By Felicity Zhang — CCHS Correspondent
As much as I love math, budget discussions go over my head. Still, the School Committee’s meticulous fiscal policy deliberations clearly reflect the concern and dedication of our district’s faculty, parents, and other community members to providing a welcoming and holistic educational experience.
In my third and final year as a student representative on the School Committee, I’m eager to continue amplifying my peers’ voices in crucial district-wide discussions.
As we head into the second year of the District Strategic Plan for 2023-28, which my peers and I helped shape, I am optimistic that the School Committee will work to actualize these goals.
In particular, I expect our district will enhance our admirable emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within and beyond the classroom environment and curricula. Such efforts might include even more district-wide multicultural celebrations.
Motivation v. pressure
Another key issue for many classmates is prioritizing students’ mental health by implementing accessible support networks to expand upon this year’s initial discussions and events that focus on wellness. Our district takes pride in the quality of our academic and extracurricular opportunities and the intelligence and dedication of our students, but it’s crucial to pay equal attention to the thin line between healthy motivation and overwhelming pressure.
I’m also confident the School Committee will continue celebrating achievements, with perhaps even greater focus on “unconventional” accomplishments and less-visible victories as the innovation of students and faculty motivates our district to support more varied and equitable educational paths to success.
To that end, the new Concord Middle School Ellen Garrison Building should be recognized as an opportunity to restore an open-minded, understanding, and resilient community, notably by increasing school connections and collaborations.
This past year’s contentious naming process should not hinder unified progress but rather underscore the passionate advocacy of our community and our shared goal of fostering an inspiring learning environment that best honors our history.
It’s bittersweet that this will be my last year to make an impact on our district. But I am certain that this year’s School Committee will continue advancing an education system that cultivates the knowledge, skills, values, and passion for learning that are key to uplifting each student and our broader community.
