Motions

1. Be it resolved that the Student Senate commits to fostering an inclusive and supportive school community that allows for individual successes of all members. By focusing on the following key pillars, this strategic blueprint reflects our unwavering dedication to nurturing a school community that not only recognizes the individuality of each student but actively seeks to address their needs. The key areas in reference to the 2020-2024 HDSB Multi-Year Plan include Equity, Mental Health & Well-being, Environmental Sustainability, Indigenous Rights, and Learning & Achievement.

Subcommittees from each of the Multi-Year commitments have been formed to achieve our goals.

Equity & Inclusion

1. Plan and organize events within the school community that celebrate diverse cultural groups, ensuring respectful representation.

2. Utilize assemblies and slideshows to bring attention to various cultures and diverse topics, promoting understanding and appreciation among students.

3. Ensure access to resources adapted to special needs to guarantee an inclusive learning environment.

4. Facilitate opportunities for all students to share their perspectives within the school.

Mental Health & Well-being

1. Conduct mental health awareness campaigns using posters, announcements, and assemblies.

2. Conduct anonymous surveys with support of HDSB research department to gauge students' mental health and use the data to improve mental health resources.

3. Acknowledge mental health as a universal human right and create more open spaces in schools, such as clubs, to encourage discussions.

Learning & Achievement

1. Ensure equitable access to learning resources outside of class.

2. Offer post-secondary advice through interactive learning, career fairs, and workshops.

3. Ensure students are aware of community opportunities available to them through an open database.

4. Establish accommodations for students based on their differing learning styles

5. Create support programs to assist the integration of international students within the HDSB community.

Environmental Sustainability

1. Increase awareness around sustainable transportation, and the importance of utilizing public transportation. 

2. Encourage eco-friendly and green options to promote environmental sustainability such as recycling, cleaning up garbage, and bringing litterless lunches.

3. Bring new knowledge and understanding of environmental initiatives into the board through cooperation with exterior organizations (e.g. Halton Environmental Network, Burlington Green) to promote sustainability. 

Indigenous Rights

1. Expand our knowledge of various topics related to Indigenous cultures through consultation with Indigenous peoples and organizations and emphasizing that the learning is with Indigenous peoples, not without them.

2. Amplify Indigenous voices and reflect voices of the school community and stakeholders to encourage people to act.

3. Foster awareness and transparency within education and school-related communication regarding Indigenous peoples, history, and cultures to work towards Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) and upholding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Halton.

Proposed by: Diyana Sanghera [Student]

Seconded by: Janya Urs [Student]

Passed:  FOR(Unanimous Decision) and  AGAINST (0)

1. Be It resolved that the Senators play a crucial role in connecting with the student body, understanding their opinions, and effectively communicating their roles and that the following document can be used as a resource for possible communication activities.

Goals of Communication:

1. Connect with the Student Body

2. Let the student body know about the Student Senate and the roles of senators

3. Strategies to gather the voices of the students they represent

4. Engage those who are interested in senate activities

Recommendations:

• Encourage student involvement to foster engagement and encourage student involvement through:

  • Morning announcements

  • Surveys

  • Town halls

• Employ various communication channels to to inform the student body about the Student Senate and their roles

  • Social media

  • School websites

  • Classroom presentations

• Establish platforms, such as clubs and student leadership committees, to possibly engage students interested in the Senate decision-making process/ advocacy

  • Encourage open conversations, questions, and concerns during meetings

• Explore options such as student parliaments, councils, clubs or groups to involve those interested in Senate affairs without being senators to engage in various clubs and groups to foster connections, understand diverse opinions, and make their voices heard

• To connect with their peers, try to meet with different students during recess, participate in school events, and maintain an approachable demeanour throughout the school year 

• Actively seek feedback and suggestions through anonymous Google forms and suggestion boxes to engage students who may not verbalize their concerns

• Set up stands during the school year for direct interaction with students regarding Senate-related resources

Proposed by: Sharaniya 

Seconded by: Tugluke Tayer

Passed:  FOR(Unanimous Decision) and  AGAINST (0)

1. “Be it resolved that the Student Senate approves the appointment of the following individuals as Senate Executives to the following positions:

Rose Rong for the position of Secretary

Cherie Liu for the position of Treasurer

Yasmin Rana for the position of Milton Regional Director 

Alan Pan for the position of Oakville Regional Director

Lakshay Gupta for the position of Burlington Regional Director

Ryan Yue for the position of Halton Hills Regional Director

Sabrina Nadeem and Kolina Kakan for the position of Director of Operation

Bhudhav Joshi and Sahiba Walia for the position of Social Media Manager

Taleen Qwasmi and Tugluke Tayer for the position of Website Manager

Grace Shen and Wareesha Khan for the position of Professional Development Coordinator

Shirley Kosgoda for the position of Operations Coordinator

Ashiya Dewan for the position of Elections Officer 

for the 2023-2024 school year.”

