Committees

1. Purpose and Operation
   1. To assist the Moderator and the Council Executive in their duties and to promote the effective operation of the Council.
   2. The Assistant Moderator will be the chair of the Executive Committee.

Council Officers

A: Moderator - Kavi Patel ('24)

B: Assistant Moderator - Anna Healey ('24)

C: Treasurer - Sam Loescher ('24)

D: Secretary - Mingheng Liu ('25)

E: Dresden School Board Representative - Josh Stearns ('24)

F: Public Relations Officer - Sophie Wise ('24)

G: Committee on Programming and Procedure Representative - Skylar Spiro ('24)

* Council Executive - Linda Addante *

Riley McGuire (Moderator / 23)
Theo Cook (Committee Chair / '25)
Mia Bagnato ('24)
Joshua Janisse ('26)
Soren Stettenheim ('23)
Linda Danilek (staff)

Committee Attendance Sheet

1. Purpose
   1. To serve as a liaison between the Administration and the Council.
   2. To develop a school characterized by trust, responsibility, and effective communication.
2. Specific Duties
   1. To put Council and administrative decisions into effect.
   2. To review and approve campaign posters one week before Election Day.
   3. To keep an ongoing list of all non-procedural motions passed by the Council in a given year. This list, along with all previous lists, will be passed to the next Administrative Committee at the end of each school year.
   4. To be responsible for the Skip Bean Democratic Citizen Award.
      1. The award is described as follows: “HHS prides itself on being a democratic school. As stated in the HHS mission statement, all people in the school community are encouraged to use their “hearts, minds, and voices.” Every member can share in the practice of democracy. The Skip Bean Democratic Citizen award acknowledges those who contribute every day to this democratic process.”
   5. To be responsible for the Staff Member of the Month Award.
      1. The award is described as follows: “We share every day at Hanover High School with our staff members. While they are paid as administrators or teachers, many staff members go above and beyond by staying after class, sponsoring clubs, raising class money, bringing us food, or simply making us smile. As students, we receive thanks for the work we dedicate to class through quarterly reports, honor roll, and class day, yet staff members receive little formal recognition for their work."
   6. To make sure that the school-wide Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Assembly gets organized and occurs sometime in January. The committee could organize the assembly themselves, or find or create another group to do this.
   7. To be responsible for reading this statement on September 11th every year over the PA system, which would be followed by a moment of silence.
      1. “_______ years ago, hijacked planes were crashed into the World Trade Centers in New York City, the Pentagon outside Washington D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania. Today we remember those who died, those who risked their lives to save others, and the families who were affected. Please take this moment to remember the events of September 11, 2001.”
   8. To work with the Associate Principal(s) each year in revising the Student Handbook, as needed.

Vidushi Sharma (Dresden School Board Rep) ('23)
Charlie Forbush ('25) 
Josh Stearns ('24)
Noah Brennan (staff)
Mack Levy ('23)
Gus Thompson ('25)
Ben Hourdequin ('26)

Committee Attendance Sheet

1. Purpose
   1. To deal with areas of the school curriculum — both courses and teaching.
   2. To serve as a liaison between Committee on Program and Procedure (CPP) and the Council.
   3. To deal with areas of the “hidden curriculum” in the school such as decision-making, citizenship, personal choices open to students, and the part students play in more non-academic learning experiences.
2. Specific Duties
   1. Have at least one member attend CPP meetings regularly.
   2. Become familiar with the Program of Studies and the process of its distribution.
   3. Cooperate with CPP in preparation for the release of the Program of Studies.
   4. Survey student and staff sentiment about school curriculum on topics relevant to the school community and concerning the school curriculum at the end of the first semester of every other year, and then assess the results in the following year.
   5. Ensure that mid-course evaluations are conducted (a survey on student sentiment about each course and how it is taught) at the mid-point of each course, and thoroughly evaluated.
   6. Issues surrounding academic honesty are addressed by the committee when needed.
   7. At the end of the year, the Curriculum Committee will meet with the Dean of Students to get a summary of disciplinary action taken that is related to the Academic Integrity Policy.

Anna Healey (Council Secretary / '24)
Sophie Wise (Chair / '24)
Lara Acker (Community Representative)
Skylar Spiro ('24)
Mingheng Liu ('25)
Martin Mosdal ('26)
Lily Stover ('26)

Committee Attendance Sheet

1. Purpose
   1. To be responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Council itself.
   2. To maintain contact and communication with outside affiliates such as the National Association of Student Councils.
2. Specific Duties
   1. To run replacement elections for the Council.
   2. To be responsible for accurate records of member’s attendance and deal with issues of nonattendance.
   3. To promote effective committee membership and functioning.
   4. To effect the Council’s joining of the state, regional, and national student Council associations if the Council so desires.
   5. To review and reprint bylaws annually.
   6. To post the minutes from each week on the Council Bulletin Board and other bulletin boards throughout the school.
   7. To promote and publicize the Council speeches and elections each spring, which will be announced two weeks in advance.
   8. To email the motions passed that pertain to the entire school at the last meeting and the agenda for the next meeting by 12 pm on Wednesday so they can be shared in the Advisory announcements for the same week.
   9. To manage the Council forum in the atrium to increase Council’s involvement with the school community.
      1. At a minimum, the forum will be manned with a Council member during activity periods on Tuesdays and Friday.
      2. The staff table in the atrium will have a permanent box for suggestions to Council regarding potential motions or issues for discussion.
      3. A whiteboard will be placed next to the Council bulletin board for chalk-talk discussions.
          
