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New student senate aims to 'improve the student experience through equity and unity,' says trustee

The Student Senate will work in consultation with the elected student trustees
3 Student Trustees
Left to Right: Brianna Julien (KLDCS), Jaykob Walton (TH&VS), and Aiza Asif (IFSS). Photo submitted by District School Board Ontario North East

NEWS RELEASE
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ONTARIO NORTH EAST
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Students at high schools across District School Board Ontario North East will soon have Senate representation. At its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 6, the Board of Trustees passed a by-law to establish a Student Senate Constitution for the selection, membership, and role of a Student Senate within the board.

“The Student Senate is about creating an opportunity for students all over the board to come together and work towards improving the student experience through equity and unity,” says student trustee Aiza Asif. “It will allow students to voice their concerns and opinions, and take action.”

The Student Senate will serve as an advisory body and planning committee for all student related issues, in direct consultation with the three elected student trustees.

Its mandate will be to provide the board with active and effective insight into all student-related issues and activities, to act as a conduit for communication and idea sharing between the board and Grade 7 to 12 students, to support the student trustees in their task of coordinating initiatives which benefit and celebrate student achievement, and to oversee the election of incoming student trustees for the following academic year, who will serve as the representative of the board at all official School Board meetings.

Each Secondary School can choose to appoint or elect two representatives – one from Grade 10 and one from Grade 11. They should have a good standing in attendance, academics and be dedicated to promoting student voice.

The selection of Indigenous Senate members will be done by application. There will be two Indigenous positions – one from Grade 10 and one from Grade 11.

“We felt that it was important to include an Indigenous student voice within the senate, and we’ve created those two positions exactly for that,” says Indigenous student trustee Brianna Julien. “Their voices will play an important role in making sure that all groups of students are represented.”

“Moving forward, all of the high schools within our board will have two voices to make their ideas and issues heard,” says student trustee Jaykob Walton. “Following support and suggestions from the chair and director, we expect the Senate to be established by mid-April. The term will last until the end of the 2018-2019 academic year.”

“I am absolutely thrilled, and so proud of the work of our three student trustees,” adds director of education Lesleigh Dye. “Student voice is absolutely critical in the decisions that we make around the board table. They’ve done incredible work, and this is so good for us.”

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