Members of this school year’s Council of Student Leaders wasted no time in getting up and running last week.
During a meeting last Tuesday at Fredericton’s Kingswood Lodge, led by ASD-W Superintendent David McTimoney and ASD-W Subject Coordinator for Social Studies, Fine Arts, and Enrichment Beth Christie, the Council of Student Leaders elected a new president, vice-president, and secretary. The Council’s 25 members represent 19 different district schools.
“I’m interested in hopefully creating an inclusive, safe environment at my school,” said newly elected Council President Emmeline Pinnock, a Stanley Consolidated School Grade 10 student. “Hopefully we can make that [happen] for multiple schools in our area.”
Pinnock is joined this year by two other newly elected Council leaders: Vice-President Lilian Dupuis, a Grade 12 student at Nackawic High School, and Secretary Ashton Little, a Grade 12 student at Harvey High School.
“I’ve always been interested in leadership roles and in making a difference in any way I can,” said Pinnock.
This school year, Pinnock and her team will be continuing work on student inclusivity started by last year’s Council, with a focus on reducing discrimination against marginalized communities.
During the 2022-2023 school year, students in the Council’s first iteration conducted research to improve the school lives of their fellow students in the district by prioritizing diversity and inclusion. Their research led to their Report and Recommendations on Diversity and Inclusion in ASD-W, published and presented to senior leadership last June.
“Ultimately, this is a student voice project,” Christie said. “The aim is for students to conduct research about students, by students, for students.”
For this year’s focus, “I am proud of the choice of a deep-dive topic on how to reduce discrimination against marginalized populations,” said McTimoney. “Their priorities mirror my priorities in this area.”
“This is an important group that can not only have influence in our school district but can also contribute to improvements within our province,” he said.
The desire to help others and create lasting positive improvements is common among Council members. Dupuis wants to make the Council a strong organization by doing good, important work now.
“I joined so I could make a difference not only in my school but in the other schools, especially with the younger kids,” she said. “Weekly I see a need for more diversity within the grades.”
Dupuis is a volunteer tutor to younger students at her school, “so I get to see some of the things they’re missing, and I would like to help with that,” she said.
The Council is scheduled to meet again in December to review their preliminary research on student inclusivity and discrimination.
“I think we’re all really motivated to make [a] change together and listen to each other,” said Pinnock. “It’s a good group here.”