We’ve got spirit

By Cayley and Kiara Allan SHS Alumni

Our first taste of leadership was in Mrs. (Anne) Paskevich’s Grade 9 leadership class at Crowther Memorial Junior High School, and little did we know that this class would spark a love for leadership and student council within us.
The three years that we spent at Srathmore High School (SHS) were never short of fun and activities. Being involved in the school “culture” was what we loved most, and Spartan Council gave us that opportunity.
There were many lessons learned and many skills mastered while on council; ones that we will never forget and will use the rest of our lives. I think that many council members past or present could tell you that the most valuable lesson is that it is way easier to ask for forgiveness than it ever is to ask for permission. That’s just how we got stuff done.
“An important lesson that I learned from being on council was to always learn from your mistakes,” said Cayley Allan. “Not everything is always going to be perfect the first time you do it – and that’s OK.”
Kiara Allan agreed, and added: “A lesson that I learned from being involved in council was that no matter what position you hold when running an event, each position is equally important for the success of that event.”
Collectively, we can say that the most useful skill we mastered was the ability to persuade any teacher we asked to say yes to volunteering to help set up, take down or supervise Snowcoming – it’s all in how you convey your words.
It is so important to get involved with your school. Our years in Spartan Council and high school were so memorable thanks to Mrs. (Jeanette) Greep and Mrs. (Cheryl) Davidson. Through the many Christmas dinners, spirit weeks, community service, crowd pumpers and conferences, we can truthfully say our high school experience was that much better because of our involvement. Being involved in council and attending meetings every Monday after school gave us a much-needed break from our school work. And – despite the effort it took to fit it all into our schedule – at the end of the day, we found ourselves smiling because we were doing something that made us happy.
From being members of boards to then running them ourselves, it wasn’t always a smooth ride. The bumps that we encountered have only further prepared us for what we would experience outside of high school. Learning how to problem solve effectively, be organized and communicate respectfully are the keys to success.
For the two of us, the highlight of our Spartan Council years was being the recipients of the Spartan Council Legacy Scholarship in our Grade 12 year. This scholarship not only confirmed that our hard work had paid off, but that what we had done for the school community was valued and appreciated. The late nights at the school planning events, cleaning up after dinners and struggling to put together those wonderful white Christmas light arches was all worth it – and we wouldn’t change those days for anything.
Reflecting back on our Spartan Council days, there were many fun memories that still make us smile or laugh when we think of them. Memories such as dressing up like an elf for the Christmas dinners or cleaning up Snowcoming with fellow council students and dropping a plastic drink dispenser that was full of ice all over the gym floor. Two favourite memories are locking ourselves in the cosmo room so that we could sleep during the wake-a-thon and watching Mrs. Davidson be a bouncer for Snowcoming. Some memories come and go but these ones will always stick with us.
There is a place for anyone on council and the benefits of being involved in leadership or student council are endless.