Student Government

Onteora High School’s Student Government is dedicated to serving our school and community with diligence, honor, and integrity. Our mission is to:

• Facilitate productive and open communication between the student body and administration, the Board of Education, teachers, and faculty  

• Support the student body through unbiased advocacy 

• Maintain accountability and approachability to our constituents

• Foster a safe, comfortable environment conducive to learning

• Promote a culture that passes its excellence to succeeding generations of students

• Build and strengthen respect and equality towards all

Each generation of student government will strive to leave Onteora stronger than they found it. By dedicating ourselves to fulfilling these ideals, we will serve our school and community through voicing the student body’s collective ideas and putting them into action.

Dear Onteora students, 

Over the past weeks, we have all felt pain and anguish in response to the latest in a string of senseless murders that are the result of systemic racism. We are outraged by the wrongful deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. Our hearts break for their families and loved ones. It is easy to forget that our country was founded on the original sin of slavery and that racism is at the root of the American experiment. The current situation is just the latest iteration of a broken system that has existed for over 400 years. We can still love our country, our community, and our police, but we have a responsibility to acknowledge that something is profoundly wrong. 

Every American has the right to be treated equally and with dignity, especially by the institutions and people that are meant to protect us. It is a painful reality that the parents of black children in this country must teach their kids to take precautions with the police that white Americans have the privilege of forgoing. We must demand better not only from law enforcement, but from our country’s healthcare system. COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on marginalized communities has laid bare these racial inequalities that we have long understood but never seen so clearly.

We would like to recognize many of our students, teachers, and alumni for lending your voices to this issue — we marched with many of you at the recent Black Lives Matter demonstration and we were inspired by our community’s unified presence. Even as these issues fade from the front pages of our newspapers, we must continue to deepen our understanding of the history and reality of racism in America. If we hope to grow as a nation and as people, it is incumbent upon each of us to educate ourselves, to hold each other accountable, and to make sure that our actions are consistent with our dedication to justice and equality. 

Sincerely, 

Your Student Government

 

Congratulations Class of 2020!

We have all worked tremendously hard over the past four years, and we should be very proud of our accomplishments. As our time at Onteora draws to a close, we are confronted by some mixed emotions. We miss each other and are sad and frustrated over losing the in-person experience of our senior year, but we are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from our community. Administration, faculty, community members, law enforcement, and alumni have worked tirelessly to organize a graduation ceremony that is safe but also gives us the recognition we have earned. The caravan-style procession on June 25 will be a celebration of this year's graduates throughout the Onteora Central School district, and we hope to see you all there. 

Many of you have heard that beginning June 26, socially distanced graduations of up to 150 people will be allowed in New York. Even if we postponed our ceremony, this attendance restriction would not allow for our parents, loved ones, and teachers to be there for our graduation. Our caravan ceremony has been confirmed and will continue as planned. Teacher and community participation in this year’s ceremony is expected to be extremely high, and we can’t wait to celebrate alongside everyone. 

We hope this is not the last event we are able to organize for our class. As safety regulations shift to allow more people to gather, we are putting in every effort to ensure that we have an event where we are able to see our classmates over the summer. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any ideas, questions, or concerns.   

For details on graduation, please visit the school website or the Counseling Center Communication Google Classroom page. We hope you all are as excited about graduation as we are!  Stay safe and we'll see you on the 25th! 

Class of 2020 Senior Officers

Onteora Association of Student Governments

 

Any bylaws or amendments passed by the Onteora Association of Student Governments in no way supersedes Board policy.

