Dear Parents,
Hello, this is Orgesa from Rise to Lead, part of my wider work through Configur Academy.
We began our third session by talking about what kind leadership really means, not being the loudest or bossiest, but listening, including others, and helping a team work well together.
I was delighted to welcome Ruth to the club this week as an assistant coach. Ruth brings over 11 years of experience in public speaking, including leading and directing adult public speaking clubs for international organisations, where she has held roles such as President and Area President.
She ran a short mini-workshop for the children on kind leadership, which they were fully engaged in, and she also supported the session by giving gentle, thoughtful feedback to the children after their performances. She has been a wonderful addition to the group.
The Mystery Challenge
After solving the riddle and opening the mystery box, the children were given their team challenge: to create a short spoken advert showing how their team works kindly and supports one another.
In just 10 minutes, the children worked in their teams, chose their roles (Speaker, Time Boss and Gold Finder), and prepared their adverts. We were genuinely blown away by their imagination, teamwork and confidence, especially considering how little time they had to prepare.
Each team presented their advert to the group, showing clear examples of kindness, encouragement and working together.
Learning to Lead Kindly
After the mystery challenge, we took a short moment to talk about what kind leadership looks like in real life.
Through a simple discussion and a quick role-play, the children explored how being a leader can mean listening, including others and offering support, rather than being loud or in charge.
This helped set the tone for the team presentations that followed, reminding the children that how we work together matters just as much as what we say.
Celebrating Effort & Values
This week, we had a joint win, with The Avocados and Ocean Girls both sharing the winning cup for their teamwork and kind leadership. It was lovely to see the children celebrate each other’s success so warmly.
We also recognised individual achievements for:
Kind Leadership
Supportive Teamwork
Inclusive Speaking
These awards are always about effort, behaviour and courage, rather than being “the best”.
Building confidence, little by little - Pop Talk Time
We finished the session with Pop Talk, our short, fun speaking activity where children are invited to come to the front and answer light-hearted, thoughtful questions in front of the group. Pop Talk is always optional and designed to feel playful rather than pressured, giving children a chance to practise speaking spontaneously, listening to others, and finding their voice in a relaxed way.
This week, Pop Talk was a real highlight. All the children were keen to take part, some even volunteering more than once, and it was lovely to see their confidence growing as they spoke in front of their friends. There were plenty of smiles, a few laughs, and some thoughtful answers too.
A special thank you to the child who prepared some of the Pop Talk questions for the group this week. The questions sparked great conversations and helped the children reflect on what it means to be a kind leader, while still keeping things fun and engaging.
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Thank you, as always, for your continued trust and support. It’s a real joy to watch the children grow in confidence each week.
Warm regards,
Orgesa
Founder, Rise to Lead
Configur Academy
Wesbite: www.risetolead.uk
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