Student Council

Click here for a Copy of the Student Council Notes

 

Click here for a printable copy of the 2022-23 School year

Student Council

Of Greene Middle School

Palo Alto, California

Constitution 2022-2023

 

We the students of Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle School, in order to form a better school, establish good school relationships, promote school spirit, and scholarship, and establish this constitution, for the student council of Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle School.

 

1. Goals:

-To make Greene a better place for all students!

• To promote good school relationships between individual students, students and staff, and the rest of the school community

• To promote and maintain good school spirit in participation 

• To manage responsibly the student body budget 

• To provide an environment for developing leadership skills 

• To encourage and recognize group and individual student achievement

 

2. Organization:

A. Officers:

The Student Council will have the following elected positions, for a total of 16 students. Winners will be the students with most votes in each type of office or category. For 6th grade, all 5 students will be known as Officers. For 7th grade, 2 of the 5 students can be incumbents, or students who already held office in prior year, and will be known as Commissioners. 3 of the 5 students must not have held office in prior year, and will be known as Officers. Unless the situation occurs when there are less candidates than positions to fill. In this case, Student Council will determine amount and type of officer to be elected. 8th grade will have open elections for 4 positions with no limitations on incumbency. Positions will be known by President, Treasurer, Secretary and Spirit Leader. The position of Vice-President will be filled by the second place candidate for President. In event of having only one candidate for President, the second place candidate for Treasurer, then Secretary, then Spirit Leader will be chosen to become Vice-president. In event there are no more than one candidate for any office, Student Council will operate without a Vice-President. In 2014, the position of Multicultural Officer was added. This office is open to 7th or 8th graders. Greene staff members will nominate candidates they feel would do a good job in this office during the spring of prior year.  Nominees will then choose to run for office or not. Candidate with most votes in both 7th and 8th grade election wins.

 

3. Duties and Responsibilities of Officers

A. All Officers Must:

1. Act respectfully toward all Greene students and staff, and be open to working with a variety of people on different projects

2. Agree to listen to all ideas, and vote responsibly on all issues

3. Attend all student council meetings and conferences when required, and make up missed work in other classes.

4. Take an active role in all student council sponsored activities.

5. Attend and participate in all meetings of which they are members, as well as full student council meetings. Full Student Council meetings are held on Tuesdays at 12:30-12:50 pm in room B4.  

6. Bring student council the suggestions and concerns of peers.

7. Attend Site Council and PTA meetings when assigned.

 

B. Individual Officer Responsibilities:

- 8th President

• Presides over all meetings 

• Prepares agenda for all meetings

• Attends at least 1 PTA meeting, and actively represents the student body at such meetings

• Cast one vote on all Student Council issues, and breaks a tie

• Serves as A.S.B. President

 

- 8th Vice President

• Fills presidents position in president’s absence

• Cast one vote on all Student Council issues

 

- 8th Secretary

• Takes careful minutes at every Student Council meeting and follows correct form for the minutes

• Distributes the minutes to all officers, the advisor, the principal, the budget secretary, and the webmaster

• Keeps a record of all Student Council meeting minutes

• Maintains roll call in the minutes

• Casts one vote in all Student Council issues

 

- 8th Treasurer 

• Oversees the Student Council budget and budget transactions 

• Signs Student Council check requests

• Works with budget secretary to monitor the budget and communicate issues to the Student Council officers

• Keep Student Council up to date on the Student Council Budget

• Casts one vote on all Student Council issues

 

- 8th Spirit Leader

• Leads school spirit activities

• Communicates with Leadership elective class

• Casts one vote on all Student Council issues

 

- 6th and 7th Positions

• Take on 8th grade positions when the 8th grader is not present

• Casts one vote on all Student Council issues

 

- Multicultural Officer:

• Casts one vote on all Student Council issues

• Represent a multicultural perspective at all ASB meetings

• Attend monthly Climate Committee Meetings

• Work with Greene Administration and Leadership class to promote inclusive multicultural Greene community. These can include, but are not limited to:

Lunchtime activities

       “Awareness” (Black history, or Hispanic heritage months)

