Our Student Council
By: Ashley Chen, Student Council President and Rohun Chivate, Student Council Treasurer
As students at a school, there is a need for someone to voice our opinions. Someone who can achieve the ideas of the student body. The Student Council at Cranbury School’s job is exactly that, to bring forth the ideas and thoughts of the student body and put them into action. Under the direction of Mrs. Elizabeth Chen, Student Council Advisor, each year, students are elected to office, bringing a new set of ideas and looking to make our school a better place. This year, the Student Council will work their hardest to make sure that the needs of the school community are met.
Within the Student Council, each officer and representative has a specific role in contributing to this organization. The current president is Ashley Chen, whose job entails creating the agenda for each meeting with the Secretary, as well as maintaining the order and lists of the speakers. She also takes part in meeting with the Cranbury Environmental Commission to help the Student Council keep the needs of the environment in mind. The office of Vice President currently held by Julia Tharney, is responsible for running meetings and transitioning from topic to topic. If the President is ever absent, the Vice President will preside at meetings. Next, the post of Secretary, currently held by Gianna DiGioacchino, also helps in creating the agenda and posting it. In addition, the Secretary also takes notes during each meeting and posts those as well. The Treasurer, a post currently held by Rohun Chivate, takes care and keeps track of the money that the Student Council collects from events. Historian, Tess Staples, keeps track of the school year with by taking photographs and keeps order during the meetings. She will also create a scrapbook commemorating the activities of the 2018-2019 graduating eighth grade class. Hannah Christopher and Danielle Franke hold the positions of Municipal Alliance Liaisons and meet with the Municipal Alliance to organize events at school such as the dance and Jamfests. Finally, Kristian Kiesler is the S.O.S Committee Chair and he runs S.O.S. meetings on Thursday mornings and organizes the Lost and Found. Along with every officer, all homerooms in grades 5-8 also have Representatives that deliver information to the student body and take suggestions back to the Student Council. The Homeroom Representatives include:
5th grade: Amanda Strapp, Lizbeth He, Aaron Thyrum
6th grade: Syra Bhatt, Margaret Hoffman, Matthew Thomson
7th grade: Charles Vachris, Anika Hadap, Lawrence He
8th grade: Sofia Mauger, Michelle Zhu, Aeshna Ware-Huff
The Student Council’s mission is to represent the student body’s needs and wants. As the voice of students at Cranbury School, we help run events that benefit the school and also events that benefit the community. This year, our theme is based around helping animals. Our first event is to have a “Giving Tree” for animals in need in time for the holidays. Items like blankets, towels, food, drinking bowls, etc. will be so helpful in ensuring these furry creatures are warm and well cared for. We will be working with local, non-profit animal shelters who will accept the donated items for the animals. Another event planned for the year will be “Pennies for Puppies.” “Pennies for Puppies” will be a fundraiser benefiting seeing eye dogs. The money that goes to the seeing eye dogs will help fund one dog’s medical needs and accommodations. The Student Council decided to base most of our events on animals because in the past years it hasn’t been a topic that was focused on. We thought it would be nice to go in a different direction this year and to focus on causes that are close to the heart of the officers in Student Council and the student body. Student Council is a group of individuals who want to create changes in the school for each other. We work to make our school better and more enjoyable to all students at Cranbury School. This is going to be a great school year filled with fun, hard work, and excitement!