By Olivia Hendrikx December 10, 2020
While the title “prefect” can sometimes seem authoritative and disciplinary - even threatening - it means something different at The Woodlands. It represents a leader; an ambassador; and most likely, a student looking for an opportunity to make a difference. And in the world we live in, that is something truly special.
The Prefects are a student-led group at The Woodlands Secondary School that function as ambassadors for the student body as well as for the global community. They run charity events, school events, and awareness campaigns that include the student body as well as the community. Their events involve coordination and work, requiring meetings weekly on Wednesday as well as additional work from members and executives on elements such as planning, promotion, and leading of events. These meetings typically take place in the Prefects meeting room at The Woodlands, but are required to be held through Google Meets during the duration of this pandemic. Being a Prefect means that you care about the local and global community, and are passionate about helping others in all walks of life.
Each year, The Prefects allow the student body to vote on the causes they wish to support in semester one and two. As a charity organization, it is their goal to support the local as well as global community. The causes chosen this year are representative of this wide range of causes that they support. For semester one, the student body has chosen to focus on COVID-19 relief and for semester two they have chosen Black Lives Matter. Both of these causes are currently being seen as an issue both locally and globally, making them ideal causes for the school to be contributing to.
Recently, on November 16th, the Prefects organized an event called “Out of the Woods”. This involved Woods alumni participating in virtual seminars where they were given the opportunity to share their undergraduate experiences at their respective universities with current Woodlands students and families. This is an example of how Prefects works to keep the school community engaged and involved, even after students have moved on to newer and better things. It was also a great way for students to gain more information about post-secondary programs. Based on both personal accounts and the survey which was conducted following the event, the graduating class was beyond impressed with these sessions and found them both informative and engaging.
Accompanying the notion of aiding the student body, The Prefects organized a mental health week to support students and advocate for its importance. This week involved daily posts focusing on aspects of mental health in student’s lives. Posts included topics including reaching out to friends in times of need and resources for therapy and counseling.
This school club doesn’t simply run seminars and fundraisers - they also put together engaging events for the student body. It is beyond a doubt that, in this time of quarantine and virtual learning, running events where students can interact and have fun with each other is difficult. The Prefects have attempted to overcome this by organizing virtual events, including a virtual Skribbl.io tournament which took place on Friday, December 4th. This is similar to Pictionary, but takes place fully online. The tournament was created to raise money - as students must pledge at least three dollar to participate - and also to bring the school community together. In the end, $69 was raised thanks to the event. The Prefects recognize the importance of creating spaces for enjoyment and relaxation during these unknown times.
Community and spirit are key pillars of The Woodlands mentality. This is embodied and promoted by The Prefects, making them such an integral part of the school. The student body as well as the members of the club come together as ambassadors for the incredible things that The Woodlands can do for a number of great causes. While not every event will appear distinctly impactful towards the cause it supports, each and every dollar raised is sure to make a difference in the life of somebody out there, whether it be now or in the future. And that is what student ambassadorship is all about.
The Prefects have been around for a long time, and The Woodlands community can be relieved to know they do not appear to be going away any time soon.
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