job in the world for ten-year-olds Sinead Simmons and Leroy Rodgers.

They have to give out awards, speak in front of the school and monitor the hallways to make sure no-one gets hurt.

Sinead said: "Mrs. Rogers, the principal, looks up to us and makes sure we have good grades. And we have to not be scared of talking to important people.'' She went on to say that they also took part in peer mediation, where they helped students work out their problems without the teachers getting involved.

Leroy added: "Sometimes it's hard because if the two people fighting don't listen to you then you have to do the mediation all over again.'' Both students find it hard to live up to the expectations of others.

"Sometimes the hardest part is that sometimes I think we can't fulfil our duties,'' said Leroy. Sinead added: "Mostly they listen to you but sometimes they say things like `I don't want to listen to you'. And you're not supposed to, but sometimes you have to yell at them.'' She went on to say that another hard part was when her friends would not listen to them.

Leroy said that for the most part his friends were cool with him being head boy.

He said: "Sometimes when they get real mad with each other I tell them to stop, but sometimes they don't listen to me.'' But in the end both Sinead and Leroy like their jobs and do their best to set a good example for the other students.

"My favourite part is when we get to go to the library and put the books back on the shelves,'' Leroy said. "You get to be by yourself and no-one is there to bother you.'' "My favourite part is when we get to help people and we get to go up in front of the school,'' Sinead said. "No-one else does that. And we get to make people being rude go to detention.'' Although both Leroy and Sinead are good students and try to set a good example for others, neither student was expecting to be chosen for head boy or head girl.

"When I heard them call my name I thought `no, this couldn't be happening to me','' Leroy said.

When Sinead heard her name called for head girl, she made it her goal to do the best she could at everything she did.

"When they said I was the head girl I said I'm going to do good in school,'' Sinead said. "And I just want to be fair to the other students.'' Leroy said that being the head boy makes him feel special.

Sinead said: "It makes me feel like I'm doing something really good in school but you really have to watch out what you do.'' She added that her teachers and parents do their best to encourage her to do her best at things and in the end she could really see people looking up to her.

Middle school is just around the corner for these two.

Sinead said she just worries about whether she will do well, if she will make friends, and if things are going to be harder, but she plans to do her best no matter what happens.

"I wonder if I will make friends, but then I remember that I always make friends,'' Leroy said. "Also I wonder if I will be able to find my classes because it seems like such a big place. But I have friends there and they said it's a nice place.'' Not as easy as it looks: Sinead Simmons and Leroy Rodgers, both ten, say being head girl and head boy can be hard work but they have fun doing the job anyway.