As the snow melts and we transition into the warmer days of Spring in the Upper School, preparations for the upcoming school year are already underway, most notably the recent student council elections for the 2026-2027 school year.
This election cycle began with speeches from various candidates on February 19th. Newly re-elected Service Learning Cohead and sophomore Ahana Subbaraman shared that her own experience has taught her what makes an effective student council, highlighting the PDS community as her top priority. She described leadership as “wanting to improve, staying on top of things, and transforming ideas into meaningful actions.” Ms. Manners, the faculty advisor of StuCo, echoed this sentiment, noting efficacy and work ethic are central in her description of the ideal StuCo leader, and she emphasized that initiative and realism are equally important. In particular, Ms. Manners stressed that leaders need to “think really carefully about what needs to happen in order for those ideas to come to fruition” as they begin to plan their initiatives.
Additionally, StuCo leaders take the lead in planning many Upper School-wide events. From the bonfire to spirit weeks, StuCo leaders are essential in fostering community within the Upper School. Ms. Manners further emphasized the importance of knowing the responsibilities of the position. “I think the best thing StuCo can do is work on building a sense of community,” Ms. Manners had explained about StuCo’s key role for the upcoming year. Subbaraman had a similar perspective when reflecting on the highlights of her first year on StuCo, pointing out the Construction Can Drive where she was moved by school community involvement to the point of “looking forward to seeing more of this collaboration within the PDS community.”
Ultimately, the role of a StuCo leader in any capacity at PDS brings a breadth of responsibility to anyone willing to step up, while also strengthening the community in an essential way. Reflecting on the year ahead with these new leaders, Ms. Manners spoke further on her optimism ahead of the journey: “I’m hoping that the new administration will be able to build on the good work that’s happened over the past few years and think of new, dynamic ways to bring the community together,” Ms. Manners expanded. Heading into next year, the main goal, according to Ms. Manners and Subaraman, is to continue the work done this year and build on it even further. Subaraman herself even mentioned some potential initiatives involving more hands-on student feedback and involvement. From both Ms. Manners and Subaraman’s responses one thing is fully clear: the future of StuCo here at PDS is bright and in good hands.
