08 September 2025
Empowering Student Leaders: Building The Catlins Area School’s KickStart Breakfast Club
Area schools are a wonderful part of our education sector in the way they serve their communities, often covering a wide geographic region. They have to be creative with curriculum delivery as they juggle the diverse needs of students with what can sometimes be low numbers of students in a year group.
Recently Relationship Manager, Ross, had the opportunity to join the KickStart Breakfast programme run at The Catlins Area School, Owaka, about 25 minutes off State Highway 1 from Balclutha. This area is the gateway to The Catlins, a place of natural and rugged beauty. The drive takes you out towards the east coast and is ultimately one of the long and very scenic ways to get to Invercargill.
Breakfast club at The Catlins Area School isn’t just a meal—it’s a student initiative. The KickStart Breakfast programme runs four mornings a week, entirely led by head students- Amelia Morrison and Jethro Melville. They coordinate everything: ordering supplies, setting the roster, and serving Weet-Bix and Anchor milk at morning break. Adjusting the timing to 11am has made the club accessible for students arriving by bus, ensuring no one misses out. The friendly atmosphere and simple routines—setting up, serving, and cleaning—make the breakfast club an efficient and welcoming space.
Student Leadership in Action
Jethro fetched the hall key, and he and Amelia open up and start getting set up. Milk and Weet-Bix are the only items on the menu, and everything is soon on hand ready to go. Jethro serves while Amelia keeps an eye on everyone and everything. It’s great to hear the banter at the servery, especially when it comes to sugar - Jethro adds a little but doesn’t budge on adding more, no matter how polite or repeated the request. There are usually 10-15 students who come along, but it’s winter and numbers are always up and down.
As the morning break comes to an end, the dishwasher is loaded, the bench is wiped down and every surface is sanitised. As we are leaving, a student from each class arrives to load foil wrapped lunches into the pie warmers to have them heated for later in the day – it’s a busy space!
Beyond breakfast, many of our school visits have an ‘unexpected moment’ that just comes out of nowhere. Often it’s very simple but it just gives an insight into how a school feels deep down. As we were leaving the hall, a group of junior students were leaving the Life Education caravan at the end of their teaching session, and our paths were going to cross as we headed towards the school office. Jethro and Amelia paused and waited for line of youngsters to reach us, and then high-fived everyone as they passed. In itself, such a small thing, but in terms of school culture it makes quite a statement.
Benefits for Students and School Culture
The breakfast club and student leadership opportunities build more than just practical skills. They foster confidence, empathy, and a strong sense of belonging. Principal, Glenys Hanley was in full support for the head students to take on the role of running KickStart Breakfast from end to end.
Students learn to communicate, take initiative, and work together—qualities that enrich the whole school environment. These experiences help students thrive, create lasting relationships, and leave the school ready to contribute positively to their communities.