Once A Brother, Never Alone
[This speech was given at Crescent School's Opening Assembly on September 6, 2018.]
Once upon a time, there was a little boy who was barely four feet tall. It was early in the morning and although he’d barely slept, he was excited. By 7:30 a.m., the boy’s father was already driving him and his younger brother to their new home. It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining, the birds – BANG! The car swerved and turned back onto the road! Thump. Thump. Thump. The car stopped. All three of them got out of the car, and tried to fix the flat tire. They weren’t strong enough. Suddenly, a cyclist who was passing by stopped and helped them. Because of that cyclist, the boy made it to Crescent School just on time where he lived happily ever after.
Once upon a time, there was a little boy who was barely four feet tall. It was early in the morning and although he’d barely slept, he was excited. By 7:30 a.m., the boy’s father was already driving him and his younger brother to their new home. It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining, the birds – BANG! The car swerved and turned back onto the road! Thump. Thump. Thump. The car stopped. All three of them got out of the car, and tried to fix the flat tire. They weren’t strong enough. Suddenly, a cyclist who was passing by stopped and helped them. Because of that cyclist, the boy made it to Crescent School just on time where he lived happily ever after.
Mr. Fellin, members of the platform party, staff and my fellow Crescent brothers, welcome to the 2018/2019 school year. I hope you all enjoyed a fun and relaxing summer and you are ready to hit the ground running. My name is Kyle Chang, and I have the privilege and honour to serve as your Head Boy this year.
I just described my experience of coming to Crescent as a New Boy in Grade 4. My decision to come here was based on a few reasons: they had an enrichment program, I knew a lot of students here already, and they made good chocolate chip cookies. However, I would have never imagined that I would end up bonding with 89 of the best classmates ever. Here we sit together, the Class of 2019 in our blue blazers, as one of the most diverse grades in the school. As 2019 rapidly approaches, let’s make the days count and not count the days.
Men of Character from Boys of Promise. “Who am I? How do I lead? What is my legacy?” A boy who follows is a man who leads. There are so many mottos that are used within this school. And then every year the Prefect Team decides to make another motto. Why? This year’s Prefect Team believes that a motto differentiates us from previous years and unites the entire school. The motto is our message to Crescent about how we should carry ourselves during the year. That being said, the motto for the 2018/2019 school year will be: Once a brother, never alone.
The Prefect Team sees Crescent as more than just a school. It is a brotherhood. And after being here for eight full years, I couldn’t agree more. What does it mean for you to be a brother? It means that you are part of a family. You see, even though everybody in this brotherhood is unique, we will support each other during times of need. Therefore, if any of you ever need somebody to talk to, you can always reach out to any of your brothers, whether or not he is a member of the Prefect Team, a Grad, or a student in your own grade.
The second portion of our motto explains how nobody is forgotten once they join the brotherhood. This is why the Prefect Team will be making their strongest effort to ensure that every brother has their voice heard. How can the Prefect Team make positive changes without knowing you and your needs? In the Upper School, instead of coming to us through the Feedback Form, we will be coming to you. In October, the Prefects plan to have a discussion with every mentor group. For the Lower and Middle School, your Form Reps will be asking about changes you would like to see. Also, members of the Prefect Team will work in alignment with the House Captains in the Lower and Middle Schools, as well as the other leadership committees.
Finally, throughout this speech, you are probably wondering why I’m not standing behind the podium. If there is one lesson that I have learned throughout my time at Crescent, it is that one cannot grow without stepping outside of their comfort zone. Our Prefect Team is no different. We are not afraid of taking the risk of trying new ideas in order to improve the school. Going out of your comfort zone is my challenge to all of you this year. Some of us might struggle, but I know one thing for a fact. Since we are a brotherhood, there will always be a person like that cyclist who helped me get to school on time.
Thank you.
Read more about Kyle Chang - In The Spotlight
Back
I just described my experience of coming to Crescent as a New Boy in Grade 4. My decision to come here was based on a few reasons: they had an enrichment program, I knew a lot of students here already, and they made good chocolate chip cookies. However, I would have never imagined that I would end up bonding with 89 of the best classmates ever. Here we sit together, the Class of 2019 in our blue blazers, as one of the most diverse grades in the school. As 2019 rapidly approaches, let’s make the days count and not count the days.
Men of Character from Boys of Promise. “Who am I? How do I lead? What is my legacy?” A boy who follows is a man who leads. There are so many mottos that are used within this school. And then every year the Prefect Team decides to make another motto. Why? This year’s Prefect Team believes that a motto differentiates us from previous years and unites the entire school. The motto is our message to Crescent about how we should carry ourselves during the year. That being said, the motto for the 2018/2019 school year will be: Once a brother, never alone.
The Prefect Team sees Crescent as more than just a school. It is a brotherhood. And after being here for eight full years, I couldn’t agree more. What does it mean for you to be a brother? It means that you are part of a family. You see, even though everybody in this brotherhood is unique, we will support each other during times of need. Therefore, if any of you ever need somebody to talk to, you can always reach out to any of your brothers, whether or not he is a member of the Prefect Team, a Grad, or a student in your own grade.
The second portion of our motto explains how nobody is forgotten once they join the brotherhood. This is why the Prefect Team will be making their strongest effort to ensure that every brother has their voice heard. How can the Prefect Team make positive changes without knowing you and your needs? In the Upper School, instead of coming to us through the Feedback Form, we will be coming to you. In October, the Prefects plan to have a discussion with every mentor group. For the Lower and Middle School, your Form Reps will be asking about changes you would like to see. Also, members of the Prefect Team will work in alignment with the House Captains in the Lower and Middle Schools, as well as the other leadership committees.
Finally, throughout this speech, you are probably wondering why I’m not standing behind the podium. If there is one lesson that I have learned throughout my time at Crescent, it is that one cannot grow without stepping outside of their comfort zone. Our Prefect Team is no different. We are not afraid of taking the risk of trying new ideas in order to improve the school. Going out of your comfort zone is my challenge to all of you this year. Some of us might struggle, but I know one thing for a fact. Since we are a brotherhood, there will always be a person like that cyclist who helped me get to school on time.
Thank you.
Read more about Kyle Chang - In The Spotlight
