~ WORKING TOGETHER ~

The Dampier Primary School Student Council has worked successfully for a number of years now, under the watchful eye of Level 3 teacher, Sue Mitchell. The Council is a representative body of children across all the Primary years, with two representatives from each class, together with the six elected School prefects who act as an "Inner Cabinet". Each class holds its own selection process at the beginning of the year and these representatives hold their position for the full year. As well as this, a Guest Councillor system operates on a rotational basis, giving even more children the chance to be involved in the process. The council meets once a fortnight and the children run the meetings themselves, taking turns to "chair" and "scribe".

This is our first meeting with Guest Councillors in 2007

A set agenda is followed, including normal meeting process items such as Correspondence, Business Arising etc. General Business also follows a set format:

* Good things happening around our school

* Not so good things happening around our school

* A chosen issue, and

* Ideas to solve the problem

When choosing a problem to discuss, the group needs to focus on one that they can make a difference to i.e. have the power to solve. Over the years this has resulted in several successful problem-solving initiatives e.g. the Flying Fox and Play Equipment Rosters for the Junior playground, Umpire Rosters for Junior and Intermediate soccer and football games and the Lunch Basket System to eradicate the unsightly and recurring problem of unclaimed lunch boxes.

This year we hope to get a wall mounted oscillating fan for the Sports Shed, as it's so hot in there. In the meanwhile, monitors are making do with a little fan of Miss Walker's.

Sometimes it is just a matter of bringing problems to the attention of the whole school body through dramatic and/or humorous sketches to get a point across e.g. reminders about correct bike behaviour, everyday school rules and expectations of common courtesy and good old-fashioned manners e.g. welcoming new students to the school.

The Council also decides on one cause per term to support and over the years has held successful money raising days for Red Nose Day, Jeans for Genes Day, Princess Margaret Hospital, the Bali Appeal and so on.

The Student Council is an obvious forum for students to demonstrate their Active Citizenship and willingness to perform school community service.

WAY TO GO, KIDS!