Two Clarke Central High School students walk down the hallway on the first day of school on Aug. 2. According to Family Engagement Specialist and Academic Support Specialist Christian Barner, the School Climate Committee has struggled to consistently attract students to their meetings, with five or six consistently attending. “We’re not getting the turnout that I would like for us to get,” Barner said. “I’ve talked with some school leaders about maybe trying to have (committee meetings) during the day in some way, maybe during Advisement, periodically. (We’re) just trying to find another way to get more students there.” Photo by Aza Khan
CCHS will host a School Climate Committee Meeting at 3:45 p.m. in Room 242 on Nov. 16.
The Clarke Central High School School Climate Committee will hold their next meeting at 3:45 p.m. in Room 242 on Nov. 16.
The event, which is open to all students, will discuss various topics relating to CCHS’ school climate, including the upcoming Big Event, ways to improve student attendance and potential Advisement topics for the second semester.
“This meeting is a little bit more focused than some of the previous ones,” Family Engagement and Academic Support Specialist Christian Barner Barner said. “We’re specifically talking about The Big Event, so we’re gonna get some feedback on what students would want as far as activities, music, foods, snacks, whatever students might want.”
The committee, which Barner founded at the start of the year, aims to give students a monthly forum to openly express their opinions on the school climate. At this meeting, freshman Kaylee Perez Garcia would like to see more student-friendly Advisement topics discussed.
“What I’d like for (the committee) to be is something where students can see that some of the things that they’re discussing happen, that their voices are being heard, (that) they’re not just screaming it at an empty wall.”
— Christian Barner,
Family Engagement Specialist
“What I’d like for (the committee) to be is something where students can see that some of the things that they’re discussing happen, that their voices are being heard, (that) they’re not just screaming it at an empty wall,” Barner said.
“The topics that we discuss in Advisement (are) really obvious, like the vaping (presentation) today. Even my Advisement teacher said that the questions were really, really easy. There were maybe two questions that surprised us,” Garcia said. “(I’d like to see) topics that had to do more with students.”
The committee considered feedback from students about a new recycling program, a school store, and an increase in CCHS cultural events – all of which Barner hopes to implement ahead of the second semester.
“We did have the Hispanic Heritage Festival, and that wasn’t a direct result of what students said, but it was interesting that students (said), ‘We want to have this, we want to see some more cultural things,’” Barner said. “Another thing students brought up was vending machines throughout the school, (so) we are going to open up the school store. We can’t do vending machines, but we’re going to do a school store and we’re working to get that started in January.”
For students who are unable to attend, the committee will accept comments from absentee students at this link or via an email to Barner.
“What I’d like for (the committee) to be is something where students can see that some of the things that they’re discussing happen, that their voices are being heard, (that) they’re not just screaming it at an empty wall,” Barner said.
