This is my third year to act as advisor of our Elementary Student Council, and it is wonderful. Our Council is involved in A LOT! Since we do not have a PTO anymore (ours dissolved about 5 years ago) we take on some of the roles that the PTO would have. My members do morning announcements, keep the front flowerbeds attractive and weed free, and pick up trash from our campus twice a week. We also do fundraisers throughout the year to help purchase items for our school. Presently, we are working to buy benches to put on our new playground. This summer we bought a new microwave for our teacher's lounge because the old one required a swift kick now and then to get it going. Students also actively participate in Pennies for Patients activities to raise money for Leukemia Research, Hooked on Fishing ~ Drugs, Food Drives, and other relief efforts. Our fundraisers go to provide money for school improvements, a $500 scholarship and an end of year trip for student's hard work and participation. I love working with this group of kids and only wish that we had more adult volunteers to help us. I would LOVE to visit with other advisors about their councils and the projects they are involved in!
Ang

I'm the student council advisor at my elementary school as well as the ptc president. In the past the kids ran special days, ie crazy hat day, hair day, green day, etc. They vote to see who is on the committees and those kids on the committees plan everything. We've also had them help out at the ptc's jog-a-thon. the students came early to school and helped blow up balloons put up posters. I've trained them in anti-bullying techniques, they run the school store, and once a week they take turns saying the pledge over the p.a. as well as make annoucements. Ideas are limitless and are only curtailed by the hard work it takes to implement them. If you have kids who ae gung-ho and you and the principal are up to the challenge it can be a blast!

Last year my son was President of Student Council after serving three years on it. They sold suckers all year long, and delivered special suckers sent to students by their friends at Valentines Day. They sold nachos, ice cream, soda during Missouri Night, sold hot chocolate during Winter Wonderland, held a canned food drive, sponsered crazy hair day, hat day, pajama day, and donate money collected to the animal shelter, raised over $2500 for the local Habitat For Humanity, helped serve dinner to the teachers and staff at their appreciation dinner. They also were responsible every month for putting up and taking down the school flags. Four students from student council per month on a rotating basis. They provided two $25 gift cards per quarter for the quarterly "Bully Free" drawing. Took a field trip to the state capitol every year, and also visited the Lincoln Library.

Thank you both for sharing with me. This will help me to help them start off in a good direction. And maybe get some ideas going for them.

in addition to cherri's student council, our's also helps out with food drives, our school newspaper, and our book exchange ("new" books for gently used books). i guess that your imagination can be limitless as long as your principal allows it. this year is my first year as president, and i'm trying to get them involved as much as possible. i think it does good to show them that volunteering is important and that it takes just a small amount of time to make a difference.

At our school the student council learns parlimentary procedure by practicing in their meetings. As far as what they actually do, they plan events like crazy hair day or pajama day. They make signs for thier events. They also help in the student store with adult supervision. Also, they pre sell candy grams for valantines, then deliver them to the students during class. They use the money they make to go on a end of the year field trip. Hope this info helps.