Heath Student Council Earns Awards from Texas Association of Student Councils (TASC)

Leah Voth, Student Council Adviser
April 6, 2015
Filed under Clubs & Organizations, Top Stories

They started the year with a mission: to make it the best year in the history of Rockwall-Heath High School. They understood that by taking on leadership roles as the student government, they could greatly influence the campus culture and could make their mark and set the tone for years to come.

Along the way, Student Council Officers Mackenzie Long (President), Annabelle Baker (Vice-President), Kenzie Woessner (Social Chair), and Bailey Varner (Public Relations) determined that they didn’t just want to stop at making a difference within their school and district; they wanted to be recognized by the state.

Texas Association of Student Councils (TASC) recognizes outstanding student councils in multiple categories each year based on published criteria and a point system. Senior high school and middle level plaques will be mailed in May. Each district president is responsible for ensuring that district school report forms are verified and the results are reported to the TASC office.

Outstanding Student Council

TASC recognizes schools that have an overall outstanding student council. This report form serves as a model for what a well-rounded student council in Texas should be doing to be effective. The form requires documentation of student council organization and structure, specific project areas and participation in TASC programs.

Outstanding Pride & Patriotism Program

The purpose of this program is to encourage student councils to participate in/conduct projects that promote pride and patriotism. National pride and patriotism, state pride and patriotism, local (school and community) pride and individual pride are the focal points of this program.

Outstanding Community Service Program

This program encourages student councils to record and document community service activities conducted by the student council. Cash donations, service hours and donated goods are to be recorded in three areas of service: local community, state and national projects and global programs.

The officer team, along with advisor Leah Voth, traveled to Arlington for TASC District III State Form Verification on Tuesday, March 3^rd to submit their report binders. While there, they interacted with student ambassadors from the Arlington High School Student Council and got a firsthand glimpse of the ways the forms are verified, the kinds of things other schools documented, and were elated to learn that their efforts were validated by multiple District III advisers, who then submitted the award recipient schools to the state.

Past Student Council groups have entertained the notion of questing after state awards, but none have followed through and none have secured the prestigious recognition from the state.

“It was awesome to be able to be the first group to represent Rockwall-Heath Student Council at the state level and to be recognized by the state for all of our hard work and outstanding achievements!” Varner said.

Those involved hope that this will set the tone for future student leaders at RHHS to maintain the standard that they have set by setting goals and aiming high.

“We have been challenged by our campus administration to make an impact both globally, on a district level, and locally, at a campus level, this year. These kids have really impressed me by developing the right priorities and perspectives and following through with commitments—refusing to quit in the face of adversity and obstacles. I could not be more proud to be the leader of this group of leaders. I am truly blessed to work and interact with them each day,” Voth said.

“It makes me feel amazing that I can leave Heath and know that my friends and I made a difference in Student Council and in our school,” Baker said.

“It wasn’t easy, and the paperwork was massive and exhausting, but we didn’t stop until we got the result we wanted, and we are so proud for ourselves and our school,” Woessner said.

“It was such an honor to be recognized for all of our hard work and efforts we’ve put in this year. I feel like this is one of the best student council officer groups Heath has had. We have worked so hard to make an impact on this school and on Student Council itself. To be able to say we are the first student council officers to receive the state award is such an accomplishment for us!” Long said.