Student Leadership
"When I was a Middle Schooler, I looked up to my Junior Proctors more than anyone else in the Pennington community. Now that I have the opportunity to have that same effect on a group of Middle Schoolers, I am taking full advantage of it. I see the Junior Proctor program as a great way to build relationships and form bonds that will, hopefully, have a lasting effect." --Erica H.
Peer Leaders
Peer Leaders volunteer their time to attend a daily Peer Leadership class, to work weekly with the freshmen, as well as doing numerous other activities outside of the traditional class day. As part of the curriculum for Peer Leadership, students engage in community service learning, following the model of:
- education of self
- education of others
- engagement of the larger community
- performance of community service
- reflection on the process
Senior Peer Leaders actively participate and take on leadership roles in all steps of the service learning model.
We see the weekly meetings with ninth-graders, Grade 9 fun nights, parents' night, and even boarder move-in as service. Our seniors are learning, practicing, and fine-tuning leadership skills as they volunteer their time to be of service to not only the freshman community but also the community at large. We are terribly proud of their commitment."
--Erin O’Connell and Julianne DeLorenzo, co-directors of the Peer Leadership program
Junior Proctors
Junior Proctors are a select group of eleventh-graders chosen for their leadership qualities and interest in working with Middle Schoolers. Every Friday begins with the Junior Proctors program, with their Middle School groups engaged in fun and purposeful activities that address issues of adolescent life and help foster respect and cooperation throughout the middle school years. The Junior Proctors also host the Middle School Launch at the beginning of the school year. They serve as role models and peer mentors to the sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students and work together to form the bridge between the Middle and Upper schools.
Hall Prefects
Each spring a group of students entering the junior or senior class is chosen to be hall prefects for the following year. Hall prefects play a major role in assisting residential faculty and dormitory heads in an effort to establish a community of trust in their respective dorms. Working together with residential faculty, hall prefects are responsible for ensuring the well being of the dormitory and those living on their hall. The hall prefects’ duties revolve around dormitory life, assisting hall parents in handling the routine day-to-day running of the dormitory hall. Prefects also help to ensure that an atmosphere conducive to study prevails on the hall and may guide other students in their studies and social life. Prefects also help new students adjust to boarding life at Pennington. Hall prefects (two per hall, on average) are selected by dormitory heads and the Dean of Students on the basis of moral character, positive attitude toward School life, and potential for leadership. It is the expectation that hall prefects take on a role of responsibility and accountability beyond that of a normal boarding student.
Student Government
Class committee members represent The Pennington School’s diverse student body. Class committee members work closely with the Dean of Community Life, promoting community service, fundraising, and special events. Class committees meet frequently throughout the school year.