The Sewanhaka Central High School District Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council convened on Dec. 3 at the Elmont Public Library for its first districtwide meeting of the school year. The council is comprised of 70 students representing all five school buildings, each selected through principal recommendations. Together, these student leaders provide feedback, offer advice and share their hopes for the district’s future.
The meeting kicked off with icebreaker activities designed to help students connect with their peers from across the district. They answered “Would You Rather?” questions and took part in a “Line Up” game, arranging themselves according to categories such as shoe size, birthday month and the first letter of their middle name.
Students then rotated through five small-group discussions facilitated by the district’s ex officio student board members. The topics covered included technology, facilities, climate and culture, student dining and student activities. Superintendent of Schools Regina Agrusa meets individually with each building’s advisory council group throughout the school year, and those conversations helped shape the guiding questions used during the districtwide meeting. Students shared their thoughts on Artificial Intelligence, how it feels to be student in their building and the district, food choices in the cafeteria, and opportunities for expanding extracurricular activities.
“This council allows us to recognize the importance of the student voice,” Ms. Agrusa said. “It’s an opportunity for students from all five buildings to express, in a safe space, what is important to them.”
In the weeks following the meeting, subcommittees will be formed to dig deeper into each topic and develop clear, actionable recommendations for improvement.
Ms. Agrusa will continue meeting with each building’s student advisory group, with a culminating districtwide advisory council gathering scheduled for the spring.
