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STUDENT’S COUNCIL AT GORT COMMUNITY SCHOOL – 2012
Gort Community School was one of the first schools to have a Students Council in the country. Mr Corry felt that it was important that there was student input into school policy from the beginning. Students from every fourth year class can put themselves forward for election and a boy and girl must be chosen from each class. A Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson are elected from each leaving cert group. The present Chairperson is Bryan Keely and Clara Linnane is Vice Chairperson.
This year has seen a lot of changes in the school year due to the Croke Park agreement which has resulted in all Parent Teacher meetings being held after school. It is the responsibility of the 4th year members of the Students Council to organise and run the meetings as the Leaving Certificate students are hard at work. There have been five so far this year and even though it involves a lot of time and effort from the students, there has been great commitment and responsibility shown from all members. Parents who are not familiar with the school have found the assistance provided by the students very beneficial.
The Students Council hold three non-uniform days per year to raise funds for the running of the Council and to donate to various charities. This year following a visit from a past Chairperson, Olga Linnane, who was about to take part in a house building program in Africa, they decided to donate the proceeds from our first non-uniform day to her cause. She came to the school and spoke to the Students Council about the work she planned to do in Africa. Olga explained that her two years in the Students Council fostered an interest in charity work and improved her planning and organisation skills.
Involvement in the Students Council often leads to members having to speak on public occasions. Bryan Keely and Clara Linanne spoke at the Open Day for next year’s first years about Gort Community School, held at the school last term.
The Students Council is not all work and following a very busy period before Christmas, they took a trip to Galway where they visited a sports centre called Pure Skill. There was great surprise when the Council members of the senior hurling team were outshone by most of the other members!
At a formal level, the Students Council had been consulted on various issues and its views sought. A recent example of its work was the policy in relation to the use of mobile phones at school which was drawn up by the Students Council and implemented following the approval of all the other partners – Parents, Board of Management and Staff.
Finally, members of the Students Council should feel honoured having been elected and selected by their peers. As has often been stated by school management, it’s a great addition to any Curriculum Vitae to say that you were on the Students Council.
Students Council Liaison Teacher – Mr. Pat Conole.