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Student Leadership |
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 As students gain more experience at Midland, we expect them to take on authentic leadership roles which are vital to the running of the campus. Simply put, we want our students to have experiences in leadership positions, be they senior positions of prefecting or running a job crew (see below), making public presentations to the community or beyond, or becoming authentic leaders in their schools and communities after leaving Midland. Students sit on Council, as well, and student input is vital to the Midland community.
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Senior Prefects |
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 Many Midland seniors earn prefectships, a system of mentoring that Paul Squibb brought with him from his Kent School days. School Prefects Two seniors are chosen by the Head of School to be the School Prefects, who essentially set the tone for the student body. This year's School Prefects, Mariah and Shue Him, conduct assemblies, sit on council, govern the prefects, and serve as the primary bridge between faculty and the student body.Class Prefects
Several seniors act as class prefects, in which two seniors are responsible for each class. For instance, there are two freshmen boy prefects, and two freshmen girl prefects and so on. These seniors perform countless roles for their prefectees, including checking them in at night, helping them with academic and social issues, being the younger students' confidants and mentors, and being the first line of authority. The prefecting system builds strong relationships across classes, and teaches younger students to trust in and rely on their peers.
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Junior Leadership Workshops |
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The juniors have been getting ready to lead the school next year. They completed a day and a half of Leadership workshops facilitated by Head of School Will Graham, and faculty members Hayley Anson, Johnny Ninos Rob Hopkinson, Paul Gelles, Laurie Munger and Don Redl. Day one began with a day of play and bonding at the Douglas Family Preserve and Hendry's Beach in Santa Barbara, followed by a second day of intense discussion, role playing and various activities to prepare them to be senior leaders and prefects.
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Senior Heads of Jobs |
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Aside from being models for younger students, all seniors at Midland must carry their weight as heads of jobs. This means that, after putting in the service for their previous school years, seniors take charge of the different aspects of the Midland job system. As job heads, seniors teach the younger students on their crews how to efficiently and appropriately do their jobs. In this relationship, seniors work with the younger students, and so their leadership comes in large part through example. A list of senior job heads follows:
Head of Kitchen
Head of Horses
Head of Middle Yard
Head of Landscaping
Head of Dishhouse
Head of Ranch
Head of Lower Yard
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Hero/Fire Marshall
Head of Recycling/Trash
Head of Waiters
Head of Garden
Head of Upper Yard
Head of Library
Head of Mail Room |
These roles offer authentic leadership experiences for the seniors, and teach them how important--and challenging--it is to be effective leaders. The faculty step in and instruct whenever needed, though part of the experience of being a head and a leader is to be faced with challenges that aren't easily solved. This component of Midland's program, begun by Paul Squibb in 1932, demands that all of our students--seniors and underclass alike--take an active, vital role in the running of the school. It teaches independence and interdependence simultaneously.
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