Fairy Meadow Demonstration School’s 2026 leadership team Emma Munoz Maeso, Pippa Napper, Ky North and Niuloa Tongotongo. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
This year’s student leaders at an Illawarra primary school are inspiring their younger peers with their can-do attitude and showcasing the power of diversity and inclusion in helping young people reach their potential.
Ky North, Pippa Napper, Niuloa Tongotongo and Emma Munoz Maeso are the new faces of Fairy Meadow Demonstration School for 2026 with the leaders ready to represent their diverse school community and make a difference for students of all backgrounds and abilities.
Ky and Pippa understand the importance of accessibility first-hand with both captains using wheelchairs to support them in moving around and accessing most of the school grounds.
But they know inclusivity and representation is about much more than just infrastructure.
“I wanted to be a captain so I could show everyone that anything is possible,” Ky said.
“I really looked up to my captains; I reckon they have a lot of responsibility and I think it’s one of the good chances to do more public speaking,” Pippa said.
“I want people to see that I’m nice and that people with wheelchairs and everyone should get a chance to have a voice.”
Pippa has cerebral palsy and Ky has a genetic disorder called epidermolysis bullosa, but despite any personal challenges, the pair continue to excel at the school and advocate to improve the experience of others.
“It’s important that the school’s very accessible because it makes us feel more included,” Ky said.
“We also have a support unit and they come to a lot of school activities so they’re part of the school community.
“I’d like more inclusive sports and to make sure people feel like they’re included and they’re heard and that they belong at this school,” Pippa said.
Niuloa is joining them as a vice-captain, something he was inspired to do after seeing his sibling thrive in a leadership role at the school.
“My older brother has been school captain and I want to follow in his footsteps,” he said.
“I wanted to put in more sport categories and I wanted to see everyone picking up their rubbish.”
He is of Tongan heritage, with the language spoken in the family home, and hopes the younger students see the strength in having representatives from diverse cultures, with almost a quarter of students at the school coming from language backgrounds other than English.
“It’s so they don’t think that if you are from a different culture you can’t do anything,” Niuloa said.
Fellow vice-captain Emma also comes from a culturally and linguistically diverse family who moved to Australia four years ago.
“I moved here from Spain when I was starting Year 2,” Emma said. “I knew very little English and school seemed very different here to Spain.”
Now she’s excelling academically across a vast number of subjects with English and writing particular favourites.
“Just because you can’t do something at the start doesn’t mean you won’t be able to do it later,” Emma said.
The attitudes and motivation of the four captains will help future students – including those in support classes and the youngest members of the community at the public preschool onsite – to be inspired and see potential within themselves and others.
Representing their school in assemblies and at events, they’re a reflection of the diversity within the broader community.
As they join forces to lead their peers, they hope to utilise their individual strengths and develop their skills to grow as individuals and help improve the school around them.
“Our ideas will become one and we’ll make the school even better than it is,” Ky said.
To find out more about Fairy Meadow Demonstration School, visit the school website.
