ATM: Why Students' Matters, Matters

Student voice is a critical element to creating flourishing school communities.  This voice can foster a culture of inclusivity and empowerment by providing students opportunities to express their thoughts, opinions and needs.  Opportunities to have their voice heard support students in feeling valued and engaged in their school communities.  Having voice also cultivates a sense of belonging within the school community.  

Students’ Matters is a critical component for allowing students’ voices to support “A Place for All” (Policy 14) within the context of each of their schools.  The environment and culture of schools as a safe and caring space allows students to flourish emotionally and academically. Schools are not “one size fits all” and issues in one school are not necessarily present in other schools or can have subtleties that are specific to a school. 

Students’ Matters brings students together to look at some of the challenges students may face in their school and discuss viable solutions that work contextually within their schools. The approach is action-oriented, and while an activity or event may work in one school, Students’ Matters participants can look at how to adapt activities to their specific situation. Students’ Matters provides an opportunity for students from each school throughout Foothills School Division to come together and share their voice in a broader capacity.  These gatherings enhance leadership amongst students and prepare them for future leadership roles, both within and outside of the school setting.  Skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and public speaking are all developed through student participation in Students’ Matters.  Through actively participating in the divisional gatherings and then taking ideas back to their school and implementing actions, students learn the importance of responsibility and advocacy, empowering them to effect change in their own school and share that with the broader school division.

 On October 4, students from throughout the division gathered to learn about one of the key areas of the Education Plan: Comprehensive School Health.  After developing an understanding of this framework, students had the opportunity to discuss with others and then focus on how it applies to their own school community.  From there, students created a plan to move forward with supporting this framework within their own school.  In the future, students will share and celebrate the positive impact of their plan. There are lots of “Aha!” moments through this sharing. 

Students’ Matters has continued to grow. Each school is sending more participants, and the overall feeling of positivity and inclusion is becoming a flourishing component of all the schools in the division.

Thank you to all the students who are committed to contributing to their school’s flourishing community!

Yours in learning, 

Jack Molyneux
Trustee Ward 1Cora-Leah Schmitt
Director of Inclusive Learning, Wellness & Well-Being