Student Council
Constitution
- Article I: Name
- Article II: Purpose
- Article III: Meetings
- Article IV: Membership
- Article V: Elections
- Article VI: Lettering Requirements
- Article VII: Amendments and Ratifications
Article I: Name
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of the Student Council is to:
- Better the lives of those in our school and community.
- Amplify the voice of the students in our school.
- Increase the school spirit of our students and staff.
- Administer extracurricular activities including dances, fundraisers, and other projects that may arise.
- Promote leadership qualities and development in our student body.
Article III: Meetings
Section I
All Student Council members shall be expected to attend all Student Council meetings. To miss a meeting, a Student Council member is expected to have a parent/guardian or Thompson Valley staff member email our current Student Council adviser to be excused. An absence shown in the school’s attendance platform will also be sufficient.
A Student Council member is allowed three unexcused absences before they surrender their Student Council membership. Once this occurs, the current Student Council adviser will contact the once Student Council member about their removal from Student Council.
Whether an absence is excused or unexcused, the Student Council Member is expected to email the current Student Council Adviser to find out what happened at the meeting during their absence and if there is anything they need to do or complete since being gone.
Section II
All Student Council meetings will occur as outlined by the Student Council Member’s school schedule as Student Council will meet as any other class at our school would. Meetings may differ based on what the current Student Council Adviser sees fit, but they will notify all Student Council members as the changes occur.
Article IV: Membership
Section I
To become or continue to be a member of Student Council a student must follow the entire application process. There is a maximum of 12 Student Council Members for each class: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior.
Firstly, to even be considered for Student Council membership, a student must meet the following requirements:
- Be enrolled as a student at Thompson Valley High School for the upcoming school year
- Complete the entire application process
- Be willing to work hard and put extra time and effort into Student Council activities
- Be willing to apply and improve upon your leadership skills
- Be willing to be a role model for the rest of the students at Thompson Valley
Secondly, they must submit an application the Spring before the year they wish to become a member of Student Council. Talk to the current Student Council Adviser to acquire the current application. The current Student Council Adviser should also be distributing the application or making it available to all students, including incoming Freshmen.
Then, all incoming Freshmen can be interviewed by the current Student Council Adviser along with multiple Student Council members. Those that interviewed the incoming Freshmen will pick a maximum of 10 of those that they interviewed to become Student Council members.
Meanwhile, current Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors will have a different selection process.
If there are 10 or less applicants for each class, then they will all be chosen to move onto a final list of applicants for Student Council membership. Applicants will provide email addresses for two staff members who will be contacted by the adviser to provide recommendations for the applicant. The entire list of applicants will then be presented to the entire staff at Thompson Valley High School so that anyone can express their concerns for an applicant of Student Council.
However, if there are more than 10 applicants for each class, then further selection processes will occur so that only 10 applicants can make it onto the final list of applicants. Let it be known that previous Student Council members will likely receive precedence for selection than those who have not yet been a Student Council member.
Finally, all selected applicants will be notified prior to the upcoming school year that they will be a Student Council member.
Section II
Although a member of Student Council may have been granted their membership, they can be removed from Student Council for any reason that the current Student Council Adviser sees fit, including the following:
- Three unexcused absences from Student Council meetings
- Suspension from school
- Reprimand from any staff member in Thompson Valley High School
- Unwilling to work hard and put extra time and effort into Student Council activities
- Unwilling to apply and improve upon leadership skills
- Unwilling to be a role model for the rest of the students at Thompson Valley
Before removal, the current Student Council adviser is required to have a conversation with the Student Council member that they are looking to remove. This conversation should consist of why they are looking to be removed and if there is anything that can be done to save their Student Council membership. Ultimately, it is the current Student Council Adviser’s decision to remove or not remove a student from Student Council.
Article V: Elections
Section I
Student Council Elections are only held for Class Presidents and Student Council Officer positions.
Section II
There are only four Class Presidents in any given year: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior. To be one of the four Class Presidents, a member must follow the election process for Class Presidents.
To be eligible to run for a Class President position, a member must meet ALL of the following requirements:
- Be in the grade in which they are running for Class President. (For example, a Freshman can only run for Freshman Class President)
- Be a current member of Student Council
- Be enrolled as a student at Thompson Valley High School for the upcoming school year
- Complete the entire application process
- Be willing to work hard and put extra time and effort into Student Council activities
- Be willing to apply and improve upon your leadership skills
- Be willing to be a voice for the entire student body in their class
Once they have met the requirements to run for a Class President, they will create a recorded presentation or give a speech to their class of students. The current Student Council Adviser will create an electronic ballot and distribute to the appropriate classes .
All students in the class will have the opportunity to vote electronically on their Class President. All Thompson Valley students will have access to technology so that they are able to vote.
Votes will be counted electronically and the person who gains the most votes will be elected Class President. If there is a tie, then the elected students will serve as co-presidents.
Section III
There are six Student Council Officer positions; President, Vice President, Director of Marketing & Communications, Events Coordinator, Secretary & Treasurer. To be one of the six Student Council Officers, a member must follow the election process for Student Council Officers.
To be eligible to run for a Student Council Officer position, a member must meet ALL of the following requirements:
- Be a current member of Student Council
- Participated in a Student Council for at least two years prior to the day they would receive the position
- Complete the entire application process
- Be willing to work hard and put extra time and effort into Student Council activities
- Be willing to apply and improve upon your leadership skills
- Be willing to be a voice for the entire Student Council
Once they have met the requirements to run for an Officer position, they will create a recorded presentation to give to the rest of the current Student Council members. This will be sent to the current Student Council Adviser.
Then, all the presentations will be presented to all of the current Student Council members. All current Student Council members will have the opportunity to vote electronically on the Officer positions.
Votes will be counted electronically and the person who gains the most votes for each position will be elected as that Student Council Officer Position. If there is a tie, then they will serve as co-officers of that position.
Article VI: Lettering Requirements
In order to letter in Student Council, a Student Council Member must submit an intent to letter form given by the Student Council Advisor that must be submitted by a later specified date. A Student Council Member must also meet ALL of these requirements:
- Attend a minimum of three canning dates for the Canned Food Drive
- Complete a minimum of 10 hours of community service with signatures (These can overlap with other community service requirements for graduation, NHS, etc.)
- Attend every dance organized by Student Council (Exception - TVHS athletic conflicts/family conflicts after discussion with adviser)
- Attend three different sporting events
- Attend one performing arts event
- Participate in 100% of spirit days
- No referrals, detentions, or disciplinary action (conference with adviser and StuCo (Co)President(s) dependent on situation)
- Participate in all work-days and events. If a Student Council Officer sees a Student Council member not participating, they will make a note and not give credit to that Student Council member for attendance for that work-day or event. Afterwards, the Student Council Officers will discuss the member’s lack of participation and decide whether or not that will prevent them from lettering in Student Council.
- Have no more than one unexcused absences for Student Council class (conference with adviser for extenuating circumstances)
Article VII: Amendments and Ratifications
Amendments and Ratifications shall be written and prepared by the current Student Council Officers. Then they shall present them to the entire Student Council and have all Student Council Members cast their vote on the amendment or ratification at hand. They can either vote to affirm, negate, or abstain the amendment or ratification they are voting for. To have an amendment or ratification pass, ⅔ of the Student Council members must affirm the amendment or ratification.