Student Government wanted to provide the FSS community with an update, being that transparency is important to us. The following is a list of the major projects we have worked on during the 2021-2022 school year.

• Voter registration: Student Government spent the year working with Steve Greenbaum to register the senior class as each member became eligible to vote. We hosted multiple voter registration drives on the Plaza, provided online resources to register from home, and met with City Commissioner Seth Bluestein who told us about the importance of voting and shared resources about being a poll worker. Student Government has won GCEA (Governor’s Civic Engagement Award) Gold for registering upwards of 85% of our eligible students.

• Blackbaud introductions: The transition to using Blackbaud as our Learning Management System this year left students and teachers alike feeling confused and challenged while working and grading. Student Government put together a series of “Blackbaud tips” given in presentation format during a series of Devotions and shared with the community via email to help students navigate this new resource.

• Dance party on the plaza: In November, Student Government worked with administrators to throw an impromptu dance party on the Plaza one afternoon after noticing that student morale had been generally low. 

• Rail passes: Student Government pushed for Friends Select to cover some regional rail expenses for students who use it. We came to an agreement in which the administration pays for 50% of the necessary upgrades of regional rail passes. Students upload photos of their receipts on this Blackbaud form to receive credit to their tuition.

• Meeting for Business: We partnered with Quake to introduce Meeting for Business this year, a tradition that we hope will continue into future years. Meeting for Business is a space in which clubs or student groups can provide updates on their work and field feedback or suggestions from students while using Quaker methods like shared silence and consensus-based decision making.

• Met with cafeteria staff: The transition back into using the cafeteria regularly after not doing so due to Covid last year left some students noticing changes in their regular lunch options. Members of Student Government sat down with the cafeteria staff to discuss topics around health and variety of the food options, and initiated conversations around the re-introduction of the salad bar.

• Scheduling: Another transition into the 2021-2022 academic year that students found to be challenging was the new schedule, which had rotating Brown and Gold weeks as well as a varying Wednesday schedule. Student Government sat down with the administration, shared our concerns, and proposed a series of characteristics that we would like to see in next year’s schedule. We then met with administrators later in the year to discuss how our ideas would be implemented and to preview potential drafts of next year’s schedule.

• Teacher appreciation week: In May, Student Government, in collaboration with members of Helping Hands, arranged a few projects surrounding teacher appreciation week. For example, we sent out an anonymous form to collect messages for teachers, both as individuals and as a whole group, that were later compiled and shared with the appropriate people.

• Suggestion form on Blackbaud: Transparency remains important to us. We have uploaded an anonymous form on Blackbaud that is open 100% of the time. It simply asks for student suggestions for projects or concerns pertaining to what is happening in the Upper School. Student Government is driven by student voice and student projects, and we always welcome feedback.

• Virtual platform for clubs: Lastly, Student Government has recently begun meeting with Mary Beth Hertz to outline a virtual platform that we would like to create. This platform will be a space where students or student clubs could post updates about their work or resources like events, protests, or volunteer opportunities that will be relevant and available to the student body. We plan to publish this new platform next school year.

Thank you for allowing Student Government to represent you and your ideas this year; we look forward to fielding more of your suggestions and concerns while working to better the Upper School community for years to come.