PS 17 Student Government
"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek" -Barack Obama
The PS17 Student Government was created by our school counselor to provide students with a basic introduction to the government system and a brave space to ask questions and discuss current events all while learning that their voices are vehicles for change. The program was designed to be as real as possible to our actual government with the appropriate developmental accommodations. We are comprised of a PS 17 President, (3rd-5th grade students only) a Vice President, (3rd-5th-grade students only), a Community Organizer, (3rd- 5th grade only) and 2 Senators representing grades 1-5. We invite students who do not have appointed positions in the student government to join our meetings and voice their concerns. Student Government meets weekly.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT UPDATES!
On January 28th, 2022, our student government met another local government official council member Tiffany Caban! Students asked questions about school safety, gun violence, Tiffany's current involvement with Taxi Drivers, Housing, and Rikers Island.
We created a series of HOW TO videos to help our school community get back on track with understanding classroom and school expectations for positive relationships in our school building.
PS17 collaborated with S'well Water Bottles and MIIR Water bottles to provide every single student and adult in the building with a free water bottle to promote sustainability and healthy living :)
June 2021 Update:
Watch our 2021 PS17 Tour Video here! Student Government created this video for new students joining us in Fall 2021. Whether new to PS17 or new to the building post-pandemic, we hope this Virtual Tour helps you feel familiar with our school and your classmates! Enjoy :)
Student Government History:
Our first year as an active government in 2016, we raised over 1000 dollars for the Karam Foundation- an organization that helps rebuild lost schools in Syria. We focused on the bombings in Aleppo and wanted to provide knowledge to our community regarding the events, and support for children around the world. Students learned about helping others, fundraising, and empathy.
In 2017, current events often talked about immigration and many students brought questions to our meetings. We defined immigration, read, and shared stories about immigrant friends, family members, and discussed. Student Government went on a trip to the National Archives Museum and learned about New York's history with immigration and its importance to our community. When we returned to our building we talked about inclusivity and helping each other, and we created school events that highlighted the multiculturalism our school is so lucky to have! We now have dedicated days to these events during Respect for All week and celebrate No One Eats Alone day annually.
In 2018, when the student government reconvened, we talked about what we have learned in the past and what we would like to do to help our PS17 family, even when our President is no longer attending our school. Members discussed and said they wanted students to always feel happy in school and have positive memories. Our student government created a social-emotional questionnaire and surveyed our entire student body! They collected and analyzed the data, noticing areas where students can benefit from more emotional support. The results were shared and discussed with our student leadership team comprised of administration, teachers, and parents.
In 2019, we were seeking a new President and we continued the discussion of student voices being important and making changes. We went on a trip to the Nutrition Center where students advocated for water bottle fountains, healthier foods, and more snacks. Student Government had meetings with the wellness council to advocate for more fun activities students want to participate in, such as having a zen garden, a basketball hoop, and a rock-climbing wall. With our collaboration we were able to help install a rock climbing wall in our small recess yard!
With all the challenges faced in 2020 and 2021, we continued to meet with our student government members and virtually elected new representatives to be part of student government! Our representatives came up with ideas to stay connected during the pandemic, such as virtual lunch bunches where students could meet weekly to have lunch together, chat, and play fun games. It was so great to see students visualize an idea and have it come to life! We also met with a New York Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani (D36) who spoke with us about being a real-life government official!