Senior Prefects Reflections 2022

Heading Heading

x

x

Charlie Horn, Senior Boarder Prefect Daniel da Silva, Senior Dayboy Prefect Archie Lord, Senior Prefect

Senior Prefects Reflections 2022

Archie Lord Senior Prefect

Toowoomba Grammar School’s creed has four main points; give everyone a fair go, respect others and respect difference, and do your best. Whilst all these are incredibly important, the final one that overarches all these, and what the entirety of the School stands for, is the quality of being honest. Honesty is a characteristic that binds those who pass through TGS, as it is something that is found in each and every one of us.

I commenced my time at TGS in 2018 as a Year 8 boarder in Taylor House. Being named Senior Prefect for 2022 near the end of Year 11 (Term 3 2021) was a moment when the values that the School has instilled in me throughout these years became even more apparent. Whilst the feelings of anxiety were unbelievably high at this moment, I came to the realisation that the School had given the concept and opportunity for leadership to not only me, but to every boy who walks these hallowed grounds. Taking on the role of Senior Prefect has allowed me to continue to build on these leadership values, which consist of ideas such as leaders are servants in their community, that leadership is unavoidable, and leadership is about positive relationships. The opportunity to be Senior Prefect has enabled me to continue to learn leadership, although, personally for me, it has been about giving back to the School, as I understand how much it has helped me grow and develop as a person.

This year has been a journey where I have learnt many lessons in leadership, but also more about myself too. The public speaking and speech writing are two things that have come more naturally as the year has progressed, although the idea of servant leadership, and putting others before yourself is something that will stay with me forever. Servant leadership (selflessness), and the ability to connect to those around me on a different level, so I can help and understand any individual, no matter their background, is a characteristic that I will carry with me into college, university, and the years beyond.

Whilst looking to the light at the end of the tunnel, it is easy to forget to stay in the moment. The Prefects of 2022 have completed their Prefect Plan and are proud of the legacy we will leave. At the conclusion of 2021, at our leadership retreat, all 20 Prefects sat around a group of tables in the Bunya Mountains, and after hours of planning, we decided that our vision was to create a unified, respectful community to help hold ourselves and others to a higher standard within Toowoomba Grammar School’s culture. To achieve this, we specifically looked at how “it’s all the small things that make the big things happen”.

In many years from now, we hope that the Year 7s of 2022 still remember their Prefect group and that they will still be promoting the Blue and Gold culture that we continued to build during our year as Prefects.

Charlie Horn Senior Boarder Prefect

I started my journey at Toowoomba Grammar School in Year 7, 2017 as a Stephens boarder. Still to this day I can remember sitting in the crowd within the Assembly Hall admiring the three young men up on stage. I never thought I would get the opportunity to be like them and to lead the School, specifically the boarders. I was very honoured when the Headmaster, teachers and my peers trusted and believed in me to do the job at hand.

From the one-on-one chats I have had with either a boarding staff member, or a teacher from the day school, I believe these are some of the most important things to experience and are what have developed me into the person I am today. It is the help and support that you are surrounded by when you are at school or in the boarding house. Living amongst your peers teaches you to appreciate everyone and to understand all different personalities. Most importantly, it teaches you boundaries, and about being a mate for one another. These life skills have not only helped me throughout school but are also helping me develop in the outside world. Social interaction is a lifelong skill that everyone needs and boarding at TGS has helped me gain this skill. It is something that I personally think is a great trait. Another life skill TGS has not just imprinted on me, but every boy who finishes school here, is the skill of simply being a good man. It is about looking after your mates in tough times, helping people in need, working hard, and the list certainly goes on. For me, these are some of the main traits TGS has left for me and every other boy too.

As everyone knows, COVID had a big impact on our normal expectations, activities, and events at TGS. The 2022 Year 12s have enjoyed being part of the return of the rich culture and wonderful traditions of TGS, such as spectators at sporting fixtures, and singing hymns and the School song again at assemblies. It was not just the things that are obvious to the public, but the small, unseen things that went missing throughout the pandemic. Whether this be the interactions between older and younger boys, or the pure passion that is shared throughout the whole School community, it has been something that we, as a cohort, have pushed to improve and I know will be continued by the 2023 leaders.

The 2022 Prefect group picked a motto: “it’s the little things that make the big things happen”, which is something we all agreed to stand by the whole year. It is a motto that I know each and every one of us can take out of our schooling lives and apply to the real world.

Daniel da Silva Senior Dayboy Prefect

The fast-paced nature of TGS left the Prefects of 2022 reflecting on the victories and challenges of the past year. From the annual Prefects’ Retreat to the end of our schooling careers, it is safe to say that we have all felt the impact of such an eventful period. In the day school, the Prefects of 2022 hope we left behind an enduring sense of connection amongst the student body, with student engagement continually topping the agenda as one of our highest priorities.

To have had the opportunity to be at the forefront of change within our School community has truly been a life-changing experience, and one that I am grateful to have had. When I first arrived at TGS, everyone seemed to excel academically, in sport, or the arts. Lacking talent in any of these fields, and feeling very intimidated, it was clear that my successes would only come from hard work. I made the decision to apply myself in every way possible, and it was through this application that I found myself competitive for a position as the Senior Dayboy Prefect. Such an opportunity to become a leader gave me a new perspective on the influence I could have on those around me, and this year has certainly shown that such an opportunity can be quite rare. As such, I hope to carry this experience with me as I face new and unexpected challenges in the future. We are often told that high school is the end. However, I believe that my time as a leader at TGS, the lessons I have learned from my peers and the friendships I have formed over the past six years, have well and truly prepared me for whatever lies beyond.