At Cayuga Heights Elementary School (CHES), several fifth-grade students gather during their lunchtime to do their part in making their school a better place to learn.
While every fifth-grader is a part of the CHES student council, each of the three fifth-grade classrooms is led by two representatives. Elected into office through a random ‘popsicle stick’ drawing, students whose names are drawn have the option of representing their class. Classrooms do not conduct a democratic election to avoid a potential popularity contest.
Students have created suggestion boxes for each class in the school, have helped to create student-led clubs for 4th- and 5th-graders, and are in the process of making different skits to bring awareness to various social justice-related topics. During a recent meeting, students started by opening submissions from the box. When they noticed a pattern (a request for a school talent show), Alexa Bushart, the council’s newly-appointed advisor, prompted the students to open their computers and draft an email to CHES staff.
Student council members draft an email to CHES staff about the talent show.
Meanwhile, other students discussed last week’s agenda items, including a plan to write teachers a script so they don’t divide their class by gender, plans to create a winter market, and options for posters about dissuading swearing at school.
A new group of representatives is chosen every trimester, but the outgoing group is eager to support the new leaders. “This trimester process has allowed for more student voice and input,” Bushart said.
Last trimester’s group of student representatives supports the newly elected team.
The CHES student council represents the ICSD’s Learning Forward initiative, which advocates for students as partners and leaders.
“It has been a joy to see students take ownership of their school and generate ideas focused on their goal of building a school community,” Bushart said.