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HJH students tell trustees belonging boosts learning; propose dances, peer tutoring and games
Summary
Junior-high students presented Youth Truth survey findings to the board, arguing that stronger belonging would lift academic and social outcomes and proposing student‑vs‑staff events, more dances and peer tutoring to build community.
A group of Hillside Junior High students presented results of a Youth Truth survey and said increasing students’ sense of belonging would improve academic and social outcomes. "As a group, we thought that if we increase the feeling of belonging to the school as a larger community, we'd be able to increase in all the other areas too," one student presenter told the trustees.
The students proposed concrete activities to build community, including student-vs.-staff games (they cited a popular soccer tournament), more school dances to allow socializing outside class, and a peer-tutoring program to build leadership and cross‑grade supportive relationships. They also urged small daily gestures—friends reaching out and giving praise—to encourage consistent inclusion.
Trustees thanked the students for the presentation; a board member said, "What a terrific presentation... I really commend you all in the way that you have brainstormed ideas and talk about why you have those ideas." The students concluded by asking if trustees had questions and took note of the board’s support for moving some ideas forward.