Proposed by: Corbin Baeumler

Seconded by: Caelan Nguyen

Passed:  FOR(Unanimous Decision) and  AGAINST (0)

1. Be it resolved that the Student Senate approves the appointment of the following individuals as the Co-Chairs to the following committees:

Conor Gross and Shireen Malik for the Equity & Inclusion Subcommittee, 

Alisia Noorali and Avani Singh for the Mental Health & Well-Being Subcommittee, 

Hallie Green and Anoushka Guptha Medimi for the Learning & Achievement Subcommittee, 

Mina Aydemir and Ananya Ghai for the Environmental Leadership Subcommittee, 

Jovana Asante-Tutu and Suvi Kakan for the Indigenous Perspectives & Awareness Subcommittee,

for the 2023-2024 school year.”

Proposed by: Hallie Green

Seconded by: Jessie Tate 

Passed:  FOR(Unanimous Decision) and  AGAINST (0)

1. Be it resolved that the Student Senate approves the appointment of the following individuals as HDSB Board Mental Health and Environmental Senator Representatives to the following committees:

Ashiya Dewan for the position of Secondary Representative to the Mental Health Strategy Advisory Committee

Taleen Qwasmi for the position of Secondary Representative to the Mental Health Strategy Advisory Committee

Mia Mathur for the position of Elementary Representative to the Mental Health Strategy Advisory Committee

Grace Shen for the position of Secondary Representative to the Environmental Leadership and Sustainability Committee

Bhudhav Joshi for the position of Secondary Representative to the Environmental Leadership and Sustainability Committee

Kolina Kakan for the position of Secondary Representative to the Environmental Leadership and Sustainability Committee

Brooke James for the position of Elementary Representative to the Environmental Leadership and Sustainability Committee

Melody Liu for the position of Elementary Representative to the Environmental Leadership and Sustainability Committee

Proposed by: Adrian Papp

Seconded by: Anoushka Medimi 

Passed:  FOR(Unanimous Decision) and  AGAINST (0)

1. Be it resolved that the Student Senate approves to seek to focus on the theme of education as a vehicle to empower student voices and to increase awareness of student rights and responsibilities. By focusing on education, the HDSB Student Senate strives to improve student knowledge of school and board resources, the importance and the impact of students' voices, and the array of cultures and lived experiences in the HDSB. Through highlighting underrepresented voices, empowering student voices, and raising awareness of student-centered issues, we strive to enact change that fosters a culture of understanding of the diverse identities and communities amongst HDSB students. 

Subcommittees from each of the Multi-Year commitments have been formed to achieve our goals.

Passed: 91 FOR and 2 AGAINST

2. Be it resolved that the Student Senate approves the appointment of the following individuals to the Student Senate Executive Council:

• Shirley Kosgoda for the position of Secretary

• Sabrina Nadeem and Sasha Thomas for the position of Directors of Operations

• Chloe Chan for the position of Treasurer
  Ava Cikoja, Lulu Hynes, and Wania Shaikh for the position of Professional Development Coordinators

• Grace Xu for the position of Operations Coordinator

• Keaton Bailie for the position of Burlington Regional Director

• Ryan Yue for the position of Halton Hills Regional Director

• Sultan Alimzhanov for the position of Oakville Regional Director

• Ashiya Dewan for the position of Milton Regional Director

• Alan Pan and Sree Venkatanarayanan for the position of Social Media Managers

• Aidan Tran, Tugluke Tayer, and Zuhairah Jaudat for the position of Website Managers

for the 2022-2023 school year

Passed:  90 FOR and 0 AGAINST

3. Be it resolved that the Student Senate approves the appointment of the following individuals as the Co-Chairs to the following committees:

• Janya Rajpal and Shireen Malik for the Equity & Inclusion Subcommittee

• Alisia Noorali and Eileen Wu for the Mental Health & Well-Being Subcommittee

• Naysa Dalal and Prassan Aggarwal for the Learning & Achievement Subcommittee

• Kolina Kakan and Hasan Nawaz for the Environmental Leadership Subcommittee

• Harshika Dua and Neil Sangani for the Indigenous Perspectives & Awareness Subcommittee

for the 2022-2023 school year.

Passed: 80 FOR and 0 AGAINST

1. Be it resolved that the Student Senate approves the launch of the Mental Health & Wellbeing Leadership Committee with the main purpose to address the void of student perspective within HDSB Mental Health Strategy through fostering dialogue regarding mental health issues that commonly affect HDSB students.

2. Passed: 103 FOR and 4 AGAINST

1. Be it resolved that the Student Senate approves  that The HDSB Student Senate goals for the 2021-2022 school year are rooted in the areas of Equity & Inclusion, Indigenous Rights, Environmental Sustainability, Mental Health & Well-being (with an emphasis on health and safety in schools), and Learning & Achievement. Through these actionable goals, the Student Senate aims to advocate for improved education and accessibility of board resources and opportunities, greater transparency, and student consultation on board decisions impacting student experience. 

2. Passed Elementary: 54 FOR and 0 AGAINST

3. Passed Secondary: 31 FOR AND 0 AGAINST