Bright sparks become prefects

Jonathan Chilton-Towle | Friday, February 3, 2012 10:34

ST KEVIN'S COLLEGE 2012 PREFECTS: Front row: Paul Olsen, principal (left), special character prefects, Eilee Robinson and Albert Hailes, head boy Sean Hand, deputy head girl Johannah Kearney, deputy head boy Oliver Stewart. (Absent: Head girl Lucy Fauth) 2nd row: Jared Papps (left), Libby McGee, Shannon McMillan, Isaac de Buyzer, Lou Clemens, Olivia Pope, Sam de Buyzer. 3rd row: Rebecca Enright (left), Lori Kingan, Hannah Mihaere, Kerryn Olsen, Loren Haggerty, Sam Robins. 4th row: Tasman Forgie (left), Quinn McNab, Britanny More, Nick Parsons. 5th row: Rodney Bungard (left), Ashley Miller, Henry Ahomana, Jamal Vira. PHOTOS/JONATHAN CHILTON-TOWLE

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Some of Oamaru's brightest young sparks are about to assume leadership roles in their schools.

St Kevin's College and Waitaki Boys' High School were to announce their prefects in ceremonies today, with Waitaki Girls' High School to name theirs on Tuesday.

For SKC head boy Sean Hand, it came as a total surprise when he found out he would be leading his school. He was proud to continue the leadership legacy his brother Sam had begun when he was head boy in 2009.

"It is a huge honour for me," he said. "I'm the second one to be head boy in my family and it's a school I'm very proud of."

His deputy is Oliver Stewart, with Lucy Fauth as head girl and Johannah Kearney as deputy. Principal Paul Olsen was also looking forward to a positive year.

"I'm very pleased with the calibre of our student leaders this year, and we were faced with a very difficult choice when it came to selecting them," he said.

"They were chosen for their ability to lead their peers and handle academic rigour."

Waitaki Boys' rector Paul Jackson was also pleased with his school's new leaders. He had seen the boys in action at a leadership camp during the holidays.

The prefects were chosen by his predecessor Paul Baker, and Mr Jackson said he had made wonderful choices.

"They will become great leaders," he said. "They will need to display exemplary behaviour, have a sense of duty, respect, humility and integrity, and lead from the front, setting the standard for their peers."

Jamie Robb will lead WBHS as head boy, and he will be assisted by James Wright as deputy.

Waitaki Girls' Principal Lynlee Smith said she was "very happy indeed" with her batch of prefects.

Suzy Lind has been named as head girl, Nicole McCone as deputy, with Kim Metherell as head boarder.

All of the new leaders had been elected by their peers, with the prefects being elected by the senior students, while the house captains were elected by their entire houses. Two or three specific roles required the girls to apply for the positions. "I'm foreseeing a positive year," Ms Smith said.

She'd measured the new leaders' abilities at a swimming event and said they had done well.

The Waitaki Girls' prefects will be formally recognised at an assembly on Tuesday.