Prefection 1

1 May 2012Sarah M

Third term at Brentwood is, without a doubt, the busiest term of the year. Academically, students in the senior school are preparing for Advance Placement exams that will be held the second week of May. In terms of athletics the revered sport that is rugby kicks off its competitive term for grades 10-12, girls and boys; strong junior and senior soccer teams will be working for high provincial rankings; and the rowing crews will be preparing for the 42nd Annual Brentwood Regatta and the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association championships.

Big events will be hitting the Killy Theatre, specifically a Concert for a Summer’s Eve and the Evening of Dance. Grade 12s are getting their final documents into universities and preparing for grad, the big “do” of their high school careers as they await formal graduation in June. In the houses, however, a big transition is occurring. It is a yearly tradition, but experienced by a select number of students, who chomp at the bit when their time has come. It is the passing of the torch from the prefect to the Grade 11s.

Prefect mentoring, or training, occurs in the last three months of school, and involves training in all the fields of a prefect. Be it during prep on a weeknight, number one inspections on Saturday morning, or school duty in the cafeteria, the Grade 11s will be able to experience, firsthand, the duties of a prefect and the effect they have on the school (and their own social life).

For most prefects, being on duty usually means not getting to enjoy the Grade 12 privilege of late breakfast, having to come into the house early for sign in, sacrificing a bit of their prep in order to make sure house jobs and chores are accomplished, and maybe even getting to bed a little later because there was a rowdy Grade 9 who wouldn’t get to bed. This is just an amuse bouche of what is waiting for them in their final year at Brentwood.

In many houses, the training process is done in pairs, with a Grade 12 mentoring the same Grade 11 throughout their month and a half of prefect perfecting. Through a combination of Grade 12 knowledge and Grade 11 enthusiasm, a hybrid prefect will emerge from the rubble, and be fully prepared to take over the task of being a true leader in the community. Between the end of Easter break and the beginning of the May long weekend this tough regime will occur, and by the time we return from mid-term leave, the Grade 12s in some houses will step back and the Grade 11s will be in charge of the daily running of the house. Very scary, huh kids?

The most important part of training, however, is the relationship that is established between the Grade 11s and 12s as the grads prepare to venture off into the world. There is a newfound respect and appreciation for the Grade 12s and all they have done for the house, the school, and the community during the school year. The shoes that are left to be filled as the class of 2012 embark on their next great adventure are numerous, large, and daunting to fill. Good luck with your training, Grade 11s, and remember, there’s nothing that a little blood, sweat toil and tears won’t fix.

Sarah M

Where Students Choose To Be