The Scoop of Student Council

An interview with Mrs. Haynes, head administrator of student council.

As you may have guessed, Mrs. Haynes isn't a SMS student, but she's the "teacher" of student council. She administrates SMS Student Council meetings, and guides the Student Council members along as they plan school events and such. She is also the SMS librarian, and teaches the yearbook class here at the middle school. Anyway, I came in before school, and after getting my stuff from my locker, went to the school library to see if I could catch her. She was very cooperative, and although it took multiple visits to get through every question, I was soon asking her the questions by which I was to get the SCOOP OF STUDENT COUNCIL!  Mrs. Haynes said that student council was a group of SMS students from all three grades who planned school wide events. She was very thorough in what she told me, stating that Guide Room representatives are the communication line from the Student Council to the rest of the students, and that they also take polls and do such things in their Guide Rooms when it was necessary to do so. Student council was formed, Mrs. Haynes said, so that students, not adults, would plan the student dances and parties and theme days and such that students get here at SMS, and that it was also formed to teach students leadership and responsibility. She said that they had only been in session for one month, so the student council members were inexperienced, and that they hadn't set any Student Council goals yet, but that they had planned Spirit Week and the first dance, and she planned to get more into community service. Mrs. Haynes said that Student Council looked like a good group this year and that they had done a good job with he dance, she wanted them to be more self-motivated and that they could use more experience. From her point of view, Student Council is a more organizational thing, but the students seem to treat it like a more fun thing, yet at the same time taking up more responsibility. As for some of Mrs. Haynes's views, she said she wasn't opposed to homework, but was opposed to busy work. She said every child should have something to do that will keep them out of trouble, and that morals should be separate from faith (I disagree, but it wasn't the time to have a debate) and that basic morals are honesty, integrity, and treating others the way you wish to be treated. She said that respect is a very important quality, and that you should always pay attention when someone else is talking, and that not doing so would be very disrespectful. She also said she wasn't a hardcore discipliner. She said on the matter of grades that yearbook class is unique as a class, but that she accepts nothing less than A-quality material in it. Well, maybe you can't blame her if it's the official school yearbook they're making. I asked for a SMS "mission statement" from her point of view, and was told "We don't cause a problem for ourselves or others." As far as activities that I was told student council members attend, there are the dances, and Spirit Assemblies, but 6th graders don't go to the dances. Instead, they plan and go to other special activities that compensate for the 6th-grade dance-loss. Mrs. Haynes said that her role in Student Council was to nudge and guide the Council members until they are pretty much self-sufficient. Furthermore, the she didn't seem to have to much of a problem with nosy, nagging interviewers, but she likes to know the context of the questions she's asked so she can answer them accordingly. Yeah, perhaps I should've been more specific, but anyway, in closing, thanks for the cooperation, Mrs. Haynes, and let's hope that the Student Council will do great things for the school this year. 

Notes I took on my interview with Mrs. Haynes

WARNING/NOTE: The following notes might be a bit hard to read. I also altered some questions a bit for the interview with Mrs. Haynes. I've posted what the altered questions pretty much amount to here along with the notes.

1. What student council?

1. A group of students, 6th, 7th, 8th, school wide event planners, Guide Room reps. are comm-link Council-Students, Pollers, etc.

2. Why was it formed?

So students could plan for students, teach leadership, responsibility

3.What ideas have been brought up to change the school, or nudge it along towards one of its goals?

3. 1 month   spirit week (NOTE: A one-month spirit week is not planned, not to my knowledge, at least)

 4. What do you think of the student council group this time round, and how do they seem to get along?

4. Good group, good job w. dance, want to be more self-motivated, more exp.

5. Is student council fun? Hard? What?

5. M.H. POV (Note: "M.H. POV" Stands for"Mrs. Haynes's point-of view"): Organizational thing S.C. (Student council) POV (point-of-view): More fun, will take up more

6. What are your views on:

a. Homework:

Not opposed to it, no busy work.

b. After-school activities: ((B-4)) school workout. Extracurricular activities are good. Something to do. SOAR wonderful.

c. Morals:

Separate from faith (Once again, that is Mrs. Haynes's opinion, not mine), honest, integrity, golden rule, basic

d. Discipline:

Big on respect, everyone, lack of respect by talking when someone else is; not hardcore discipliner

e. Grades:

Good, A-quality yearbooks

f. SMS mission statement:

7. What kind of activities so the student council members go to?

Dances(7th and 8th), Spirit Assemblies, 6th grade Activities (6th).

8. Any other issues of student council that you think are important we haven't discussed?

Role in student council from her to them power shift. Guide them to the point of self-management.

9. What do you think of nosy, nagging interviewers?

No problem, likes to know context of question.

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