NORWICH – The agenda at any given Norwich board of education meeting typically includes updates for the board, presentations which are usually given by faculty members, department chairs and administrators. Last night, however, it was a student leader who stood before the school board.
“This group has done a lot of good work this year, a lot of good work,” said Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan, as he introduced Norwich High School’s Student Body President Michael McBride. The senior was accompanied by Student Government Advisor Rich Turnbull, and fellow student leaders Josh Favaloro, Frank Somich, Kyle Edwards, Darby Dietrich and David Layman.
Before McBride launched into his presentation, Turnbull explained the purpose of their visit.
“One of our big goals is to start communicating better,” he said, not only with students, faculty and administration within the school building, but also with other stakeholders such as the school board.
McBride’s presentation focused on Student Government’s accomplishments for the first half of the 2010-11 school year and goals for the rest of the year, but he began by explaining the objectives the student leadership group had outlined for itself before school started. These goals, which he clearly enumerated, are to start five initiatives which “actively engage” at least half of the student population; develop as many as five new ways of improving communication, “revamp” the role class representatives play in student government and improve the climate and culture at the high school.
“All of these goals have been the focus of our activities thus far,” the 12th-grader reported. Ultimately, he explained, they want to “improve our building and improve the student body and their relationships with one another.”
And the group – which is comprised of class officers, elected classroom representatives from each grade level and representatives from The Leadership Project – has already made significant strides in each of these areas.
In terms of increased communication, they have created a new bulletin board near the school’s main entrance, where daily events are listed. Numerous meetings with the administration have taken place, and they’re making a concerted effort to involve classroom representatives more in the student leadership structure.
“Every month they meet with the student government officers ... so that everyone is on the same page,” McBride explained.
In addition, the student leaders take turns volunteering at a local soup kitchen, have already hosted one successful blood drive in conjunction with the American Red Cross, held a faculty appreciation event before Winter Break and coordinated a recognition assembly following the fall sports season.
“Everyone got recognition for their talents,” the senior explained, not only athletes.
The students also ran a successful 3-day orientation for incoming-ninth graders at the start of the school year, and participate in a freshman mentoring program, the goal of which is to ease the transition for these young students.
“It builds relationships between students who would normally not interact,” McBride said. And upperclassmen are able to give relevant advice to their younger peers, like stressing the importance of studying for Regents exams and helping them set goals and build skills.
The students are also engaged in planning the next leadership retreat, and are intent on recreating the success of the Talent Show they debuted last year during Spirit Week.
Their goals may appear lofty, but the students have taken a very business-like approach to seeing their objectives accomplished.
“In order to organize our efforts, we felt it was best to establish four project teams,” McBride explained. Those teams are Freshman Mentoring, Community Service, Leadership Project and Talent Show.
When asked by board member Joseph Stagliano what he felt was student government’s biggest accomplishment to date, McBride responded by pointed to student involvement and participation.
“I really think we’re doing a great job engaging everyone,” he said.
Stagliano and other members of the board congratulated the senior and his fellow student leaders on their accomplishments following the presentation. O’Sullivan applauded their efforts as well.
“You may not see the benefits (of your work),” the superintendent told McBride and the others, because it may take time for change to take place. But he assured the student leaders that the students who follow in their footsteps at the school will still be reaping the rewards several years down the road.