We’re here for you

They may not be making decisions about health care or how to better the economy, but members of the Wheeler Avenue School student council are still trying to make a difference.

In elementary school, student government is all about community service. And those elected to lead are anxious to help their fellow classmates and the greater Valley Stream community.

Arianna Tzunum, a sixth-grader and the school president, said the role of the student council is make an impact in their school. “I like to help people,” she said, about her reason for running for school office. “You really have to care about people.”

She is serving along with Vice President Eleni Demas, Secretary Annie Fitzgerald and Sergeant at Arms Daniel Toy. The four were elected after making speeches in front of the student body. Fitzgerald said that part of the election process alone takes a lot of courage. “It’s not really easy to get up on the stage and give a speech,” she said.

The student council is made up of class representative from each grade level. Each representative in sixth-grade runs for president and the alternates vie for secretary. The vice president is chosen from the fifth-grade representatives and the sergeant at arms is a fourth-grade student.

This year’s officers want to expand the recycling program in the school. Currently, there is only one bin for recycling in the cafeteria. The students want to have a basket placed in each classroom so it will be easy for everyone at Wheeler Avenue School to do their part to help the Earth.

The student council will also offer ideas for spirit days in the school. Arianna said one of her initiatives will be to create a time capsule. She hopes to accomplish that goal so a future generation of Wheeler students will learn about what the children there now are doing. “It would be fun and it would be a really good tradition,” Arianna said.

A big focus in the school this year will be on how to behave properly in the building. The student council members will serve as role models, and will be in a video for how to act in the hallways and lunchroom.

Eleni said that past student council activities have included a food drive for Island Harvest, making holiday decorations for patients at Winthrop Hospital and planting a tree outside the school. “We help our community,” she said.

She moved up from sergeant arms last year. Arianna was previously vice president and Annie was a class representative for the previous two years.

Robert, the newcomer to the student council of the group, explained that he didn’t know too much about what the organization did before this year. “Once I found out it was about helping people and the community,” he said, “I was interested in it so I joined.”

Annie said she wants the student council members to visit the first-, second- and third-grade classes — which do not have class representatives — to ask them their ideas for the school. She wants to make sure everyone at Wheeler Avenue is represented.

Their advisors are fourth-grade teacher Kristen Mundy and fifth-grade teacher AnneMarie Scialabba. They say the experience in student government is invaluable for those who participate.

“We want the students to realize how much they can make a difference in people’s lives,” Mundy said. “As young as they are, they are coming up with ideas and following through.” She added that when the student council held a food drive last year, the kids realized how much they were helping people when they saw how much had been collected.

Scialabba said this opens the door for many students who want to help their community but don’t know where to begin. “On their own, they might not have the opportunity to do that,” she said. “The student council gives them a forum.”