Shoe Polish, Shampoo and...Taylor Lautner??

For service for IB, I make the trek every Tuesday down to Fettes College Prep School for 1 and a 1/2 hours to help Mrs Dawson, Mrs Wightman and Mrs Hudson-Price get the young female Fettesians into bed. Fettes being a boarding school for 8 year olds and upwards, this is certainly a bug part of life at Fettes and it only seems like yesterday when I was sleeping in those beds.
My duty consists of ticking the girls off for tidying, shoe polsihing and showering. Then when all that is done, we go around the dorms, chatting to the girls about anything really: school, fashion, boys (Taylor Lautner is a popular subject), music, whatever happens to be on the girl's minds. Then we make sure each girl is tucked up in bed at their time for reading time then finally lights off. It sounds a lot easier than it is!

 

Mischief Makers

To be honest, it was what I was expecting yet not what I was expecting. Iona boarding house has changed a lot since I was there. Yet in a funny way it still brings a sense of Deja-vu to see the long corridor stretching away from me when Connie (another girl who does the duty along with me) and I sit in the little alcove while girls troop up to us with scuffed school shoes ready for polishing.
So far, I've had plenty of laughs. My youngest sister still goes to the prep school, so I'm always met with a chorus of: "You're Alice's sister!" Trying to chase down girls who are not so keen on tidying their areas nor having a shower is quite the work out. Mrs Dawson (Housemistress of Iona) runs a tight ship. In the end every girl does what they're told and the teachers on duty are well respected among the House.

Connie...getting a makeover!

But these girls...they seem to look up to us. Its an odd feeling, knowing that these girls see us as role models. We have to be careful with what we say and do in front of these girls, so that they could still retain their childhood while they can.
Before this, I didn't know Connie pariticularly well. Alhtough we were in the same House, we never realy talked much together. However after this period of having to work together to keep the Iona's house routine still running has gotten me to know her a little better.  I think (and hope) that I can think of Connie as a friend, since we have no shared a few good laughs together over the quirky girls of Iona house!
I think I have gained confidence over my time doing duty in Iona House. There have been times when I was put out of my comfort zone. It has all gained me some more experience with children. I intend to become a teacher when I leave school so this sort of work is vital to becoming an effective teacher.
Its really a joy to go and look after these children; I look forward to it every week. It reminds me of my time in the Prep School and allows me to bond with the younger years. The College and the Prep school are pretty isolated from each other, its good to get to know the younger years again.

All in all, I loved this duty and I wish it didn't have to end!

Nice Sunnies!