Respect in Action

Xavier Catholic College came to the YLAA National Tour in 2026 with a clear school value and a leadership team ready to do something with it.

“At Xavier, respect isn’t just lived, it’s expected.”

For the Student Leadership Team, that wasn’t a slogan. It was a standard they wanted to see, feel and experience across the whole school community. So they set out to turn respect into something students could see every day, literally.

Each of Xavier’s eight Houses was challenged to design a mural showing what respect meant to them and, more importantly, what it looked like in action. The idea was simple: create something students could see in their locker areas and bathrooms every day as a reminder to show up, look out for one another and help build a culture they wanted to be part of.

This was never going to be a leadership-team-only project. The campaign launched through weekly House assemblies, where students were shown prototypes to spark ideas. Student leaders then visited House groups to keep momentum going, while regular announcements kept the student voice front of mind.

There was a little healthy competition thrown in for good measure. Houses submitted their designs, the school community voted, and the winning concepts were presented to school leadership to be professionally printed and brought to life.

It wasn’t without its challenges. A packed school calendar made finding time tricky, there were different opinions about the competition format, and the final cost came in higher than expected. The team adapted and found new ways forward.

One of their biggest wins came early. Senior school leadership got behind the idea from the start. With the Principal and Leader of Student Wellbeing on board, they had the support to turn a good idea into a whole-school movement.

The Year 12 cohort put it best:

“Attending the YLAA conference was a turning point. The event was exceptionally fun, energetic and highly engaging, providing the perfect environment for our student leaders to truly connect and bond as a tight-knit team. The real magic happened when we put our inspiration into action. Participating in the LeaderUp Challenge didn’t just sharpen our teamwork, communication and project management skills, it gave us the platform to build something tangible. We are incredibly proud to leave behind a permanent, positive legacy that will inspire future generations at our college long after we graduate.”

Because at Xavier, respect isn’t just something you talk about. It’s something you choose and model