Agendas Collide in Key Competition

21 April 2015Tamara C, Allard ‘17

Earlier this week, all of the Brentwood Key students participated in an agenda competition judged by Mr. Patel. With the prize of free pizza for you and your Key class, I’m sure that you can understand that the competition was fierce. Taking a few steps back, I should elaborate on what an agenda competition looks like. As Key students, we are required to keep an agenda and every week we have a check to make sure we are well organized, keeping track of our homework, and doing things like keeping a personal task list. But this was much bigger than your average weekly agenda check. We were bringing in the Big Man on Campus, Mr. Patel, to be the judge of our agendas. The winning agenda criteria includes: – Homework recorded daily, described in detail. – Organized, neatly filled in. – Visually appealing and user friendly – Personal information to keep track of responsibilities beyond class work. The top two agendas from each of the six Key classes were chosen to be entered into the competition. After careful examination from our Head of School, the winners were announced. Juniors: Dana C, Mackenzie ‘18 Seniors: Julia K, Alexandra ‘16 & Jennie S, Hope ‘16 Although Mr. Patel failed to notice my agenda’s winning characteristics and stellar color coordination, the winners were deserving of their pizzas and were commended for their effort in keeping their agendas up to date. Mr. Patel’s comments on the agendas were quite positive: “All of us require a method of organizing our thoughts, ideas, and day. Written agendas and the use of daily calendars have proven to be strong methods. I was impressed with the agenda exercise that our Key students prepared for my review. From color-coding, to forward planning, to personal task lists, these students are developing skills that will stay with them for life.” Mr. P Agendas are not only important to the Key students; they are a great way for all students at Brentwood to document their homework and other personal tasks to keep their busy lives organized. My agenda is my lifesaver; not only do I use it as a requirement, but I use it to achieve my own academic goals. Tamara C, Allard ‘17

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