FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2002
Student
trustees are eager to be involved
Two new student trustees are beginning their tenure with the Hastings and Prince
Edward School Board for the 2002/2003 school year. Ellyn Clost and Amanda McCaw
were elected to the positions in June and will attend their first Board meeting
on Monday, September 23rd.
“We welcome Ellyn and Amanda as our new student trustees,” says Judy Edgar, Chair of the Board. “We believe it is important to have input from our students about their own education. Having student trustees at the table offers an invaluable opportunity for this to happen.”
Ellyn Clost,
Student Trustee
Ellyn Clost is from Trenton, and is in Grade 12 at Trenton High School. She
began her student government career at Trenton High as secretary for the Student
Council. She learned about student trustees from a friend who was involved as
one with his school board. “He had very positive things to say about it,
and it made me think about how I could bring the views of my classmates to the
table, helping them achieve a memorable and rewarding school career,”
she says.
For the past two summers, Ellyn has worked as a day camp leader at Quinte West Day camp, an experience she describes as being rewarding, fun, and extremely entertaining. She enjoys working with children and feels that when she’s at a camp for the whole summer it gives her a chance to experience all kinds of different people and make some great friendships with both co-workers and kids.
Ellyn is an avid artist and plans to go to art school, with the desire of becoming curator of a museum or gallery. She plays rugby, volleyball and enjoys cooking, singing in Trenton High School Muzikwerx, and confesses to being officially addicted to MSN Messenger! Last April, Ellyn visited New York City and it has become her favourite place to be; in fact, she has plans to move there down the road. Ellyn has been as far west as Manitoba and as far east as Newfoundland.
Amanda McCaw,
Student Trustee
Amanda McCaw was born in Prince Edward County, and is in Grade 12 at Moira High
School. This is her second year at Moira after having transferred from Prince
Edward Collegiate Institute in order to take part in the International Baccalaureate
(IB) program. As part of her IB class, Amanda has organized fundraising events
to raise money for the New York City (9/11) Fund, and has helped organize efforts
to send school desks and materials to students in needy countries.
Amanda is an active member the Student Council, Grad Club, and Yearbook Committee, and would like to join the Environmental Club this year. As a student trustee, Amanda feels she can make a difference for her fellow students by expressing their needs and participating in discussions to improve their overall educational experience. “Being in my final year of high school, this is my last chance to make a difference. I want to be as actively involved as I can in order to make my last year of high school fun, productive and worthwhile!” she says.
Amanda has aspirations of becoming a lawyer although hasn’t decided what she would like to study before law school.
Role of student
trustees
Student trustees bring students’ perspectives to public Board discussions
and foster communication between the Board and students.
Their duties include:
• Regular attendance at all Board meetings;
• Being knowledgeable about and willing to comply with Board policies
and procedures;
• Serving as the student liaison representatives to the Student Senate;
• Representing the views of the Student Senate when participating in Board
discussions;
• Demonstrating confidentiality and discretion at all times;
• Undertaking a mentoring role with the incoming Student Senate.
Even though student trustees are non-voting members of the Board, they have the same opportunity for participation at Board meetings or committees as granted to elected members.
Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board has 54 schools serving over 18,900 students, and employing 1,083 teachers. The district covers a wide geographical area of 7,221 square kilometres bordered by Bancroft to the north, Deseronto to the east, Prince Edward County to the south, and Quinte West to the west. The 2002-2003 operating budget is $133.9 million.
For information contact :
Judy Edgar, Chair of the Board, (613) 332-1480
Kerry Donnell, Communications Officer, 966-1170 x2354