Students make up the heart of the CIS community and the Student Council are here to ensure that their voices are heard. This year’s 42-strong team plays testament to their dedication and enthusiasm in contributing to the learning environment they want, while developing their leadership, organisational, and managerial skills.

Years ago, the council only consisted of 4 executives and the secondary grade representatives. “Now we have committees for arts, sports, social, and student life as well,” student council advisor Leslie Morgan shares. “Through the work of the committees, we can implement more and a greater range of activities, projects, and contests.”

These initiatives can range from what kind of social events they want, showcasing their talents at assembly, to requesting changes from the school administration, she adds.

In ensuring the students' voices are heard, the right leadership counts. Four grade 12 seniors have stepped up to this responsibility in the executive team, looking to make their senior year count. Their mission? To make CIS a brighter place. Hear from our elected Executive Committee what it means to them to represent the student body, and what they look forward to with the easing of pandemic restrictions this year.

Why did you run for the Student Council?

Ume B (President): For me, I find it rewarding to see our different ideas being implemented. As the Secretary last year, the community I was a part of was a tight-knit group. Everyone was kind and we all worked efficiently, so we could get things done and also had a great time.

Tomas D (Vice-President): I enjoy organising events and it is satisfying to see our different ideas come to fruition. Many of these events couldn’t happen especially during COVID, so anything I can do to change that and make life more interesting would be great.

Reese S (Secretary): I was on the council last year, which was a fun experience. Previously, I was in the sports committee, which meant that I could be part of events that were catered to my personal interest. In addition, with this year’s team, I found it easy to communicate with each other, share and collaborate.

Yue X (Director of Communications): I want to try bringing the student community closer and involve everyone, especially those who feel that they cannot fit in.

What do you hope to learn from this experience?

Reese S: I want to work on my coordination skills, so I can ensure that the events are happening according to plan and are well-received. I also want to ensure that we are planning events that students cannot plan by themselves, so that they see the value of the student council.

Ume B: Other than efficient organisation and leadership skills, I want to make sure that we are putting out activities that students care about, and also that both teachers and students are happy with the events we hold.

Tomas D: I hope to improve my leadership skills and learn how to make students feel energised when working on our events. Bringing the energy is half the battle won. I wish to channel that willingness to put in the effort, so that students genuinely want to help and be there during the activities.

Yue X: I want to learn leadership skills from the other council members, who are good at what they do. I used to feel underestimated and wanted to prove myself. But during the campaign process, I learnt from other candidates, who were insightful, communicative, and knew what the students’ demands were. I was inspired by them and it was no longer just about proving myself. Rather, I want to help the community better connect and communicate with each other.

With the planning process so far, what are the key challenges you have faced?

Tomas D: It’s a big group of people, so I struggle with names! I also had to ensure that people are efficient at their work and not being distracted. Another challenge would be the pandemic. We got used to some of our ideas getting shut down due to logistics and regulations. But now, things are changing as we are opening up. We can bring back more events and have more fun.

Reese S: People being able to read my handwriting! It is also a challenge to plan events for different grades, who have different demands and opinions.

Yue X: It is not easy for us to challenge regulations. The opinions of students are highly disparate, and we also need to consider that of the school administration and parents.

Ume B: The challenge is to maintain a good balance. Making everyone happy is not possible, but the majority is what we’re here for. We also had to keep in mind COVID restrictions. So we listen to grade representatives and also discuss with the council and teachers on what is feasible.

What do you hope to bring to the school during your tenure?

Yue X: Many people have good ideas and feedback on activities that we had before. We will create more accessible ways that allow them to express their opinions.

Ume B: I agree, we want to bridge that communication gap. We are supposed to represent the entire student body and we need to hear students’ voices. In addition, school morale has gone down during the COVID situation. Back then, we could not come to school or hold events that made our school fun, like Halloween parties and huge dances. But now that we’re slowly getting back to that rhythm, we can have more events and more people to collaborate with.

What do you look forward to the most this year?

Reese S: We look forward to bringing back pre-COVID events. We can have more people at our events and collaborate to make things happen.

Ume B: We do want to make as many events happen as possible. Everyone has been cooped up during the pandemic, so being able to bring back the school spirit is going to be great! Going into our senior year, we want to make it a memorable year not just for seniors, but for everyone.

Tomas D: I also look forward to a bigger council, so we have more people to help with the events. Join us and help us make the school a better place!

Student Council 2022/23