      Unity/NIOS week participation

     PTA Multicultural Fair

     Assemblies

 

4. Grounds for Removal from Office

 

A. Absent Policy

 

1. Excused Absences:

 

• Type A: Student is not at school- includes absences due to illness, emergency, or other general absence from school

• Type B: Student misses meeting due to tests, projects, field trip, or appointment. Type B absences require that the advisor be given notice communicating the absence, 24 hours prior to the absence

 

Officers do not have a limit to Type A and B absences

 

2. Unexcused Absences:

 

  Defined as any meeting missed when the student was at school, yet was not excused from the meeting. Also if a student is not present at any Student Council responsibilities such as, but not limited to, Site Council and PTA meetings, Greene Screen announcements, and intercom announcements, along with anything else that Student council has committed to.

 

One unexcused absence and the member will be given a warning with a message sent home to parents on 2nd offense.

After a total of three unexcused absences, the member may be removed from office.

 

B. Academic/Behavioral Requirements

    Each Student Council officer is expected to:

• Do his/her best academically

• Maintains at least a C average

• No D’s or F’s

• If officer does not meet these requirements he/she will be suspended from office, and given a 6 week period to raise their grade

• Maintain a high standard of conduct

• 1 action referral = warning

• 2 action referrals = the officer in question shall explain him or herself to the council, who will then vote on his/her removal from office

• 3 action referrals = possible removal from office

• 1 suspension = possible removal from office

 

3. Policy for Replacement of Officers

a. In the event that the any grade level President is removed from office, the Vice President from that grade shall become their grade’s president.

b. In the event that the 8th grade Secretary is removed from office, a 7th grader will be elected by majority vote within the council.

c. In the event that the 8th grade Treasurer is removed from office, a 7th grader will be elected by majority vote within the council.

 d. In the event of a 7th or 6th grade officer’s removal from office, Student Council will operate without them. 

e. In the event that neither an 8th grade nor a 7th grade officer is in a single office, then the 6th grade officer shall take over.

 

4. Election of Officers

 

A. Students running for office must:

• Turn in registration form and must be at the speech practice.

• Write a speech.

• Turn in the speech at the time designated by the Advisor.

• Speeches shall be presented on the day that has been designated day.

• Elections for the 6th grade officers shall be held no later than the second full month of the school year.

• Elections for the 7th and 8th grade officers will be held in the final full month of the school year.

• All students who are in the potential officer’s grade shall vote.

• All teachers of these students shall vote.

• All current officers shall vote if not running in election.

• All 8th grade student officers shall vote for all other officers.

• The 8th grade President and Vice President can choose to interview all running candidates before the election.

• When counting the votes, students will account for 50% of the total, while teachers and all Student Council members will account for the other 50% of the total.

• In the event that a candidate is unable to engage in the election they shall be able to deliver the speech from a video, or allow a student council officer to deliver speech.

• In the event that a candidate receives a suspension during the election, they shall be disqualified.

 

5. Swearing In

• Officers will have the opportunity to read the constitution, and have all questions answered.

• The officer’s signature on the last page of the constitution acts as an oath to uphold the requirements and responsibilities of the office.

 

6.Bill of Rights

1. Right to Amend

Any member of the Student Council may introduce an amendment to the constitution. The amendment need not be written by a Student Council member, but need be introduced by one. If the amendment is not passed by a majority vote, then the amendment will be returned to the author(s) before any further consideration is made. A Student Council member may present the same bill any number of times, provided that it is different from the last proposal or the circumstances have changed. If passed it will become part of the Greene Middle School Student Council Constitution.

 

2. Right to Review

At the beginning of each president’s administration, immediately following the swearing in ceremony, the incoming president shall have the right to make any changes to this constitution, provided that the new constitution passes by a majority vote by the new council. He/she shall have four school weeks to present a new constitution to the council, or (s)he forfeits his/her right to review.

 

3. Right to Petition

All students in attendance at Greene Middle School have the right to petition in an attempt to convey their opinion to the Student Council. This petition shall be given to the Student Council President, who shall present this petition at the council’s next meeting. The council must vote on this issue at the meeting if time allows.