 

1. Activities of Student Government

1. This body can discuss and/or vote on any suggestions made by staff members, administration, the Board of Education,, or students outside or within this council.
2. This body reserves the right not to entertain any said suggestions

1. To dismiss a suggestion, one must say “trash”

2. Election Process for Class Officers

1. It is not the role of student government to either mandate or suggest campaigning

1. Candidates may choose whether or not to campaign

1. If candidates choose to campaign, all campaign activities must be cleared through the administration

2. Grade level assemblies to be approved by administration shall be held to present the election process to students.

3. Election Process for Student Government Officers

1. By default, the roles of Treasurer, Secretary, President, and Vice President shall be taken on by the Senior class officers in accordance with their already established positions (ex: the Senior class President will also be the President of Student Government)
2. If no Seniors are interested in the open position, with the exception of the role of President, the position will fall to the Junior class officers in accordance with their already established positions
3. This process shall be repeated all the way down to the Freshman class should no Seniors, Juniors, or Sophomores express interest in officer positions in Student Government
4. Should the Senior Class President decline their position as the President of Student Government, a special election may be held to elect a senior to that position

1. All high school students, freshmen through seniors, may vote in the special election

4. Removal from Office

1. Should any elected member of Student Government fail to attend three or more consecutive meetings without offering sufficient explanation, the rest of the members may choose to hold a vote to reevaluate that member’s position

1. A three quarters majority vote of all members is required to remove the member from office

1. Absentee ballots shall be accepted

2. The removed member’s position shall be filled by the student that was the runner up in that year’s class election for the vacant position
3. If the removed member ran uncontested, a special election shall be held to fill the vacant position

2. Should the impeachment of an elected member of Student Government be proposed, the body of Student Government will vote on whether to impeach them.

1. First there will be a vote for impeachment that requires 50% to pass.
2. If the first vote impeaches the member, the impeached member will have an opportunity to defend themself.
3. After their defense, another vote with a 75% majority will result in their removal.
4. If they are removed, the runner-up of their position will be awarded the position.

1. If the runner-up is not interested in the position, a special election will be held.

1. The impeached member can not run for re-election in the year they are impeached.

 

5. Voting Within Student Government

1. The staff advisor for Student Government is not a voting member of the association
2. A majority of member votes in favor is required to pass a motion
3. Absentee votes shall not be accepted
4. Written statements may be issued to be read aloud at meetings in anticipation of an absence

6. Meetings

1. One meeting per quarter including grades 6-12 per year shall be held when and if possible

 

 

7. Student Government Roles

1. Board Representative

1. The Board representative shall be a standing, voting member of the Association of Student Government
2. Material presented to the Board falls under the ultimate discretion of the Board Representative

1. Possible sources include a suggestion box, meeting minutes, and personal discretion

3. The Board Representative must brief Student Government on his/her/their intended message before presenting to the Board

2. President

1. The President shall run and call meetings as well as make agendas in partnership with the advisor

1. In calling meetings, the President is not required to adhere to a given schedule

3. Vice President

1. The Vice President shall fill the role of President if the elected President is not in attendance

4. Treasurer        

1. The Treasurer shall log money with the advisor
2. The Treasurer shall suggest future budgets

5. Secretary

1. The Secretary shall take official minutes of all formal meetings

1. In the event that the Secretary is absent from a meeting, a volunteer shall take minutes
2. Minutes shall be sent to the advisor following all meetings

8. Amendments

1. An amendments section shall be included in the bylaws of this association.
2. This is a standing document until amended

1.  The approval of students, as described in Section IV, is required to amend this document

9. Resignation

1. If a student wishes to resign from their position, they must send a letter of resignation to the president of the student government to be read aloud during the next student government meeting.
2. Following resignation, if there is a runner up who wishes to take the position, they may. Otherwise, a special election will be held to elect the new member.

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Initiatives

Here are some of the things that your student government is working on:

• Letter writing campaign to senior citizens.
• Student use of outdoor spaces (courtyards).

Mask Donations 

 

The Onteora High School Student Government, working with Liamolly LLC (which donated many of the masks), will be sending approximately 170 of these masks to homes throughout the District this afternoon. The Student Government hopes that this will make life just a little easier for our families as we follow New York State guidelines for safer public interaction. Stay healthy, everyone!