In 2011, Ravenswood became the first girls’ school on Sydney’s North Shore to offer Cadets to its students and the first girls’ school to conduct Cadets through the Knox Grammar School Cadet Unit.
Today, there are more than 330 Ravenswood students in Years 8 to 12 in the 1300-strong unit. More Ravenswood students apply for and fill senior leadership ranks each year, including CUO (Cadet Under Officer) and SUO (Senior Cadet Under Officer).
Cadets is an exceptional opportunity for girls to develop leadership skills, discipline, teamwork, outdoor skills, confidence and self-reliance in collaboration with their male peers.
As the girls progress through the program, they also have the opportunity to learn important life skills, such as email etiquette, conflict resolution, effective teaching methods and how to give constructive feedback to their peers.
Key activities of the Cadets program include:
- Training every Friday afternoon during term. Cadets learn core skills in preparation for field exercises and ceremonial occasions.
- An Annual Field Exercise (AFX) in the bush. The eight-day camp consolidates skills and training and encourages teamwork in a physically and mentally challenging environment.
- Promotion courses that train participants in the essentials of leadership, management and risk assessment.
- Two ceremonial parades, commemorating the ANZACs and the ‘Old Guard’.
- The annual CAS Drill Competition, in which Cadets compete for the prestigious title of ‘CAS Drill Champions’.
- The CAS Military Skills Competition, testing skills including signals, navigation, first aid and field craft.
- The Advanced Training Award, open to Senior Cadets. A challenging three-day assessment of physical and mental endurance, field craft, survival skills, teamwork, initiative and leadership.