If any petition is signed by one third of the student body the Student Council must take action on this issue the way that this group wishes to the fullest extent of their power, unless this measure is defeated by a two-thirds voter of all officers.

 

4. Right to Create Activities 

The Student Council reserves the right to create any activity for the student body to participate in provided that the following are fulfilled:

• The student council agrees to pay for any expenses incurred unless the Parent Teacher Association, the school, the school district, or the Site Council agrees otherwise

• The Student Council shall be in charge of these activities, or shall pay someone to be in charge of these activities.

I have read and understood the Greene Associated Student Body Student Council Constitution and pledge to follow as student and an officer.

 

Date_________________________

Signed:                                 

Click here for a printable copy

Greene Student Council Overview: An Organized Secondary ASB

Goals: To make Greene a better place for all students!

• To promote good school relationships between individual students, students and staff, and the rest of the school community

• To promote and maintain good school spirit in participation 

• To manage responsibly the student body budget 

• To provide an environment for developing leadership skills 

• To encourage and recognize group and individual student achievement

 

Meetings: Wednesdays from 12:30 to 1:40 in room N1 (plus additional subcommittee meetings as needed)

16 total 6th, 7th and 8th grade officers. (See ASB Constitution on website for more details)

 

Main Responsibility: Students manage Associated Student Body budget ($35,000 direct appeal income this year plus carryover to be determined (approx. $30,000) Mostly used to fund and support Award programs, Intramural Program, Club program, STUCO activities, some Leadership activities, and some various student activities. Yearbook also falls under ASB, but it is generally self-funding in the end.

 

Additional Responsibilities: 

• Create, organize and run 15 school assemblies each year

-11 grade-level  “Spirit Assemblies” during advisories: includes “Jaguar of the

Quarter Awards” presentations plus “fun” activity (3 assemblies each each

quarter)

-3 “Election Assemblies” (1 in fall, 2 in spring) 

-1 “High School Forum Assembly” for 8th grade in spring

•  Organize and run two (fall/spring) Club Days at lunch and manage club process

•  Create, organize, host and run the annual ASB Middle School Summit meeting in spring

•  Organize and run 3 school elections (1 in fall, 2 in spring)

•  Attend monthly PTA, Site Council and School Climate meetings

•  Treasurer meets periodically with Budget Secretary to discuss ASB budget/Spirit Leader meets   periodically with Leadership class to share information

•  Responsible for writing and broadcasting weekly Wednesday loudspeaker school announcements

•  Appear weekly on JTV camera B to do STUCO-related announcements

•  Approve all club fundraisers and school-wide charity fundraisers

 

Other Potential Responsibilities/Activities based on need/invitation:

•   Help run twice-yearly “Walk and Roll” days in partnership with PTA

•   Responsible for creating, organizing and running an activity at lunch during NIOS week

•   Helping with school-wide charity drives/Service Day

•   Funding of student-reward programs like Greene Cup and No-Tardy incentive programs

  that encourage positive choices and climate at Greene.

•   Funding of purchases of items like sound system, podium, the electronic clocks in the hallways, the “Jaggy” suit, electronic Basketball games that enhance student experience at Greene.

•  Create, organize and run school-wide yearly initiatives like Anti-trash/Anti-seagull Education and Motivation program or Make the Line for Brunch and Bunch Shorter initiative that improve student experience at Greene.

• Attend the CASL/CADA Conference with Leadership students to learn about being leaders.

Click here for a printable copy

Click here for a printable copy

Request for Funds
 

Club/Class Name: ____________________________________________________________________

 

Meeting Day ________________________________________     Room # ______________

 

Circle one: Lunch Club        After school Club Class

 

Person Requesting Funds:_______________________________

 

Amount Requested: $__________________

 

Description of how funding will be spent.  Include a breakdown of costs:

 

Name of Teacher Sponsor _____________________________________

 

Teacher Sponsor’s signature: ___________________________________

 

Brought to you by your ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY STUDENT COUNCIL of GREENE MIDDLE SCHOOL!

Click here to open the election form