Near North District School Board (NNDSB) Student Senate serves as a vital link between students and school board administration. Student senators have their fingers on the pulse of the student experience and share that knowledge with administrators with the goal of improving student achievement and well-being.
During the February meeting of Student Senate, representatives of each NNDSB secondary school shared the challenges and successes of their individual schools and had the opportunity to have their first official meeting with Director of Education Jay MacJanet.
MacJanet told senators about his career and upbringing in Sault St. Marie and how glad he is to be back in the north. The conversation then turned to how he can support students and how students can continue to have a voice in the absence of school board trustees.
Chippewa Secondary School student Dev Bassi, who was elected student trustee last year, said he still thinks the role of student trustee is important.
“It gives Student Senate and students the ability to share their voice at the board in terms of policy or actions. When you give students the ability to have their voice heard in that process, rather than be spoken for them, it provides some authenticity about how students are affected in ways that teachers and admins sometimes don't see.”
MacJanet said he hopes to create a ‘Director’s Forum’ where representatives from each high school meet with him to discuss “what your day looks like, how the system can help support you in getting where you need to be and where you want to be in the future.
“Your voice is the most important to me,” MacJanet said. “I take that information to teachers and principals and say this is what students are experiencing. What you do and how you represent Near North matters, and I want you to know that we are going to back you one thousand per cent.”
Parry Sound High School Student Senator Kiara said, “It's really important that students have a voice and that students have someone to talk to at a school, that's not a teacher, who can help them with whatever issues and concerns that they have.”
One of the issues that concern students is bus cancellations due to inclement weather.
“It affects everybody, but it really affects our Grade 12 students who are thinking about post-secondary with university applications and just the stress of those marks,” Kiara said. “Having exams cancelled and exams postponed really adds to the stress.”
MacJanet spoke with senators about those concerns and how the board is working with transportation companies to ensure that students can get to school safely when winter weather is in effect.
Regardless of the structure of school board governance, the role of student senate will continue to be fundamental to student achievement and well-being and a crucial link between students and administration.
