New Education Student Council to focus on community building

The 2016-17 Education Student Council was recently elected. Here, the incoming Senior Stick, Charla Anderson, and incoming Vice Stick External, Keir Naylor, answer a Q and A on their thoughts on the coming year.

CHARLA ANDERSON, SENIOR STICK

Why did you want to run for Senior Stick?

I decided to run for Senior Stick because I am a very passionate person and I have always been vocal in recognizing when things are going well and putting forth suggestions if there are opportunities for improvement. I am an organized individual who has a lot of experience in leadership roles both on student council and student leadership teams. Therefore I decided that my desire to get involved, be heard and help my fellow students be heard would be best suited in the role of Senior Stick.

‪‪What would you like to accomplish during your term?

I would like to continue upgrades that have been made in previous years and purchase several new lockers for each locker room. I have also spoken with a few of my fellow students about the challenge they face finding comfortable study space in the Education building and so I hope to create more spaces by locating or purchasing more tables and power outlets.

‪‪Are you planning any new events or activities for next year?

I would like to introduce activities and development for French immersion teacher candidates. It was brought to my attention recently that some of these teacher candidates feel more overwhelmed because they don’t have any contact with their French immersion peers. They are also navigating a slightly different curriculum when they enter their practicum schools and begin planning lessons. I would like to provide them with an opportunity to meet with other teacher candidates that may face unique language based struggles and support each other with ideas and french resources.

‪‪What might you change in terms of EdSC events or activities next year–ie. EdCon,Program Day, spirit activities, etc. etc.?

I think that the 2015-2016 Student Council did a beautiful job of planning, organizing and hosting EdCon, Program Days and spirit activities. If I were to change anything it would simply be the themes of the spirit activities. We are constantly learning in our classes that community building is important and being involved is important but that it is equally crucial that the students have their minds on as well as their hands on. Therefore I would love to introduce spirit week themes that are connected to educational topics that have student creatively thinking about their outfits. For example, what is a teacher Tuesday which would have everyone thinking deeper about what a teacher looks like, or how they could reflect what a teacher does in their outfit.

‪‪Why do you think it’s important for students to get involved in student council and council activities?

It is important for students to get involved in student council and student council activates because it fosters a community of collaboration and pride in our career aspirations. Having the ability to teach and work collaboratively with colleagues is important in the field of teaching today. By getting students involved in student council and student council activities they are able to build connections with their future colleagues and build the skills that they need to communicate and share experiences.

‪‪Are you hoping to do anything new in terms of fundraising initiatives?

I hope to set up fundraising in initiatives that bring the students together throughout the planning and set up as well as the actual initiative. I think that the 2015-2016 Education Student Council did a great job hosting bake sales that actually brought students closer while baking as well as while selling the baked goods to other students. I enjoyed the Candy-gram sales that were done around Valentine’s Day this year and I would like to plan similar initiatives next year to boost student to student encouragement and support. For example, hosting a Recognition Week where students can write kind notes to fellow students for a small fee and it gets delivered to another student.

KEIR NAYLOR, VICE-STICK EXTERNAL

Why did you want to run for Education Student Council?

I ran for Education student council because I wanted to be a part of the team that would help to make  our 2016-17 year as fun and interesting as possible. I wanted to have a voice to share how I think we can have the best year we can, and to be able to represent the wishes and ideas of all students in the department.

What would you like to accomplish during your term?

During my term I hope to raise student involvement in student council activities as much as possible by creating experiences that are enjoyable and build community among the students in the Education department.

Are you planning any new events or activities for next year?

I really enjoyed all of the events and activities that took place over the past year. Next year I want to continue to plan similar activities that will be fun and engaging for everyone in the department. Some ideas I would like to implement include more spirit days and activities during school time so that everyone is present and able to get involved.

What are you looking forward to about taking on this role?

In taking on this role I am really excited hear ideas from all students about what would help to make 2016-17 the best year possible. I’m sure that every person in the department has ideas about how student council can help improve their experience in the faculty, and I am looking forward to hearing these ideas and being a part of the team that can make them possible.

Why do you think it’s important for students to get involved in student council and council activities?

I think it is important for students to get involved in student council activities because we rely on student participation to make activities fun and successful. My goal is to make sure that all education students are aware and interested in activities that will be taking place, and to help make 2016-17 a great year for everyone!

SHERILYN ADRIAN, VICE-STICK INTERNAL

Why do you want to run for Education Student Council?

I want to be involved in the organizing, planning and implementation of activities and events held by the Faculty of Education.

What would you like to accomplish during your term?

I hope to represent our faculty’s diverse needs by organizing a variety of applicable and practical Professional Development sessions.

Are you planning any new events or activities for next year?

I’d love to plan PDs around my colleagues’ needs and interests so that everyone feels they have learned something valuable that they can take with them in their future careers.

What are you looking forward to about taking on this role?
I’m looking forward to the opportunity to be a leader to my fellow colleagues and implement a Professional Development knowledge base from which everyone has sufficient access to an abundance of resources.

Why do you think it’s important for students to get involved in student council and council activities?

By participating and getting involved in student council and council activities, you become part of the school community in a more affiliated way. It creates connections and forms relationships that you wouldn’t otherwise develop.

The 2016-17 Education Student Council

Senior Stick – Charla Anderson
Vice Stick Internal – Sherilyn Adrian
Vice Stick External – Keir Naylor
Secretary – Jamie Turk
Treasurer – Allan Sproule
EdCon Coordinators – Robyn Laramee & Stephanie Jacoby
Student Senators – Katelyn Corbin & Courtney VanDekerchove
Community Service Representatives – Cassidy Benderski & Sarah Flaten
UMSU Rep – Aaron Falk
Social Events Coordinator – Jana Scott & Stephanie Malcolm
Communicator – Stephanie Biship
Grad Chairs – Kaitlin Flinta & Kirk Kantyluk

Allison Dunfield