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I took leadership to learn more about the type of leader I can be. I wanted to use my last year to help others and make a difference in the school. -brooklynn

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I took leadership to learn more about the type of leader I can be. I wanted to use my last year to help others and make a difference in the school. -brooklynn

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I chose leadership this year as a course because the class provides a ton of opportunities, trips, after school events, friends, etc, all around the class is a fun time. The class alone last year for me was one of the most fun experiences for a class, the collaboration in all of the activities provides a super easy way to make friends and get to know people. One of the funniest trips I've been on with friends was provided/setup by sac, the trip was super fun and exciting to stay in a hotel with all my buddies and almost have total freedom for hours to do whatever we pleased. All the events we set up and participate in end up being a ton of fun because of the activities and options of doing what you really choose. Often setting up the event is pretty entertaining because you get to figure out and brainstorm what you feel works best and provides as much fun as we can fit into it. I do wish I went to all of the trips available, but I just missed out on them. I think that in general you really can't lose or have too bad of an experience with leadership class especially in grade 11 because it can give you tons of new experiences. - Jack

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I chose to take leadership this year because I wanted the chance to get experience in a lot of different areas that the class has to offer. I wanted to be able to learn how to lead a group of people and work in groups to plan big events. I think that the skills that you can earn in leadership can take you a long way and teach you a lot of skills that are useful in school and in life. I also think that the class can look really good on applications for university because it can show that you know how to get involved in school. Another reason I wanted to take SAC again is to make friends and meet new people that also like to get involved around the school

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I took leadership because I enjoy planning events around school. Leadership classes work to make school a more enjoyable experience for everyone. Leadership builds on collaboration skills which are transferable skills I will be able to use for the rest of my life. Recent years have made it hard to get involved while at school with all the restrictions we have been under and now that they have lifted it is the best time to be a part of the fun. Leadership courses are great, they get you involved while at school, builds essential leadership skills that are great for real world problems/ future career paths

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I chose leadership for multiple reasons. The first reason I took leadership is because I love school spirit. Running and participating in events like barnyard bash, school sports have been a huge part of my high school spirit.
Secondly, Leadership teaches me life skills. It teaches me how to work with friends, mutals and people I do not know. This will help me in the future and help me grow as an indivual.
Thirdly, I have made many friendships and got to know people in leadership because its such a social class. I love the social aspect of it and that you get to work and hear other peoples ideas. - kasey bater

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I chose to take SAC again this year because it gives me a greater ability to get involved in school and enjoy my high school years a lot more. During grade 9 it was really difficult to get involved at school with covid and all the restrictions and I regret not trying to get involved more. Now I really enjoy being a part of the events, helping plan them, and running them, it gives me something to look forward to coming to school. It makes the events so much more fulfilling and rewarding knowing that I was a part of it. Many of my most memorable aspects of W.O. were because of SAC with all the different trips, retreats, conferences, and events. Also, I'm hoping that leadership will help me with any sort of future university applications it displays many different skills, for example, collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and many more. Leadership shows the universities an idea of what kind of person you may be. It helps you get out of your comfort zone try new things, and talk to new people, Because of SAC I was able to interact with people I usually would not have.

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I chose to take this leadership class for a variety of different reasons. From the second I came into this school I always admired the students that were in SAC, and I always looked up to them. I enjoyed all of the events they planned, the things they did for everyone, and the way they made me feel appreciated. When I got to grade 11 and 12 I wanted to make the same impact on the school, as they did. Last year specifically I helped run a variety of events which is one of the main reasons why I took this course again. I enjoyed seeing everyone smile and having a good time. Not only this, I also enjoyed the sense of community it created and the way it got students more comfortable with one another.  Many memories were created and high school started to become a much more welcoming place for everyone. More people started to get involved and I felt like I had accomplished getting people to go out of their comfort zones and try new things.

Despite the events, I also took this class in order to improve my leadership skills. Leadership is a crucial skill that can be learned and carried out into your everyday life.  In addition, this class can also help develop organizational skills which is also a very beneficial skill to have. Through this course I can take part in incredible experiences and get behind the scenes and take part in the planning and management of all of the things SAC does. I can contribute my ideas which is something I like do, as it adds different perspectives as to what the school may look like, or the events and things planned. Correspondingly it also allows me to be creative and increases my confidence in my ideas.

I also chose to take SAC as I love the teamwork aspect of it. I love working on tasks with other peers as I feel I can work much more effectively with new ideas and support all around me. I love the feeling of a team/groups of people all making a difference and giving back to the peers and people in which we encounter everyday.

Finally I also chose SAC because of the all the fun I had last year with all of the in class events, activities ran after school and trips!

