Gilbert Institute's team of prefects are a talkative bunch who are very excited about their positions in the school.

And when Catherine Lalone, Korie Tucker, both ten, Bethany Tatem, and Nhoj-Trevor Steed, both 11, sat down with The Royal Gazette to talk about what they do they could have talked for hours.

"I like when you have to take care of the younger students,'' said Catherine.

Nhoj-Trevor agreed but added that he also liked to make friends with the younger students.

"The best part is when you see other kids look up to you,'' added Korie.

A rather unusual part of their job is looking after several disabled and developmentally challenged students that attend Gilbert Institute.

In fact, Nhoj-Trevor is best friends with one of these students. He said that he is a lot of fun and he likes to be around him.

Catherine added that Nhoj-Trevor and his friend were a lot alike.

She said: "Even though they're not brothers they act like they are -- that's how much alike they are.'' Their friends and families were all proud of them when they announced that they were to be part of the team of prefects at the school, they said.

"My friends were proud and happy for me,'' Catherine said. "They were just happy that someone they knew got it.'' Bethany added that some of the other students were jealous and thought they should have been picked too.

"Some of them said things like `why wasn't I picked' and `I'm a good student too','' she said.

But Korie said most of his friends do not even worry about things like that.

"Most of them don't worry about the prefects and who gets to be a part of it,'' he said.

As prefects, these four have the job of looking after the students when teachers have to leave the classroom, or during lunch time.

They are supposed to set an example for the other students and make sure that they are behaving properly.

But that is not always an easy thing to do when the other students will not listen to you.

Bethany said it is hard to have to tell friends to stop doing something.

"It hard when your friends are doing things that you know will get them into trouble and you have to tell them to stop. But really you want to do what they're doing too,'' Korie said.

Catherine summed it up by saying: "When some students won't listen to you it makes you want to blow your stack. But I don't cry or wimp out. I stick up for myself and other people being picked on.'' Being part of the prefects has given these students the confidence to do things they might not have done before.

"I think I'm more up to things,'' said Korie, "and I don't mind the recognition.'' But Catherine was keeping her role at Gilbert in perspective when she said: "It's nothing special what we do. You're just a prefect.'' They did have a suggestion or two on how things at Gilbert could be improved for future generations.

Nhoj-Trevor wanted to change the curriculum so that is adjusted to the needs of the students.

Korie thought adding more activities would be a good idea, so that things would not get so boring.

Catherine was thinking more along the lines of repaving the grounds around the school to make it even. She said that a lot of students had fallen down and ended up with grazed knees.

Although they all have different career goals in mind, they all expect to be very successful in their chosen fields.

Bethany was still trying to decide between acting and working with the disabled. Nhoj-Trevor wants to work with little kids. He was not sure how just yet. Catherine wants to study computer programming and eventually open her own computer store and Korie wants to work with animals.

Having learned everything there is to know about the senior class at Gilbert Institute from these four prefect members, it sounds like a fun job to have and a great place to go to school.

Non stop chatter: Korie Tucker, 10, Nhoj-Trevor Steed, 11, Catherine Lalone, 10 and Bethany Tatem, 11 could not stop talking about what it was like to be a part of Gilbert Institute's prefect team.