TSD advisory groups give students a voice

learning environments,” Dr. Schaffer explains.

Providing students with a place to share their thoughts is something Thompson School District prioritizes every day. One way this is done is through our three student advisory groups who meet with TSD leadership multiple times throughout the school year.

The groups, one each made up of elementary, middle and high school students, meet with key leaders and decision-makers within the district to help provide perspective and ideas for some of our most pressing opportunities. The purpose is to provide students with a venue and platform to provide perspective, opinions, and feedback around celebrations and opportunities across our district.

Each of the advisory meetings is designed to offer energizing conversations and thoughtful dialogue with student leaders across the district. According to Superintendent Dr. Marc Schaffer, the groups provide beneficial information to help guide our district in various areas.

“All too often in education, we talk about kids, and we talk around kids, but we do not always take the opportunity to talk with kids. As our primary customers, it is incumbent on us as leaders to take the time to listen, reflect and even act upon the insight and suggestions that students make in order to create better and more impactful

The groups, which meet varying numbers of times during the year depending on the school level (older students meet more frequently than younger students), are made up of students chosen by their respective schools, including the charter schools. Each TSD high school and middle school has one representative at each grade level. The elementary schools are each represented by two fifthgrade students.

The groups recently met with TSD leaders at the district’s administration building to take part in a variety of activities and provide valuable input.

“Our students have brilliant insight into their needs ... we just need to take the time to listen,” Dr. Schaffer says.