It was Vermont Town Hall Day, but this was a different sort of Town Hall. On Tuesday, March 4th, the Flood Brook School held their monthly All-School Meeting — a student driven agenda led by the leaders of the Student Council.
“Our mission is quite simple,” says 8th grader Dash Kenney, Student Council Treasurer. “We just want to make our school a better place and celebrate all things Flood Brook.”
And celebrate they did. The meeting opened with the second grade class paying homage to the Abenaki people that inhabited the land that is now Vermont. Next up, an All-School Meeting staple - a reminder of three simple expectations for all Flood Brook students: Be Kind. Be Safe. Be Responsible.
Flood Brook places a premium on kindness and each month students are given shout-outs for positive actions. This month, the long list of good deeds included mentoring a younger student in math, starting a book club, and cleaning snow off the cars of teachers after one of many midday winter storms.
The names of recognized students go into a hat for a drawing to select a grand prize winner. This March the award went to 7th grader Liam Sherwood, who was given the chance to select something he would like to do — like having lunch with a special teacher.
After a short deliberation Sherwood announced he would like to be closer to power, that is, he wanted to be principal for the day. In this rolle he will shadow Principal Johanna Liskowsky-Doak and engage in leadership activities until the final bell rings.
“Can I get access to the teacher’s lounge?” He inquired, with a sly grin. “We’ll think about it,” responded Liskowsky-Doak.
After a brief series of teacher announcements (“Harvest of the Month: Maple Syrup), students from kindergarten through grade three were recognized for raising more than $1,000 for the American Heart Association. After taking a bow at the front of the auditorium, the young fundraisers each selected a prize from a box filled with capes, jump ropes, and tiny decorated ducks. (The ducks were very popular.)
While the All School meeting is a monthly affair, it’s only a part of a larger role for the Student Council. This year the leaders were elected in November and immediately launched into a program of activities on multiple fronts.
One project is raising money for the annual 8th grade trip to Montreal. With the help of donations and earnings from activities like bake sales, the crew is already in good shape to reach their target. One excellent marketing idea was to hand out order forms for pies and cakes from South Londonderry’s Grandma Miller’s on Parent Conference Day with proceeds funding the trip.
Leading up to the holidays, the student government held a class door decorating contest for every teacher’s room in school. The idea was to get everyone involved in a celebration of the Flood Brook Community. The prize went to the students of 7th and 8th grade history teacher Cliff DesMarais. His students reached back in time to recreate the poster from the 1990 iconic movie “Home Alone.”
And when the wild fires destroyed the homes in Los Angeles in January, the Flood Brook student council stepped up. Two students from Chester, Vermont had recently started an organization called Rocket to Hope and reached out to Principal Liskowsky-Doak inquiring about setting up a collection at FBS. After informing the student council about the inquiry, the student leaders organized a drive for the community to collect new stuffed animals they call “Squishmellows” for the children who have lost everything in the fires.
“Everyone at the school responded so quickly,” says Student Council Secretary Meredith Heberts. “The only problem is that they are so cute and cuddly that I want to take one home — not really.”
On the day of the March All-School Meeting, it was up to Acting Student Council President Luca Butera-Logan to bring the session to a close.
“We try to end each meeting on a high note,” says Butera-Logan. “When we come together as a school it’s always good to have some fun.”
Butera-Logan called the teachers up on stage for a game of musical chairs. As the music played … and stopped … and started, the number of teachers slowly dwindled. The students cheered on their favorite instructors as they suffered spills and lost their seats - all in the name of fun. In a raucous finish, special education teacher Donna Bazyk secured the final chair and then received a high-five from the school’s Tiger Mascot.
“As a school community we spend a lot of time together,” says Liskowky-Doak. “Our student leaders have played a major role in making Flood Brook a great place to be. We are so proud of our school."
(Photo above: The Flood Brook Tiger Mascot eyes the crowd at the All School Meeting.)
Flood Brook student leaders from left to right - Secretary Meredith Heberts, Acting President Luca Butera-Logan, and Treasurer Dash Kenney.
Flood Brook students select their prize for raising funds for the American Heart Association.
Special education teacher Donna Bazyk high fives the Flood Brook Tiger Mascot after winning the teacher musical chairs contest.
For his good deeds last month, 7th grader Liam Sherwood chose to shadow Principal Johanna Liskowsky-Doak for a day.