Time to serve, new prefects told

To be a leader, you must learn to serve.

This was the message delivered by Dr Sandra Anderson, former principal of the St Giles Primary School, as she addressed students during a prefects’ installation ceremony on Thursday.

She congratulated the 44 boys and girls on their achievement and encouraged them to be humble in their positions of responsibility, as they seek to help the rest of the student body.

“To be a leader you have to be a servant. Now that you have taken on that role of leadership, you have become a servant,” Anderson told the children and parents gathered for the ceremony at the Government Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church.

She reminded the students that it was their outstanding qualities that earned them their positions and encouraged them to stay on that path.

“They noticed that you are one of those students who made sure that when there was work to be done, you did not sit there and cry and say ‘I can’t get it done’; you patiently worked through it, you took your time and got whatever job you had to do, done. That is why you were chosen as prefect.

“You look out for others and you follow the rules. You know every institution has rules, and you were one of those students that got up early and came to school, you were always punctual, made sure when it was time to listen, you were there. The teachers were observing you. That is why you were chosen,” she added.

The former headmistress told the new prefects that they had a duty to help every single child at the school.

“You are not choosing and picking. It’s a big task but you [can] do it, because you have done it for the whole six/seven years at St Giles and you can do it again,” Anderson said. “Big congratulations to you, I am so proud of you.”