This year, the selection of our Student Council members went through a new process. In the past, students were simply selected by teachers to represent their class.
We wanted to encourage 4th graders to show their leadership skills and be willing to put forth extra effort. Each student that wanted to run for Student Council had to make a poster to be hung in the hallway. They also had to write and deliver a speech to their class.
The speech had to include 4 items:
- Why I want to be a StuCo member
- What character traits I have to make me a good StuCo member (examples - responsible, kind, respectful, helpful)
- What kind of project or activity I would like StuCo to do for our school
- Why I think the project or activity would make our school better
Once the students gave their speech, classmates scored them based on a rubric scoring sheet. The rubric gave points for including the four items required in their speech.
They also received points on a 4-point scale for being perceived as responsible, following school rules, being kind to others, and being a good role model. This scoring rubric gave classmates an opportunity to think about character traits and not just vote for their friends or “popularity.” The 6 students with the highest point totals were selected as StuCo members.
Some of the activities this year’s Student Council is planning include Smencil (scented pencils) Sales, school wide recycling program, helping update the school L to J wall chart, sponsoring a food drive, and helping with PTO family events. We are also discussing ideas to record “virtual assemblies” about character, growth mindset, and behavior expectations since we can’t all gather in the gym monthly as in the past.
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