What Class Reps Do

Dear Families,

One of the fall traditions in the Middle School is the election of student representatives. The essays prepared by the candidates are always thoughtful and, while some candidates make bold promises (e.g., a three-day school week, extended recess, nap time), all address issues of real concern to middle school students (e.g., more recess equipment, additional clubs, independent art time).

So far this year, representatives have been asked to seek out the full range of opinions on issues discussed by their classmates and they have helped their classmates to work towards consensus on a variety of these issues. On some occasions, they have also had to represent ideas with which they did not agree. Along the way, they have also helped to resolve conflicts, problem solved with their classmates, welcomed and spoken with families visiting the school as part of the admission process, made presentations at middle school meeting, and worked with the deans and the principal to clarify old roles and develop new roles for class representatives.

In the midst of all of these efforts, the representatives also want to leave their mark in some more permanent way on the life of the Middle School. This year’s representatives are hopeful that our first Mid-Winter Afternoon Olympics becomes an on-going tradition. Tomorrow afternoon, eight teams of fifth through eighth graders will meet at the Thompson Street Athletic Center dressed in their team colors with matching names, cheers, songs and dances to face a series of team challenges. The reps have worked hard with dean Gabrielle Keller and PE teacher Larry Kaplan to make the event a success. While it promises to be a fun afternoon, only time will tell if the Mid-Winter Afternoon Olympics enters the honored pantheon of desert, chocolate milk, Crazy Hat Day and Pajama Day, which are the lasting legacy of reps from the not so distant past.

Be well,
Mark

Update: If the following images are any indication, we are well on the way to establishing a new tradition. Well done reps!