Prefects!!!

[The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 27]

Now that I am in 5th form and I am a senior, I have chosen to become a Prefect. This basically means I wear a nice blazer with green lace around the edge and a shiny blue badge with "Prefecr" written across it, and spend two lunch and breaktimes everyweek telling younger kids what to do... It's fun!  For example today, I wasn't meant to be on duty, but I was with a friend who was and we had fun telling kids to "stop hitting each other with the giant chess pieces" in the courtyard.

So my question and the topic for discussion, is are you a prefect? Or were you when you were at school? Or do you hope to become one when you are old enough? And what do/did/will you enjoy about being a prefect, and do you have any memorable or funny stories?

[callagrafx 3]

Originally posted by: The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz his basically means I wear a nice blazer with green lace around the edge and a shiny blue badge with "Prefecr" written across it, and spend two lunch and breaktimes everyweek telling younger kids what to do... It's fun! quote>

Quis Custodiet ipsos custodes

btw...I hope your school didn't pay for badges that say "prefecr"

[____----____ 37]

i really spent most of high school skipping class and getting into trouble maybe

you can help other from making the same mistakes i did.

[Meg 368]

We didn't do this in my schools.  

I'm curious . . . what are the ages of the kids involved here?  What range of ages are in the same school?

[s.i.X 13]

If my school had 'Prefecr's they'd be killed.

Green lace? That's not exactly less than gay is it?

[purpledaddy 6]

I'll have to admit that is a new one on me. Is is similar to being named a Moderator?

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek We didn't do this in my schools.  quote>

Nor in mine. I don't think it's done anywhere in America. So far as I know, it's a strictly British thing. I've only ever heard of it because I've read Harry Potter...

[mayormommy 8]

I was a prefect my senior year in high school. But I went to boarding school, so we had a lot of strange customs... (for an American school, that is)

EDIT: In answer to the second part of the original question, no, I don't have any funny stories about being a prefect. Mostly because my duties centered on organizing the peer tutoring program, rather than dorm discipline.

[coolotter88 2]

perfect? I know, I like to be perfect too...

[Ryan B 35]

I'm Head Boy. 

Sorry - I didn't see the obligatory Harry Potter joke in this thread, so I had to.

[rhino120 2]

When I was in school about the closest thing to that was the Safety Patrol. They stood at the intersections in the area of the school and stopped traffic so kids could cross the street.

[confused04 14]

I was in "Safety Patrol" way back in 6th grade (so when I was 12). Except they made you patrol people your own age and having just moved in and not quite fitting in, that certainly didn't help. But my highschools and middle schools didn't have that, at all. The schools had real cops.

[rhino120 2]

Fortunately, I grew up during a time when they didn't need the police in schools

[The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 27]

Cal: Lol, darn typing gnomes.

Ski: Anywhere between 15 and 18. If you are in 5th year like me, you are a Prefect, but if you are in 6th year, you are a Senior Prefect, which basically means you help co-ordinate the prefects, and tell each one which duty to go on. But I don't know how it works at other schools.

Hmmm, strange that no one has heard of them. I was sure this was something they did everywhere... So what do they do where you are? Do they have monitors? Or are children just allowed to run amok in the playground with no order? I know that they have "Hall Monitors" in the US, seen enough American TV shows to know that! I suppose that's the closest thing America has (or anywhere else that has Hall Monitors, I apologise), if they basically stop kids from messing around and tell them to walk not run etc.

[Praetorian Cohort 0]

In the US, we've moved beyond playgrounds in that level of school.

I think hall monitors are more of a TV thing. In every school I've been in, we've never had students policing other students. In every school I've been in, school security has taken care of that.

[callagrafx 3]

In every school I've been in, school security has taken care of that. quote>

Comes to something when a place of learning requires a SWAT team.

[frogface 354]

We had prefects but they didn't do much except hang around the corridors

if you wanted to boss around the little kids you just went ahead.

when i was in primary school we had hall monitors and you had to help the little kids cut up sausages and take their plates. I hated that job

[marryescher 0]

I thought prefects were just in Harry Potter. Didnt know there really was any. Oops. We had hall moniters in Jr. High school. (7-9th grades). Also the safety patrol, a kid directing other kids across the street. Being a hall moniter meant you got picked on non-stop. Hall moniters were power tripping, most of the other students felt. In high school we had a police officer. I still remember how shocked I was to hear we need a police officer in school. They started doing that for the first time in my school, while I was there.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: callagrafx

In every school I've been in, school security has taken care of that. quote>

Comes to something when a place of learning requires a SWAT team.quote>

Not a swat team, security personell. No heavy gear, just basically people hired to police the school.

My high school had them... hell, even my middle school had one. And Manhattan College (where I am now) has them, as does every other college I've seen. Mostly the duties are just routine. But they're there in case of emergency, too.