- Sydney

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I chose to take leadership because I've always wanted to be involved in the planning and hosting of activities at Waterloo Oxford. I wasn't able to join SAC last year as hoped. Being that this is my last year, I want to make sure that I can make the most of it. I believe leadership can help me improve many social and personal skills of mine. One main skill I hope to progress this semester is public speaking. I tend to get anxious while reading to larger crowds, which causes me to talk fast and stumble over words. I hope to have some opportunities to work on this throughout the semester. As I've heard from a couple of friends, leadership can easily hold you to many responsibilities. This may make it challenging sometimes, but will help me improve my organization and time management. I hope this year in SAC I can build stronger relationships and make memories for everyone that goes to Waterloo Oxford.

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I chose leadership this year because of how much I learned and grew last year. I want to continue this in this semester as it applies to my life not only in the classroom but in a variety of aspects outside of school. I want to continue to develop some of the skills I learned last year as well. These skills include time management, collaboration, and the ability to face and deal with challenges.

Another main reason I took leadership is to influence and spread school spirit and make kids want to be a part of SAC in the future. Compared to other classes I love the involvement and hands on aspects of the course. I love seeing my ideas and plans come to life. I feel like this is when I learn the most and develop different skills.

Lastly, I like to make WO the place that I want it to be. Instead of complaining about issues, in SAC I can actually make a difference. I want to make an impact and learn the most I can.

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The main reason that I chose leadership was because I love helping to plan, organize and be involved with the school. I think that the SAC program at WO is really something special, and something that I want to be a part of. Knowing from speaking with my friends from other schools their SAC program and what the school offers doesn’t even compare. I love attending all the events WO does throughout the school year, but I also want to help run them. Considering this is my last year of high school, I want to make the most out of it by making friends, memories and being involved.

I also want to be a leader in the school and as helpful as possible to the younger grades. Being a good leader isn’t something that is super easy, but I think it is an important skill to have. I feel this class will teach me many transferable skills, but mainly leadership. Being a leader is important because it makes it easier to work with a diverse group of people. I want to go into the Health Care field so I think this class will teach me a lot of valuable lessons that I can later take with me in my future.

Going back to this being my last year, I want to make a positive impact on WO. We are always told to leave this place better than how you found it. I think I can accomplish this by being a part of SAC.

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I chose to take leadership this year because it provides a way for me and other people to become more involved in the school and encourage other people to get involved to. Leadership also teaches students certain skills that are beneficial to have later in life like time management skills, communication, problem solving and responsibility. Leadership is also a way to meet new people and make new friends, it also teaches people how to work with new people and work as a team. Leadership classes are great to have on university and college applications for when you are applying for schools and for helping to get into the schools you wish to go to. The last reason I took leadership is because of all my friends who enjoyed it so much last year and advised me to take it because of how much fun they had and the experiences they were involved in during this class. That's why I took leadership.
- Alexandra

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The easy answer is I took leadership again this year because  of the amazing memories and people I gained from the course but leadership can give the students that take the course the courage to try to things and step out of their comforts zones and leadership did just that for me.  SAC is the first step in the path to become a teacher and that is my path. This course can open up so many doors and provide students with an abundance of opportunities. When I was in younger grades, the sac students were older than me and made school so much more enjoyable and I want to be able to provide a school environment where grade 9's and everyone else in the school where they cab feel safe, have fun and want to come to school everyday. I look forward to all the great work we will do this semester.
- Reese Olides

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I chose to take leadership because I believe it is important to be able to carry around and learn leadership skills in life. First, I think learning and improving working as a team can be very useful for almost all jobs as an adult. Also, I believe that being able to plan and setup events can be very useful in life and shows that you are organized and can manage to do tasks in a group. Next, having a leadership class in your resume can tell jobs many things about who you are and what your abilities are. I hope i'm able to enjoy this class and that it improves my group working skills.

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I chose leadership because I believe it's important to have experience in planning and running events/activities around the school to showcase how great our school can be, and to make everyone feel included as well as comfortable. Involving all students can be difficult for schools since everyone is different.
This course helps me learn different ways to contribue to making the school a better place, and making it fun so people enjoy it. Working with other people opens up new ideas and by organizing ourselves and sharing tasks, we can be as productive as possible.
Being leaders in the school also sets an example for younger students, and hopefully inspires them to do the same. We work together to complete tasks and achieve goals in order to make WO a great place to be and learn. Being a great example is part of great leadership!
I also believe I will be able to apply the experiences from this class beyond my high school career.  Working with others and helping to create a welcoming and inclusive environment are skills that I can use in any work setting.
- Hayley Skipper

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I chose to take leadership again this year because last year I enjoyed organizing, planning and running events.  I found it was a very good way to be involved in the school and stay connected to people who were also interested in that.  I liked the aspects of responsibility and initiative that I learned last year and hope to continue to build on those this year.  I also found it fulfilling to be able to make highschool experiences that will last in people's memories, especially because I felt that some of that was taken from me and my peers due to COVID, it feels good to be able to give that to other people.

