Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Engagement Survey topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Student ambassadors present Glenwood High survey results and recommendations to school board
Summary
Members of the 2024–25 Glenwood High student ambassador program presented results from a schoolwide survey on grading, mental health and freshman support and proposed next steps including marketing Safe2Help, a drop box for contraband and greater ambassador involvement in selection and communications.
Members of the 2024–25 Glenwood High School student ambassador program told the Ball Chatham CUSD 5 board they surveyed the student body and recommended several next steps to the district.
Why it matters: students reported concerns about grading practices, mental‑health supports and the freshman transition; ambassadors’ recommendations are intended to feed into district planning and student outreach for next school year.
Ellie Sergis, speaking for the ambassadors, said the group conducted a district‑administered survey that produced 920 responses and highlighted grading and mental health as leading concerns. "We are the 2024, 2025 Glenwood student ambassadors," Sergis told the board. The presentation listed follow‑up areas including grading/finals policies, mental‑health resource visibility and additional freshman supports.
Students described specific survey findings: 195 comments suggested changes to finals (examples included proposals to eliminate finals or exempt high‑performing students), and respondents recommended mentor programs, tours and welcoming activities to ease the freshman transition. On mental health, students ranked grading and workload, counselor time and support groups among top issues and proposed increased resources and opportunities for open communication.
Board members and administrators discussed next steps. Dr. Lehman (superintendent) explained that the ambassadors and administration identified Safe2Help (listed in the transcript as “Safe to Health”) as the preferred reporting mechanism for self‑harm, bullying and other student safety concerns. Students helped review Safe2Help marketing materials and selected a poster to print for every classroom for next school year; administration said it will include the resource in parent newsletters and a broader student outreach campaign.
On the proposed drop box for contraband, administration said staff are seeking a large, secure receptacle (staff investigated repurposed street mailboxes and vendors including UPS) and expect to have some type of drop box in place at the start of the next school year. The board and administration discussed that the drop box is intended to provide a non‑punitive option for students to dispose of vapes or other contraband and to emphasize assistance rather than punishment, reflecting survey feedback.
The ambassadors also proposed changes to their program: ambassador involvement in future selection panels, creation of a secretary role to record minutes and distribute recaps, inclusion of teacher recommendations, and attendance expectations.
Ending: Board members thanked the students for the presentation and confirmed administration will use the survey results and ambassador input to guide outreach and operational planning over the summer and into the 2025–26 school year.