[Praetorian Cohort 0]

Originally posted by: callagrafx

In every school I've been in, school security has taken care of that. quote>

Comes to something when a place of learning requires a SWAT team.quote>

Hardly a SWAT team.  Just a lot of big guys who yell at people when they're doing something wrong.  They don't even carry batons, let alone shields and rifles.

Our school does have one city police officer, though.  He carries a gun, as well as all the other typical police gear.

[Firebird 40]

I'm not a prefect, but, for some reason, I am the first person all the teachers call if they have a computer problem...

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 

Ski: Anywhere between 15 and 18. If you are in 5th year like me, you are a Prefect, but if you are in 6th year, you are a Senior Prefect, which basically means you help co-ordinate the prefects, and tell each one which duty to go on. But I don't know how it works at other schools.  quote>

Okay, so we are talking about high school students.  Can you define the word "playground" as you are using it here?  Is it one of those words that means different things in UK English and US English?  (I know there are a lot of words like that.  For instance, "corn" in UK English means "wheat" in US English.)

Our high schools here don't have "playgrounds".  They may have various kinds of ball fields, track facilities, and a gymnasium which are watched over by the coaches but playgrounds are only at the elementary schools.

Hmmm, strange that no one has heard of them. I was sure this was something they did everywhere... So what do they do where you are? Do they have monitors? Or are children just allowed to run amok in the playground with no order? I know that they have "Hall Monitors" in the US, seen enough American TV shows to know that! I suppose that's the closest thing America has (or anywhere else that has Hall Monitors, I apologise), if they basically stop kids from messing around and tell them to walk not run etc.  quote>

 

I asked a high school student here today this question.  The local school has one police officer stationed at the school, who gets involved as needed.   She was described as "cool" so I'm guessing she has a good relationship with the student body in general.  There are no human hall monitors but the hallways are monitored by camera.  The teachers take turns watching the cafeteria.   As mentioned earlier, the ball fields/track/gym has the coaches of whatever sport is involved.

There is a program called "peer mentoring" where the freshmen (that's 9th grade, usually about 14-15 years old) are assigned a junior or senior (11th or 12th grade, usually about 16-18 years old) to show them the ropes.  Sophomores (10th grade, usually about 15-16 years old) are on their own. 

Oh, and I was told that no one in the school would ever consider wearing a blazer, much less one with green lace and I was asked to find out "what's up with that?"

[The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 27]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

Originally posted by: The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 

Ski: Anywhere between 15 and 18. If you are in 5th year like me, you are a Prefect, but if you are in 6th year, you are a Senior Prefect, which basically means you help co-ordinate the prefects, and tell each one which duty to go on. But I don't know how it works at other schools.  quote>

Okay, so we are talking about high school students.  Can you define the word "playground" as you are using it here?  Is it one of those words that means different things in UK English and US English?  (I know there are a lot of words like that.  For instance, "corn" in UK English means "wheat" in US English.)

Our high schools here don't have "playgrounds".  They may have various kinds of ball fields, track facilities, and a gymnasium which are watched over by the coaches but playgrounds are only at the elementary schools.

Hmmm, strange that no one has heard of them. I was sure this was something they did everywhere... So what do they do where you are? Do they have monitors? Or are children just allowed to run amok in the playground with no order? I know that they have "Hall Monitors" in the US, seen enough American TV shows to know that! I suppose that's the closest thing America has (or anywhere else that has Hall Monitors, I apologise), if they basically stop kids from messing around and tell them to walk not run etc.  quote>

 

I asked a high school student here today this question.  The local school has one police officer stationed at the school, who gets involved as needed.   She was described as "cool" so I'm guessing she has a good relationship with the student body in general.  There are no human hall monitors but the hallways are monitored by camera.  The teachers take turns watching the cafeteria.   As mentioned earlier, the ball fields/track/gym has the coaches of whatever sport is involved.

There is a program called "peer mentoring" where the freshmen (that's 9th grade, usually about 14-15 years old) are assigned a junior or senior (11th or 12th grade, usually about 16-18 years old) to show them the ropes.  Sophomores (10th grade, usually about 15-16 years old) are on their own. 

Oh, and I was told that no one in the school would ever consider wearing a blazer, much less one with green lace and I was asked to find out "what's up with that?"quote>

 

Ah I see, that clears soem stuff up. Thanks. Well, at my school we have a large bit at the front which is referred to as the "playground" but as you can imagine, with teenagers there, not much playing goes on! Then we have a courtyard in the middle of the building, with benches and tables and giant chess and stuff, and that needs a bit more supervision because kids like to hit each other with the chess pieces. Then we have the Social Space which is a large room inside the building with doors onto the courtyard. There are lockers in the social space, as well as the 6th year common room. There's also a sound system so there is always music playing in there. Hope that makes sense.

