Welcome, Rose and Mia. Welcome back, Kieran

There was no shortage of enthusiasm at Wednesday’s Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board meeting of administrators and trustees, the first of the 2017-2018 school year.

It was the first meeting as H-SCDSB director of education for Rose Burton Spohn, who succeeded John Stadnyk as director July 1.

“It felt exciting, it felt invigorating, it felt good to be here, and I have to say I’m very grateful to be surrounded by a very supportive group of trustees and senior administration members and other staff,” Burton Spohn told SooToday.

“I’m blessed to have worked with Jack Stadnyk before now, he was a fabulous mentor for me, so I’m very thankful he was such a wonderful leader in my life and prepared me so well for this position,” the new director said. 

“It’s a pleasure for me to be sitting here and having so many students at this particular board meeting (Huron-Superior students delivered two presentations Wednesday).” 

“For me, that’s what it’s all about, connecting what we do at the board level to actual students in the classroom.”

“The students are our reason for being here, to improve education for our students, to ensure they have the best possible education going forward,” Burton Spohn said.    

Wednesday’s board meeting was also the first for St. Mary’s College Grade 11 student Mia Burzese as one of two student trustees.

Burzese, 16, joins returning student trustee Kieran Desjardins, a 17-year-old student in Grade 12 at St. Mary’s.

New student trustees such as Burzese serve a two-year term. 

“I’m so excited. I’ve been dreaming about doing this since I was in Grade 9, working towards it, and now I’m so happy to finally get the opportunity to step up and work with Kieran for the next year and voice the students opinions at the school board level,” Burzese told SooToday.

Burzese has served on the student senate since Grade 9 in preparation for her new role.

“I’d like to make sure every single student’s voice is heard… it makes me happy to know we are the ones who can bring their voices up and represent them, as one, at the school board level.” 

“It’s very exciting to be back and working with Mia,” Desjardins said.

“There are many initiatives that Mia and I have already been working on, many different changes for junior and senior students, and for myself, I’m the French relations officer on the executive council for the Ontario Student Trustees Association. It was a position I was elected to in May, and Mia is the northern representative for the Catholic Board Council, so these are two new exciting positions for both Mia and I.”

Desjardins said St. Mary’s student council has been planning, since the beginning of summer, many events to take place over the new school year.

Currently, senior students are welcoming new students to St. Mary’s with various activities such as a fashion show, and are gearing up for a Grade 12 versus Grade 9 outdoor water fight (rain or shine) Friday at 1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s smaller football field

The two, along with the rest of student council, are also looking forward to launching this year’s Heaven Cent campaign.

The campaign runs through the Christmas season, and involves students donating to take part in various fun activities, the proceeds going to agencies such as the Soup Kitchen Community Centre and the Sault chapter of the Canadian Red Cross.