- Eva Reidel

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Joining a leadership class in school can help you develop important skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Plus, it's a great way to make new friends and become a better leader.

Leadership can also improve my self confidence, help with my decision making, i can inspire other to be the best, promotes teamwork, and I can help create a supportable and inclusive environment.

Plus it can make a difference in someones life. It looks good on collage and job applications.

-Jaxon

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I think leadership is necessary... I chose to take the leadership class this year because I saw how great a job the sac classes did last year and felt left out and wanted to contribute to the school. I want to leave an impression and have a say in what happens during my senior year.

the second reason I chose leadership is because of the fun light-hearted environment this class offers as well as the collaboration with my peers and hard work.

finally, leadership is a great skill to possess I will need it for the rest of my life with hockey and other sports I play. Being a leader has been sort of natural to me and something I like especially in my last year of minor hockey.

to sum it up leadership is important to me and I am excited for this school year.

-Andrew Shantz

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I chose leadership because I thought it was a good opportunity to get more involved with the school and have a bigger part in the opportunities here. I also chose leadership because I've really enjoyed different leadership opportunities in the past and would like to continue to expand on different skills that comes with leadership before heading to college.

I also chose leadership so I would be able to meet new people and get to know people better. Getting to work with different types of people will also expand different skills that work well with team set areas.

Choosing leadership will also help with my time management and organization skills which will not only be helpful for the rest of high school but also throughout my personal life outside of school.

- Maddie Sword

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when I first took leadership it was not because i wanted to be a leader, to be brutally honest, I joined for the single fact that my friends took the class. But once i joined the class i realized how much leadership can influence others and just make the school better as a whole.

After helping fun events like Mascot madness and barnyard bash, I realized how much work goes in to these events. This class has helped me improve my time management skills, taught me how to work on a budget, and most of all bounce back after adversities.

We faced many challenges during the last school year, it could have been anything from not being able to come up with any ideas to getting all of our ideas shut down, but even with these challenges, and a lack of time we were still able to make these amazing events happen.

Overall the leadership program has greatly improved my personal confidence, problem solving skills, flexibility, and most of all my communication and collaboration skills.

-Parker Cook

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I chose to take leadership because it gives me good experiences that lead me to be a better leader for myself and my peers. I want to be a teacher after highs chool so this is great way for em to build amazing teacher qualities. Plus, running events like formal dances, color kickoff, and other events that get the school involved and representing the school in a good way is super fun.

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I took leadership to be a part of the reason why my last year is full of fun activities. I also took it to grow my leadership skills by planning and running events. Grow traits like working with different people with different styles and ideas, not having everything go perfectly or how it was planned and being ok with that.

I also know what SAC used to be like from older siblings and want to help bring the effort that was put into those events back. I would do that by taking initiative and responsibility and always looking for more I can add or make better.

- Casey Bender

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i chose this leadership class for a variety of reasons, one reason i picked this class is because i want to have a say in the events that take place in the school. i enjoyed all the events that took place last year like barnyard bash, mascot madness, crazy colour kickoff.

i also picked leadership because it is a course that will have many beneficial life skill that i can carry throughout my life. this course teaches you to be a leader, work with people as well as time management.

the final reason i wanted to take this course is because throughout the years that i participated in hockey and elementary school i have been told that i am a leader and was recommended to take this course by multiple students because of the leadership skills that i exhibit.

overall i hope that this leadership class will help me develop life skills, make this school year fun and entertaining, and fulfill leadership rolls in and outside of school.

-Caden Pitsch

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I chose leadership because I enjoy getting involved with the school. I also have loved all the events that wo has put on and I want to be apart of everything happening
- maisy

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I took leadership to learn ways to be a leader and enjoy planning events for WO, being included more into WO for my final year.

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i chose to take leadership becuase now I am in the highest grade of highschool and feel like putting more effort into making events and our school better.

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I chose to take leadership again this year because I had such a fun time last year. I got to run some awesome events like our semi-formal dance, seniors feist and many more and I had a lot of help from my older peers. I want to be that leader for those that need the help and guidance.

I learned a lot about being a leader and the people that I had the right people around me to put me in the spot I am now as the co-prez of the school. Those people taught me how to run an event, plan for events, deal with failure or problems, and how to be a leader.