At my school we have "buddies", who are 6th years and they get asigned to a class of first years (there are usually five classes in each year). Usually two 6th years to a class and they help out the first years for the first few months at the school.

LOL. It sounds very weird and perhaps "fruity" I know. It doesn't look that bad though, I'll try and get a picture of me in mine, then you can decide for yourself!

[beebs 129]

Originally posted by: The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz Cal: Lol, darn typing gnomes.

Ski: Anywhere between 15 and 18. If you are in 5th year like me, you are a Prefect, but if you are in 6th year, you are a Senior Prefect, which basically means you help co-ordinate the prefects, and tell each one which duty to go on. But I don't know how it works at other schools.

Hmmm, strange that no one has heard of them. I was sure this was something they did everywhere... So what do they do where you are? Do they have monitors? Or are children just allowed to run amok in the playground with no order? I know that they have "Hall Monitors" in the US, seen enough American TV shows to know that! I suppose that's the closest thing America has (or anywhere else that has Hall Monitors, I apologise), if they basically stop kids from messing around and tell them to walk not run etc.

quote>

Have never heard of prefects before... at my school, we did, as others have mentioned, have a city police officer at our school. It was mostly just a precaution. My school was not by any means dangerous... I can't think off hand of any incident where he needed to break up a fight or anything of that sort. Mostly, he just walked about, did paperwork in his office or worked out in the fitness room. For lunch break, teachers patrolled the hallways and the cafeteria, so there was no need for students to supervise other students.

I *think* we had a voluntary buddy system... I honestly don't know... if we did, I sure wasn't involved with it. Fortunately, our school wasn't so confusing that the grade ten-ers would get lost or anything.

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: beebs 

Fortunately, our school wasn't so confusing that the grade ten-ers would get lost or anything. quote>

 

An excellent point.  The size of the school could make a difference.  The school I'm talking about has over 3,000 students.

[jvlm.123 0]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

Originally posted by: beebs 

Fortunately, our school wasn't so confusing that the grade ten-ers would get lost or anything. quote>

 

An excellent point.  The size of the school could make a difference.  The school I'm talking about has over 3,000 students.quote>

 

 3,000 students? And I thought my school with ~1,000 was huge!

My school does this whole "prefect" thing, every form class has two prefects who are chosen by the form teacher (*cough* teacher's pets *cough*) to do some of the most thankless jobs ever... They're there to help others but usually get bullied themselves...

Needless to say, I DON'T want to be a prefect.

[The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 27]

I apologise for the horrible picture quality, I took with a mobile phone. But here is a picture of my blazer, about the only thing (as you might be able to see) neatly hung up in my room!

You can barely make out my prefect badge, just below and to the left (or right if you were wearing it) of the shiny one on the left lapel. The shiny badge is my Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award badge which I proudly wear above my prefect badge.

I don't think it looks as silly as I've made it sound! But you can decide that.

[hamsterTK 93]

Nor in mine. I don't think it's done anywhere in America. So far as I know, it's a strictly British thing. I've only ever heard of it because I've read Harry Potter...quote>

lol same here

my school had one police officer stationed at it. But not just for security, she also taught criminal justice classes that counted as college credit and was part of a track anyone who wanted to be in law enforcement would take.

also, i had recess till i was in 5th grade(about 10/11 years old) and the older kids had to play sports or something and only the little kids where allowed on the jungle gym/swings...

[nealos101 20]

We had prefects at our secondary schools, and it was the last two years before college.  I was one of the hall monitors for the Art Department (I had the right to sit in one of the classes at break and just do whatever).  Then I had the second job of being on the 'Coffee Team,' with our head girl we would staff, if you would call it that, all the open days, parents evenings and any other occasion that involved visitors from outside school.  Basically it was just getting coffee and bisquits ready for every occasion we were needed... It was good fun and most of our memories involved the laughs we had before each event, like spilling a 20-litre urn of water all over the floor... Ahh teenage years.

[Duke87 1,070]

I was 1 of about 450 in my graduating class from high shcool. There were about 2200 students there total, and over 600 freshmen. The number is even larger now, and they're adding a new wing to the school (which my sister now goes to).

What also was interesting was some of the stories I heard about "reverse-racist" security guards. See, most of them were black, and were known for looking the other way when a black kid made a minor offense while they would yell at a white kid about the same offense. They were also friendly with each other. I often saw a security guard and a black student slap each other five and give typical "homie" greetings.

So far, no legal issues have come of this, but that may or may not be because no one can prove anything. Or it may be that people don't want to cause a ruckus about blacks being slightly racist against whites, since that would be unthinkable for some reason.

You may draw your own conclusions about all that.