This year, Dr. Chirles has created a Principal’s Advisory Council which is made up of several members of each grade. This opportunity was offered to any students in the high school, with the goal of giving as many students as possible the ability to share and discuss their concerns. The main goal of this committee is to include students from all different social groups and grade levels to participate. As no one had to be elected to join, this council allows anyone to have a voice in what happens at the school, resulting in many different perspectives on matters being discussed. Additionally, it gives students an outlet to talk about how they feel and describe problematic situations they may encounter.
During the first two meetings, the committee discussed a variety of ways to improve our school environment and climate. The first thing that was mentioned was the testing calendar, and making it more easily accessible. Live grades were also discussed, meaning that students are able to see their marking period average at any time during the quarter. Advanced Placement classes were touched upon, with the suggestion that underclassmen want to be able to connect with older students and learn more about AP courses that they might be interested in taking. In addition, ways to alert and include students in updates, such as the announcement of a remote learning day, was requested. Finally, extracurricular activities, specifically clubs, were thoroughly discussed. This included elections, redundancy in clubs, attendance, the extent of the social aspect in some clubs, and lastly, improving the communication between club members and Dr. Chirles.
Though the high school already has clubs dedicated to student and school matters, like Congress, Senate, and Class Officers, this is a way to bring all of the ideas together and allow them to be discussed with the principal. The students can give direct feedback to Dr. Chirles, so she can then address these concerns or suggestions. These committee discussions can provide her with an insight on what the students are thinking about in regard to BBHS.
Furthermore, certain issues can even be delegated to the previously mentioned clubs as a greater variety of students begin to voice their opinions and additional ideas, concerns and solutions may arise. This is a way to select and discuss the main issues that occur in the school, and then decide how to best deal with them. This may entail talking with other teachers, involving the Student Government, or simply making Dr. Chirles aware of dilemmas that need to be addressed.
This committee will work hard to improve student representation in schoolwide affairs throughout the rest of the year, in addition to being a safe space for pupils to share their concerns relating to Blind Brook. Having a direct way for matters to be explored with Dr. Chirles will allow for a greater chance of obstacles being removed and issues being addressed, which can therefore improve our school overall.