The Principal Advisory Council (PAC) has come together and made some decisions about our school, like adding lines on the tennis courts for pickleball and getting pickleball courts. Principal, Frank Bell, and a senior, Evelyn McKelvey, were interviewed about PAC.
How do you leverage the diverse perspectives in this room to make better decisions and explain why?
“We have a rule, and that is simply when one person has the floor, the rest of us are respectful and allow that student to share their thoughts,” Bell said. “Students have great ideas. Many times, it’s a discussion…a collaboration. It’s not simply my way or the highway.”
What is the “one thing” you wish the community understood about the challenges you face that the council helps address, and explain why?
“GEHS students are a reflection of their community,” Bell said “So, the PAC is like a living Facebook CFG, except the conversation remains civil and respectful – and we collaborate for solutions.”
What is your long-term vision for the council’s role in the school’s success, and why?
“My belief is that all the school’s stakeholders should have a place at the table, the main ones being: parents, students, and staff,” Bell said. “The PAC gives GEHS students representation, and they know they influence to impact decisions.”
Do the students you selected for the PAC get to decide and come up with ideas, or is it just you explaining?
“No, they bring ideas,” Bell said. “Like, I’m currently trying to get more pickleball courts at GEHS.”
Evelyn McKelvey is a senior here at GEHS, and she is one of the people who got picked by Bell to be in his PAC.
What is the primary goal of this council, and what specific, tangible changes have resulted from its recommendations in the last year?
“The primary goal of the council is to promote student involvement in decisions being made at school,” McKelvey said “An example of a tangible result is that pickleball lines are being added to the tennis courts because students are taking an interest in pickleball.”
What are some of the biggest challenges the council has addressed recently?
“Some big challenges we have recently addressed are the Opt-Out Policy and even the Phone Policy,” McKelvey said
Why did you join the council, and what do you hope to accomplish?
“I joined the PAC to be a representative of Honors and AP Students who would like to see more Honors and AP Programs,” McKelvey said