I also really want to help the younger grades get ready for them to be the leaders of the school, I had lots of help me become the leader I am today.

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I choose leadership beacuse after high school im hopeing to pursue teaching and hopefull leadership will help get me out of my comfort zone.

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i chose to take a leadership course becasue i wanted to be more involved with schools. as grade 12s we didnt get a very involved first half of highschool which i feel impacted many of us in a very negative way making it super difficult for a lot of us to have the motivation to join leadership. when i first took a leadership class last year i ws expecting it to be super easy just planning events and moving on with my day, but i was very wrong there is so much more that goes into planning an event. even a smaller event such as a day of significance. and now this year i am taking 2 different leadership courses.
I feel like i have always been a leader, being the oldest child to 4 younger siblings being a leader fell right into my hands i love seeing an event turn out good and seeing people involved and talking about your event and asking when we can do it again. that is why i chose to do leadership again this year was so i can bring back those events that people liked and hopefully those events will carry on past the years that we are at WO
- grace

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I took leadership because it is the first step in the path towards teaching and last year sac formed so many friendships and created so many memories that I will never forget. I can't wait to do the same this year and hopefully help the younger grades do the same.

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I chose to take leadership because I wanted to be more involved with school events and activities. When I was in grade 9 I was very uninvolved with school activities and extra curricular activities, this was mainly due to Covid getting in the way of things. In grade 10 sports and clubs started to run again and all my friends were joining them but I felt as if there wasn't a club that I was interested in. Then in grade 11 SAC was a course that was offered, and I realized they could help me find an extra curricular activity that I was interested in, and that was the dance team. At first I thought the idea was a little outside of my comfort zone so I didn't join it at first, but all of my friends did, they eventually convinced me to start going to practices and even compete on Waterloo-Oxfords first ever dance team! This year I am finally realizing that I love representing my school and I love attending school events. With lots of positive comments coming from SAC students in grade 11 I was finally convinced to take the course to be more involved and share my ideas for upcoming events!
- Tia

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I chose leadership because last year it was a great experience and I learned a lot about myself and the process of hosting/ planning an event, this created respect for the groups of people that take the time to plan events. - sam r

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I took leadership to learn new ways to become a better leader in different ways.

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I chose to take leadership again this year because it can give good experiences, show you how to get involved and it looks good on university applications.

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I chose leadership for the events, meeting new people, trips, connections and for the look on my university application.
Last year I walked into the SAC classroom having no real close friends, I didn't know if I'd enjoy it as much as I thought I would have, not knowing anyone that well. It only took a couple days for that to change, I immediately felt comfortable within the class, and knew it would be an exciting and fun year leading the school. I didn't even think about who would be in our class, because I knew I'd have a fun time meeting new friends, and classmates.
Collaborating with friends and classmates planning and putting events into place I found really fun last year. Having all of these different opinions and brainstorming them together always makes these events suitable for everyone because of the amount of opinions that are heard. The amount of fun I had on the Niagara, and Canada's Wonderland trips are like no other class I've ever taken. The amount of fun people that you're surrounded by makes them so fun, on top of having the planning to go to these places just for the fun of the class. It helps bond and brings enjoyment to the program and just another thing to look forward to. Finally it just overall is a good class to have on your application when applying to schools because of the skills and lessons you learn, and the fact that it's a university credit it just brightens up the application. I'm looking forward to this year to come and I hope it's as good as the last.

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I took this class to hopefully learn more leadership skills and make more connections.

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Leadership looks good on resumes and university applications

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When I was offered the opportunity to teach this class, I could not have been more excited. I have such great memories of being part of SAC at W-O when I was in high school. Running Relay of Life, leading SAC Pac, hosting assemblies, spending time with friends, and creating endless display cases are memories that I cherish. The thought that I can help facilitate the creation of these memories for other people is what it is all about to me.

Why Leadership? When I think back to the skills I learned in high school, it is SAC that I thank:
- How to work with others (friends and not friends)
- How to turn an idea into an event
- Time management
- Organization
- Personal Responsibility
- Inclusion
- Dealing with Repercussions and Disappointment
- Problem Solving

These are skills that helped me in university and to get the jobs I wanted. As an undergrad, I worked for Athletics and Recreations, creating and running programming for 5,000 students with a staff of 40. It is the skills I practiced in SAC that helped me a) get the job and b) be successful.

While I was an avid English student, loved Biology and succeeded in Functions, it is the SAC skills that have informed my life and they are the skills I continue to use today as an adult.

So that is Why Leadership... it's about the skills I learned.