Leadership
The hardest kind of leadership is leadership of one’s peers—and at no time of life is that harder than in adolescence, a time of rapid identity formation.
At Prep, we believe in creating many and varied opportunities for students to “try on” leadership roles. Faculty sponsors work closely with student leaders in peer mentoring, middle school and upper school student council, on sports teams, in TAP, and in many of the clubs and activities that engage our students.
Our goal is a shared one: to give our students meaningful experiences as leaders of their peers, preparing for a future that will ask a great deal of them.
Peer Mentors
Each year, a handful of juniors and seniors who wish to serve as advisors and counselors for their peers in the Upper School are selected as peer mentors. They are available as a resource to all students, with a special focus on helping freshmen and new students transition into the Upper School. Peer Mentors also advise faculty, administrators and parents on student issues, and have become an integral part of the parent education program. Peer Mentors are selected through an interview process and undergo training in counseling, mediation and group facilitation.
Teaching Assistants
Juniors and seniors who have had an exceptional experience in one of their classes often decide to serve as a teaching assistant in that class. Responsibilities range from setting up labs to presenting lectures to facilitating discussions. Teaching assistants model intellectual curiosity, cooperation with teachers, enthusiasm for learning, while also inspiring younger students to consider becoming teaching assistants.
Council on Community Expectations (CCE)
All major disciplinary cases in the Upper School are deliberated by a group of students and faculty, who makes recommendations to the Head of School about appropriate consequences. The student representatives are asked to calibrate a community response to violations of our school’s expectations by their peers. Two students from each grade in the Upper School are selected by lottery from all interested students and receive training in the fall regarding how they will function as a group.