The Student Council is an important part of life in the Lower School. Beginning in third grade, students can be nominated to represent their class on the Council. Six students are elected from the fifth grade. Three are officers who represent each of the fifth grade classes, and two meet with and represent grades 1 and 2. The sixth representative is a council-member-at-large who acts as council liason with the faculty and other divisions of the school.
Elections are held in the fall. All students who are running for Council must prepare and present a speech entitled, "Why I Wish to Serve." Elections are followed by an evening workshop at which the representatives engage in trust-building exercises, are trained in group dynamics and problem-solving, and learn "Robert's Rules" from members of the Upper School Student-Faculty Council.
The Council meets weekly with the Head of the Lower School and other advisors. It seeks to work on issues of concern to both the students and the entire Lower School community. Agenda items are generated by the student body, the faculty, and the Council itself.
Students on the Council take responsibility for "Children Helping Children," the Lower School's charity outreach program. At an all-school assembly the Council presents a selection of researched charities to the student body, which votes to support one for a minimum of two years. In addition, the Council sponsors the student newspaper, The Lower School Review.
The Council's pledge, written by the students, is as follows:
"We, the Student Council, look and listen with an open mind and an open heart to serve and help our School and community, and to address any problems that might occur.
Being on the Student Council is fun, challenging, and interesting, but it is serious and not always easy. We work not for ourselves, but for others, and our reward is in what we can accomplish." |
|  | The list that follows gives a representative sample of activities:
Amnesty International, Group 130
Asian-American Alliance (AAA)
Chess Club
Coalition for the Homeless
Computer Club
Covenant House
Environmental Awareness
HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Latino Awareness)
Impressions (literary magazine)
Mock Trial
Model Congress
Riverdale Review (newspaper)
SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions)
Students of Color Coalition (SCC)
Student-Faculty Council |
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