The Lausanne House System began in the summer of 2006 as a way to encourage students to build meaningful and positive relationships with one another while fostering a strong sense of community.
"It is a way to ignite the passions of the children in terms of facilitating their development in areas such as community service, character education and school spirit,” Head Of Middle School Greg Graber said.
House Head for each of the four houses (Massey, Lendernwood, Cottingham and Monmouth) is a prestigious position and is sought after by many 8th graders as they complete their middle school journey and transition to upper school.
Before the vote for House Head, each of the 15 student candidates was given time to address their house members and the middle school as a whole in the Elder Performing Arts Center (EPAC).
As the candidates took the stage, they each stated why they should be chosen as their respective House Head. Responsibility, team building and vision were just some of the many qualifications the students brought to the podium as they tried to get members of their house to award them the position.
"The House Head elections are very important for the House System as a whole as well as the individual students running," teacher and Middle School Student Life Coordinator Julie Cooper said. "The House Heads of the middle school are the backbone of the House Council and therefore have a big responsibility in leading their Houses and mentoring the Prefects in the younger grades. The process of running a positive election campaign, which includes giving a speech in front of the entire middle school, is a great opportunity for students to put into practice many of the essential life skills they are learning in the middle school. There is nothing better as a teacher than seeing these kids really put themselves out there in order to become leaders of their Houses. That is not always easy to do in middle school."
No matter who wins, these students have already proven themselves as a leader, all while putting their passion for both their houses and Lausanne on display.
House Election Facts:
- House Council consists of one boy and one girl from each grade level house.
- 5th- 7th-grade house leaders are called Prefects.
- 8th-grade house leaders are House Heads.
- There are 32 total leaders in the middle school (eight from each grade).
House Election Dates:
- Wednesday, Aug 29 - House Head Speeches (voting Wednesday - Friday online)
- Friday, Aug 31 - Prefect Speeches (voting after speeches)
- Wednesday, Sept 5 - All winners are announced in Middle School convocation.