Student leaders gather for first in-person retreat since 2019

Dec. 13, 2022

Voices that Empower

On Dec. 2, 2022 student councils from all six secondary schools across the Board gathered in-person at St. Peter Catholic Secondary School to take part in the Student Council Leadership Retreat: Voices that Empower. The focus of the retreat is to enable Student Council members to strengthen their relationships with student leaders from other Catholic secondary schools and to build a support network for the coming school year.

The day started with a strong welcome from the St. Peter CSS student council members as schools from across the region arrived for a day filled with learning and empowerment. 

“We are so excited to welcome everybody back to our first in-person retreat since 2019, Voices that Empower,” says senior student trustee Siobhan Cadigan. 

“Working in collaboration with our student council liaison committee we are looking forward to the keynote speakers, workshops, and of course, cheer competition ahead,” adds junior student trustee Madelyn Gaskell. 

The Student Council Liaison Committee includes the student trustees, junior and senior reps from all six secondary schools in the Board, a trustee, principals and the director of education, who meet monthly to discuss student issues. The committee is composed of a junior (Gr. 11) and a senior (Gr. 12) representative from each PVNC Catholic Secondary School. 

The theme Voices that Empower centered the day around conversations about advocating for peers by empowering those that may be unable to do so for themselves, as well as understanding biases and barriers that may not be visible.

Hearing from the Board’s Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Advisor Benjamin, and mental health advocate Asante Haughton, students also took part in smaller workshops with speakers as well as Liane Zafiropoulos, who’s research centers around achieving social and climate justice through Indigenous curriculum.