

  • be able to identify and recognize their own emotions
  • recognize their own strengths, needs, and values
  • be aware of how to attain self-efficacy
  • have healthy and accurate perceptions of themselves
  • be aware of their own spirituality

Social awareness

  • appreciate the diversity among people
  • respect others and accept them
  • be able to view things from the perspectives of others
  • be able to empathize with others and act with compassion

Self-management

  • be able to manage their own stress and control their impulses
  • be able to practise discipline and motivate themselves
  • be able to set goals for themselves
  • be able to see how they fit into the larger organization

Relationship management

  • be able to work cooperatively with others
  • know how to seek and provide help
  • engage others in building relationships
  • be able to negotiate with others and resolve conflicts

Responsible decision-making

 

  • be able to identify and solve simple problems
  • be able to reflect on their own decisions
  • take responsibility for their own decisions
  • be able to analyse problems and situations to solve them
  • evaluate their own decisions

Leadership Competencies (School)

Initiative

  • be able take initiative and produce effective results

Responsibility

  • readily accept and discharge respons­ibili­ties very well

Resilience

  • adapt well to challenges and changes
  • be able to progress well from setbacks

Time management

  • be able to prioritize tasks to ensure efficiency

Effective communication

  • show confidence and clarity when making presentations
  • be able to communicate thoughts and ideas clearly

Team dynamics

  • be able to get along well with others
  • be able to effectively rally a team to work towards a common goal

Sensitivity to others’ needs

  • be sensitive to the needs of others in thought, word, and deed
  • be ready to sacrifice their own benefit for the common good

Moral courage

  • be able to speak up for the benefit of others
  • demonstrate a clear sense of goodness and uprightness
  • be willing to carry out actions to rectify what is not right

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Opportunities for leadership
At St Nicholas, in line with our Challenge and Support philosophy, every student is empowered to lead through opportunity and training. Here are some examples of leadership opportunities available in our school:
  • Formal leadership positions – student council (upper sec); monitors (lower sec); CCA committees; House committees
  • Class committees – subcommittee chairs; subject leaders
  • Class-based project roles – community involvement leaders; national education ambassadors; project work leaders; classroom décor committees
  • Roles based on instructional programme activities – Maths-Humanities trail; creation of board games; wayang kulit; cluster Literature-in-English seminar
  • CCA-based roles – CCA fair; camps; competitions
  • School-based project roles – sports carnival; celebration of Chinese New Year, Youth Day, Teachers’ Day; commemoration of national education days
  • Student-led project roles – student leadership convention; self-directed community service; youth environment envoys; informal fund-raising sales; National Youth Achievement Award
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Training for leadership

All St Nicholas students undergo formal and informal training to equip them with necessary knowledge and skills to lead.

Formal leadership training (in partnership with High Achievers Leadership):

  • Sec 1 cohort – Making a Difference I, II
  • Sec 2 cohort – Making a Difference III
  • Sec 2 monitors – Advancing Leadership Effectiveness
  • Sec 3 cohort – Innovative Leaders
  • Sec 3 leaders – Cutting-Edge Leadership
  • Sec 3 key leaders – Living & Leaving a Legacy
  • Sec 3 top leaders – The Legendary Leaders Summit

Other formal training

In addition to formal leadership training, there are also programmes to develop life skills and qualities we believe are essential in the development of a St Nicholas leader. Managing Change workshop for Sec 1

  • Cyber-wellness programme for Sec 1 & 2
  • Financial Literacy workshop for Sec 2
  • Personal Development workshops for Sec 1–3
  • Sexuality workshop for Sec 2 & 3
  • Careers Education workshop for Sec 3
  • Self-awareness retreats for Sec 1–4
  • Job Attachment Programme for Sec 3
  • Motivational workshop for Sec 4

Informal (on-the-job) training

Mentorship, coaching, and hands-on training is an integral part of leadership training at St Nicholas. Supervising teachers and senior student leaders serve as mentors, coaches and facilitators to provide active consultation, facilitation, and support to empower trainee leaders with skills, knowledge and hands-on experience.

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