The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 23
Student Government at Charlotte Jewish Day School
By Mariashi Groner, director
Charlotte Jewish Day School
Speaking to the eandidates who
didn’t reeeive enough votes to win
in our Student Couneil eleetion is
one my least favorite things to do.
It is so hard to see the disappoint
ment register on their faee, and the
surprise that after so mueh work,
and so mueh effort, it still did not
yield the hoped-for results. In faet,
eaeh year, I have a weak moment
where I deeide that we are not
doing this anymore. It’s so hard to
see the kids hurt so mueh.
Then, I ehange my mind be-
eause the ehildren show me that
they are stronger than we know,
that they learn from tough times
even better than from the good
times. They learn what behaviors,
eomments, and aetions are hurtful
or supportive. I also see kindness,
generosity of spirit, and humility
from the students that did get the
votes they needed. The students in
the sehool use the eheers and ap
plause to eongratulate but also to
eomfort. Some of the winning
eandidates turn to their eounter-
parts to be their “eampaign man
agers.” Others, appoint them to be
their “advisors.” The mitzvah in
the Torah of “Loving your fellow
as yourself’ is not an easy one,
and yet the students keep trying to
fulfill its requirement. This is
where we see the lessons that are
taught playing themselves out in
real life.
The speeehes, eampaign
posters, eampaign giveaways,
demonstrate thought, ereativity.
A first grader seeking represenation
and marketing savvy. Some slo
gans on the posters were:
Vote for Em and you will be a
gem!
I’m not ice, so vote me for vice!
Don’t think twice, vote Laya for
vice!
“and so I mustache you to
vote for Matthew!
Our students are serious when
thinking about their platform.
Some of the following exeerpts of
speeehes are just a taste of what
they hoped their eonstituents
(Kindergarten through Fifth
Grade) would eare about:
... I have had a lot of experi-
enee with leadership. I am on a
soeeer and swim team. On my
soeeer team I am one of the lead
ers. I play middle defender so I
ean basieally see the whole field.
This means I often help my team
mates out where they need to be.
I am also one of the oldest on my
team so a lot of people look up to
me. I have also been on Student
Couneil before. I know what it is
like to be a elass rep.
... I think if I beeome
viee president I ean talk to
Rabbi Vorst to get differ
ent foods for luneh.
... I have a reputation
for getting along with
everyone even when we
might disagree, whieh
makes me a great eandi-
date. I will always be open
to ideas and will treat
everyone with eourtesy
and respeet.
... Maybe if the Panthers win
we ean have a surprise dessert
day. My main idea is to get more
people involved. I look forward to
hearing your great suggestions
and ideas.
... These are a few of the rea
sons you should make me your
VP. As Albert Einstein onee said,
“We eannot solve our problems
with the same thinking we eaused
them with.”
... Everyone loves no home-
Lined up at the voting booth.
work so that’s where I eome in. I
feel that on Rosh Chodesh and on
your birthday we should have no
homework beeause it is a day of
rejoieing.
... This is our last year at CJDS
together. In a year, I
won’t see the same front
doors open every day
[or] everyone’s smile at
the beginning of the day.
Those days go by so fast
and this is our last year
together. We need to
have as mueh fun as we
ean before time runs out.
This little mieroeosm
of eleetions that happens
at CJDS is truly inspiring
beeause we know that
this life experienee is what pre
pares the ehildren for the real
“eleetions,” “eompetition,”
“losses,” and “wins” that they will
experienee throughout life.
This year, one of our first grade
students took it a step further. She
was disappointed that
kindergarten and first
grade do not have a
elass representative.
This was a deeision
made years ago. I tried
to explain to her that
students in kinder
garten and first grade
were possibly too
young to take on the
ehallenge of running
and winning or losing
an eleetion. And, we
were also not sure if
they eould sustain their
position on the Student Couneil
with all of the meetings and re
sponsibilities. I wasn’t persuasive
enough. Beeause the next day, she
presented me with a petition that
had four pages of signatures from
Eden’s campaign poster.
students and teaehers requesting
that first grade should have a elass
representative. She won. We
worked on a eompromise and al
lowed the students to vote on a
monthly representative to the Stu
dent Couneil.
The students at CJDS experi
enee all that life has to offer, the
diffieult and the easy, and we are
there to hold their hand as they
figure it all out. ^
i
CJDS
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