Secondary Superintendent’s Advisory Council learn about the importance of teamwork

Students in the Secondary Superintendent’s Advisory Council completed an exciting team-building activity on Wednesday, creating go-carts with everyday supplies and candy. The group who was crowned the winner, naming their cart “Alexzandria,” cheered as their vehicle began rolling past the other groups’.

"Today's team building activities emphasized the ‘4 Cs’ of STEM education: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity,” said Dr. Jamal Doggett, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Administration. “After completing the activities, students were able to reflect and articulate the use of these skills and how they can be successful in the classroom and beyond. It was truly a pleasure to see our secondary advisory students embrace these activities with such passion." 

This exercise demonstrated the importance of team work and how to apply that to school and in the workforce. Dr. Doggett stressed the importance of soft skills such as teamwork and learning from mistakes, which will be valuable as students continue their education and when they begin working. 

"I had the pleasure of facilitating the hula hoop pass activity during our student advisory council meeting,” said Lisa Mayzun, Director of Health and Physical Education. “This engaging activity not only broke the ice but also fostered critical thinking and healthy competition among the secondary students. It was a wonderful opportunity to see our students collaborate and build stronger connections".

Through collaboration, students were able to quickly make functional go-carts to race each other. The exercise also connected to the work they have been doing throughout the year, working together to improve their schools.

Parent liaisons and administrators from Curriculum and Instruction guided students through the activity. A fan was placed behind each of the cars, and the car that traveled the furthest won. 

“One of the highlights was a go-cart design challenge, where students were tasked with creating innovative and functional vehicles,” said Marybeth Rhodes, Director of Humanities. “This activity required rigorous teamwork and strategic thinking as they navigated through design constraints and performance testing. The atmosphere was loud with excitement when it was time to race their original go-cart designs, with students showing a competitive spirit while cheering for their teams.”

Students also worked on finalizing the survey that they created to share with all students in the District. This survey will allow District administrators to see the improvements that students believe need to be made to schools. This input will play a role in guiding their future decision-making.