Two St. Joseph-Scollard Hall students have been invited to sit on the Minister’s Student Advisory Council for the 2017-2018 school year. This year, over 480 students applied, with only 60 students accepted to sit on the Council. The Minister’s Advisory Council gives students the opportunity to meet with the Education Minister Mitzie Hunter and sit on subcommittees to prepare recommendations on topics of personal interest.
Samantha McKinley is currently a Grade 9 student at Scollard Hall and says she’s excited for this opportunity. She says she’s already volunteered to work on a subcommittee to help incorporate mental health into the health curriculum. McKinley says they’re taught about first aid for the body, but now they need first aid for their minds.
Amanda Derosier, who will be attending St. Joseph-Scollard Hall next year, has also been selected to sit on the Student Advisory Council. Derosier says she is proud to be a member of the committee and is looking forward to advocating for her peers with special education needs. She’s looking forward to meeting students from across the province, and says she will be a voice for students who cannot advocate for themselves.
Both students will be part of the ninth cohort of Student Advisors and will be invited to participate in additional student forums, student events and conferences to discuss student-related issues. St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Principal Derek Belanger says they are thrilled to have their students sitting on the Student Advisory Council during the next school year. He says they place high importance on student involvement and student voice. Belanger says they’re pleased to see their students getting involved at the provincial level as well.
