• Home
  • Staff
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Browse issues online
  • More
    • Close Menu
      • News & Features
        • School News
        • State & World News
        • Features & Faces of WE
      • Opinion
        • Does It Bother You
      • Arts & Culture
        • Reviews
      • Sports
      • Special Features
        • Story Packages
        • Theme Issues
      • Multimedia
        • Podcasts
        • Video
        • Photos

    The Wessex Wire

    Menu
    RSS Feed
    YouTube
    Instagram
    X

    The Wessex Wire

    The Student News Site of West Essex Regional High School

    • News & Features
      • School News
      • State & World News
      • Features & Faces of WE
    • Opinion
      • Does It Bother You
    • Arts & Culture
      • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Special Features
      • Story Packages
      • Theme Issues
    • Multimedia
      • Podcasts
      • Video
      • Photos
    • More
      • News & Features
      • School News

      Students voice school concerns at open forum meetings

      By Francesca Loffredo, Senior Chief News and Features Editor • October 18, 2023

      A student council open forum has been implemented for all students of any grade level at West Essex. The purpose of these meetings is for students to voice their concerns about problems and pose solutions to the members of the student council. Then, the student council will voice these ideas from the student body to the administration so that changes can be made. 

      For three years, the student advisory panel has been in place where elected students can voice their concerns and solutions to the student council and administration. But this year, the administration has opened up to all students in school who expressed interest in being on the panel. 

       This is part of the school’s Climate team, which also includes a counterpart of parents and staff members that come together to meet three times a year. But, this group of students at school meets with staff once a month to discuss issues that are most important and relative to students.

      The idea of the open forum came from the idea of the climate team last year because students felt like they didn’t have a place to voice concerns to the student council or administration. 

      “So the student council decided, if we hold an open forum where kids can come and share things with us, then we can relay it back to the administration,” Dr. Kimberly Westervelt said. “We thought that was one step in the right direction.”

      There has been a Google form released to students at all times throughout the school year. This will allow them to air their concerns about anything happening to school. The student council will then look through the responses and share them with the administration, as well as address these concerns in the open forum meeting. 

      The administration hopes that this new forum and Google form will allow the communication between students and staff to be much improved, and give the students a place to share their thoughts about their school. 

      “We’re hopeful that we can continue to provide an opportunity for the students to have a place to speak and voice their concerns,” Dr. Westervelt said.

      The first forums were held at school, both at the end of September. The senior/junior meeting had some attendance, fewer than 20 students. They discussed opening more bathrooms, procedures of phones during lockdowns, cleanliness of bathrooms and locker rooms, possibly student wifi, and strike policy for not having ID as detention.  No freshmen/sophomores attended their meeting and the meeting was canceled.

      The administration was purposely not present during the first forums to allow students to share their real, unfiltered concerns about the school atmosphere. The purpose of the open forum is for it to be led by students to speak to their peers about problems at school and decide which is most important to relay back to the administration. This is the start of communication between students and administration that is hoped to be kept in school for years to come. 

      Although the first forums were not as attended as hoped, the student council and administration are brainstorming ways to create a more effective result of the forums in the future. 

      0
      Behind the Byline
      Francesca Loffredo, Senior Chief News and Features Editor
      Francesca Loffredo is a Senior Chief News & Features Editor for the 2022-2023 Wessex Wire. She plays tennis and softball for the West Essex team. Francesca loves hanging out with her friends and family, and spending time at the beach.
      More to Discover
      From the Wire: More in News & Features
      The family of Maya Kowalski, whose story of medical controversy was the subject of the Netflix documentary Take Care of Maya, was awarded $261 million by a jury in November. (Photo obtained from IMDB)
      'Take Care of Maya' family awarded $261M in jury verdict
      West Essex plans to participate in No Place For Hate activities to better the school environment
      West Essex aims to become No Place for Hate by the end of the year
      SpaceX launched its second Starship rocket on Nov. 18, and although it did not go as planned, SpaceX plans to use the information for future launches.
      SpaceX must replan after Starship fails for a second time
      AP Art History students engage in immersive learning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
      NEWS COMMENTARY: Field trips make a comeback for the best
      From the Wire: More in School News
      AP Research Symposium allows students to present their research findings
      Meet the new teachers & staff for 2023-24
      Meet the new teachers & staff for 2023-24
      The new bathroom policies this year have sparked debate among students and administration.
      New bathroom policies create controversy among students
      Seniors rock Decision Day 2023
      Seniors rock Decision Day 2023

      The Wessex Wire

      RSS Feed
      YouTube
      Instagram
      X

      The Student News Site of West Essex Regional High School

      • Home
      • Staff
      • About
      • Contact us
      • Browse issues online
      © 2023 • FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO • Log in