www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday December 5, 2008 - 45 Student parliament lets kids get involved By Devon Aris and Julien Ramparas GRADE 8, EASTVIEW P. S. H ere at Eastview Public School, students have a voice through our very own student parliament. As a result of the efforts of the student parliament, students are able to organize and participate in many awesome activities. A student parliament is a group of elected leaders who represent their class at weekly meetings. They help contribute to the school by planning, organizing and running events such as spirit days, pep rallies, dances, intramurals and raising funds for worthy causes. The process of choosing a student parliament begins in September with each Grade 6, 7 and 8 class selecting two people from their homeroom to represent them. Each representative is Pet pics with Santa at Oakville Place Pet Photos with Santa will be done at Oakville Place Shopping Centre on Monday, Dec. 8. The photos will be done from 6-9 p.m. and those interested in participating must reserve a time, in person, at the mall's Guest Services kiosk. Reservations are made on a first come, first served basis. All proceeds will support Dog Guides Canada. responsible for seeking input from their fellow classmates, sharing information discussed during meetings and organizing events. Once the student reps are chosen they, in turn, are eligible to run for prime minister of the school. This past year, we had nine people run for office. For one week the candidates filled the school with posters advertising themselves and their good ideas. Then the candidates gathered at an assembly where they made a speech outlining the reasons why they were the best person to lead the school. The speeches were outstanding! Following the assembly students returned to their classes to cast their vote. Later that day, an announce- ment was made and we all congratulated our new leaders, Devon Aris, prime minister and Julien Ramparas, deputy prime minister. The parliament organized and planned our first school dance, which was Halloween themed. The dance was a great success; we also saw some of our skilled teachers "breaking it down" on the dance floor. On Halloween day, our school was decorated with spooky decorations. Classes were judged on their Halloween spirit based on the number of students wearing orange and black and the "spookiness" of their classroom door. During weekly meetings, we continue to discuss ways to make our Eastview culture even more positive. Each month, we co-ordinate a spirit day that includes an assembly. In November, we held a Wacky Hair/Hat Day and in future months we hope to have students participate in other spirit days. This month, the student parliament is planning the Food and Penny drives and the Mitten Tree. These activities help us to support families in our community by providing food, winter clothing and gifts. This is one of our parliament's important roles. We all benefit from giving back to our Eastview community. The student parliament con- tributes to Eastview, making it the best it can be. Going out of their way, and sometimes their budget, to make Eastview Public School entertaining for not only the students, but for our hardworking staff as well. It gives students a chance to speak up and contribute to what goes on in our school community. The student parliament is a great asset to our school. From dances and spirit days, to fundraisers and pep rallies, our student parliament provides an opportunity for future leaders to develop their skills and talents. just in time FOR CHRISTMAS THE DECORATING CENTRE 5195 Harvester Road, Unit #12, Burlington (Between Appleby Line and Burloak) DENTURES tarting at S (905) 681-2000 OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 379 905-815-8208 $ 2 DAYS ONLY The Decorating Centre is a trade resource centre for interior designers and is not normally open to the public. We are opening our doors to the public for our Annual Winter Floor Model LIMITED TIME OFFER CLEARANCE SALE SATURDAY DECEMBER 6 (10:00 am - 3:00 pm) SUNDAY DECEMBER 7 (10:00 am - 3:00 pm) We are holding this sale to make way for the 2009 inventory that will be arriving shortly. You can purchase designer products as Christmas presents at fantastic clearance pricing! FURNITURE CLEARANCE · Upholstered Furniture · Case Goods · Limited selection of Floor Models 40-60% OFF RETAIL · Table Lamps · Mirrors · Trees 40% OFF RETAIL AREA RUGS Huge Selection 50% OFF RETAIL