I would like to begin by paying respect to Elders – past, present and emerging – and acknowledge the important role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within the Calamvale community.
You have heard me speak many times about team, about collaboration and cooperation about the need for us to work together, respect each other. About seeking to be a starry team, that is united not a team of individual stars because we are much stronger together than alone- no matter how good each of us might be.
That is acknowledged by the success of our year 12 cohort last year, some of whom are with us today – together they achieved more success than any one of them could have achieved alone. 2018 proved to you that being on Team Calamvale equalled success, significant success, across traineeships, diplomas, employment and OP results. We welcome here today, some of our high achievers from last year, whose results weren’t available when we finished the year. They are here today to celebrate but also as inspiration, as evidence to each of you that you can do this, here, at Calamvale, achieving the same results that are achieved in the most prestigious school – they did, you can do it – it’s up to you!
But teams need coaches and leadership and that’s why we are here today. I welcome back our 2018 leaders Matt Butler and Mikayla Mason, to remind us of last year’s journey. Today, we are here to celebrate the leadership that will grow tomorrow’s leaders.
It is in our College purpose – “Calamvale Community College is committed to the development of curious, creative, clever young leaders for tomorrow’s world.”
Our future needs you as young leaders, an internationally minded people who will step forward, selflessly and lead others, in our delightfully culturally diverse world, who will lead in the face of whatever challenges might arise – and there are some aren’t there?
Let’s step beyond Calamvale for a moment and consider some of those challenges that face us 1 million dead fish in the Menindee Lakes  6 years of drought followed by devastating floods all but destroying Queensland’s cattle industry Disappearing species Warmer, rising oceans affecting our island neighbours  Lack of opportunity for the poorest people in our community

Every generation faces challenges sometimes those challenges are enormous and sometimes they are less so. But success in our times, a successful future for all of us requires leadership.

Leaders are people who can use a vision, let’s say freedom, to create hope and to bring people together, like a community, and organise those people in that community to achieve that vision.

Such leaders don’t care about badges or about being noticed or acknowledged Leaders care about their vision, about others, about authenticity, about staying true.

There is no better demonstration of leadership right now in Australia than that of Craig Foster, former captain of the Socceroos, who together with the Victorian football club, Pascoevale, mobilise Melbourne, then Australia, FIFA and nations across the world and successfully – one leader – brought Hakeem al-Araibi home from Thailand to Australia. What amazing leadership – what vision and commitment from a sporting community, from a community of people, just like ours.

Leadership is our staff focus for 2019 – about leading where you are here in the Calamvale community. Our staff are identifying their strengths, their character st

rengths and using those strengths to share their skills, to promote others (you), to propel our team forward.

Every member of our staff has been asked to consider their strengths and what they might lead in their classrooms, in their faculties, ask them about it, ask them about their strengths but prepared to share yours, your strengths and your vision, what you hope for in your time at CCC.
Leadership is about making the player next to you, the best player on the team – Leadership is about considering the team before yourself and it’s about vision, belief, loyalty and commitment – those are the traits that others seek to follow.

Lachlan (College Captain), Clen (International Captain), Bella (College Captain), Dalyza (College Captain), Ashlyn (Junior School Captain) and Sae

ma (Junior School Captain) are the start of Student Leadership Team for 2019 – they are your chosen leaders, they hope to inspire and mobilize the leader in each of you, so that we can all benefit from your character strengths as you step forward in whatever space, friendship group or class you are in to lead your vision.

Our College leaders will ignite student leadership this year. This is your opportunity to step forward to stand for something and to lead others toward that vision. It will fell ‘risky’ but you are risk-takers, it will require commitment, but you are principled, some people will disagree, but you are open-minded and balanced. And above everything else you have that special trait, that special x factor that we are all so lucky to share in, that pushes us further, higher and faster – we are Calamvale! Make this year, a year of extraordinary leadership, Calamvale – it’s in your hands!