“We cannot build the future for the youths, but we can build our youth for the future,” a statement famously proclaimed by Teddy Roosevelt, rings true at Sally Mauro Elementary, where a talented group of young students helps pave the way for everyone in the school. 

Castle Country Radio had the opportunity to sit down with four of these stellar students as the KOAL newsroom was joined by student council members Sammy Richie, Harper Nichols, Mia Stapley and Jaycee Frandsen for a conversation about the school year thus far and what lies ahead for the Sally Mauro Bulls.

Opening our conversation, each representative shared why they got involved with the student council, starting with Riche, who stated,” In first grade, this girl would always talk about how I was different from everybody, and that my outfit looked weird, and she said that I just didn’t fit in. And then this student government, someone in the student government council, she stuck up for me, and ever since first grade, I’ve always wanted to be in student government and help people too.”

Nichols added,” I’m also here to help people, because I didn’t like seeing other people get bullied, like Sammy.”

Stapley continued the conversation,” I just wanted to make the school a better place for everybody.” Frandsen rounded things out by saying,” Just seeing all the wonderful things that they do just makes me really happy inside, and when I do something kind, it just makes me feel like joy.”

Examining how they plan to bring joy to the school, the students shared a plan to build a buddy bench for the playground, with Nichols sharing,” We’re getting a buddy bench for the older kids’ playground, and we’re going to make a sign and everything. And like a buddy bench is like when you don’t have someone to play with at recess, you can go sit on the buddy bench, and somebody would go and say, ‘Hey, do you want to play with us?'”

Frandsen went on to explain how they plan to fund this project,” We’re going to do a candy cane sale this upcoming week, and we’re going to do sucker sales further through the year.

Riche added on, sharing some of the other activities these fundraisers help host: “Everyone else who’s buying candy canes to raise money for our conference. We drive to the conference, so when we sell candy canes, we also sell suckers. When we do that, it raises money so that we can get to the conference,” referring to a leadership conference the students were able to attend.

Continuing on the conference, each student shared their favorite quotes they learned from the event, which included:

• “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”- Anne Frank
• “20% more love and 20% less hate.”
• “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
• “Smile more.”

Closing our conversation, Frandsen thanked the teachers at the school for “all the work that they put in to make this school year amazing.” Riche extended that thanks to everyone at the school,” without their support and help for, like, buying candy cane sales and suckers, this just wouldn’t be possible without them either. They make the whole school amazing.”

For more information on upcoming events at Sally Mauro Elementary, visit the school’s website or Facebook page.