   10. To facilitate elections of new and tuition students in September (the list of new and tuition students can be obtained from the Dean of Students' Administrative Assistant).
       1. Use locker notes and email to contact all new students and tuition students. New students are students who live in Hanover, Norwich or Etna, but are new to the school. Tuition students are students who come from surrounding towns, other than those stated above.
       2.  Hold an election meeting, also in September, to which all candidates are invited. The students who wish to run should have their names written down, and students who do not wish to run should be encouraged to attend to vote. It is recommended that this meeting be held during Advisory.
       3. Each candidate should be allowed to give a short speech stating his or her name and his or her qualifications and intents.
       4. There will be two ballots at the election meeting. Tuition students should vote for tuition students, and new students should vote for new students. Refer to article 3a, points E and F for membership details.

       5. Results can usually be calculated during the meeting, and the winners should be informed of the meeting time of the Council, as well as the general responsibilities that membership entails.

       6. The names of the two runners-up in each delegation should be recorded in case the elected member is unable to serve.

Kavi Patel - (Treasurer / '24)
Ty Nolon - (Co-Chair / '23)
Theo Burdick - (Co-Chair / '24)
Devyn Wright (Staff)
Jack Gardner ('23)
Claire Uiterwyk ('25)
Sophia Costa ('25)
Patrick Elder ('23)

Committee Attendance Sheet

1. Purpose
   1. To be responsible for an effective program of student activities at Hanover High School that encompasses a wide variety of students and to work directly with the administration toward that end.
   2. To evaluate yearly the scope and variety of the Student Activities program and report in writing to both the Council and the Administration.
2. Specific Duties
   1. To assist the Treasurer in gathering and presenting the various student activities budget requests.
   2. All members of the school community will be notified via common ground, email, and the Council minutes of the availability of, and the deadline for, applying for SA (Student Activities) funds. Requests for SA funds should be made, in writing, to the SAC (Student Activities Committee) by March 15th of the preceding year. The written requests will be made on forms designed by the SAC by October 1st. The written requests will be made on forms designated by the SAC and will include the following information:
      1. Amount Requested
      2. Current Balance
      3. Forecasted Expenses
      4. Fundraising Activities
      5. Number of students participating
      6. Yearly Goals
   3. In addition to the above, the following criteria should be considered by the Student Activities Committee in disbursing funds to clubs: cuts in previous year’s funding, commitment to achieving stated goals for the year, length of the club's existence, and the maintenance of diversity of offering at Hanover High School. 
   4. Members of the SAC should meet with the heads of all student organizations each semester to gain a complete picture of the activities’ needs.
   5. The financial secretary and the activities advisors shall be notified of the funds allocated for each activity by April 15, or as soon as the Dresden Budget is passed, whichever is sooner. 
   6. The Committee can fund late requests and other activities that are starting, as well as special financial needs. Application for such funds will be made, in writing, through the SAC.
   7. Student Activities may consider a school-wide activity each year. Previous activities have included Speak Series, Class Unity Day, State Spirit Day, and Earth Day. 
   8. The Student Activities Committee will suggest changes to and approve the treasure’s draft budget. The Council must pass the final budget as soon as possible after the deadline for fund requests. The financial secretary and the activities advisors shall be notified of the funds allocated for each activity within one week. In the Treasurer’s presentation of the budget to the Council, it is suggested that the following is presented: the process by which clubs request funding, criteria for evaluation, and justification for possibly contentious suggested allocations.

Shayna Rockmore - (Public Relations Person / '22)
Lachlan McCann ('23)
Hal Bourne (Staff)
Sam Loescher ('24)
Andrew McGuire ('25)
Tim Berube (staff)
Jack Myers ('26)

Committee Attendance Sheet

1. Purpose
   1. o provide the best possible environment for students at Hanover High School and to work effectively with the administration to that end.
   2. To serve in an advisory capacity to the administration in matters of student life in the high school.
2. Specific Duties
   1. To work with the Dean of Students each year in revising the Student Handbook, as needed.
   2. To solicit ideas from students in conjunction with the Curriculum Committee in a yearly survey that will evaluate student life at Hanover High School.
   3. To present the results of the above survey to both the Council and Administration.
   4. To facilitate recycling efforts.
   5. To dig up the time capsule buried by OEC in the year 2020 using the map in the Council records.
   6. To maintain the following relationship and obligations to the Alliance of School and Parents (ASAP), when active:
      1. To ensure that the Council is the communication link between ASAP and the student body.
         1. This representative should be chosen at the end of the school year to represent the Council on ASAP meetings, which take place over the summer as well as during the school year.
         2. This representative will then serve until the end of their term on Council the following spring.

1. Purpose
   1. To review administrative decisions in discipline cases when students believe they have been treated unfairly. In its review process, the Judiciary Committee will:
      1. Determine whether each student is innocent or guilty.
      2. Decide whether the administration’s decision is appropriate or inappropriate.
   2. To serve as an advisory body to the administration on policy issues of student discipline.
   3. To deal with the present needs of students who seek support in dealing with the administration.
   4. To generate data regarding the effectiveness of student participation in matters of discipline.
2. Jurisdiction
   1. The Judiciary Committee’s decisions on innocence are binding upon the administration.
   2. When the Judiciary Committee determines that a student is guilty, it may either affirm the administration’s decision or punishment or recommend a new punishment to the administration. If the Judiciary Committee recommends a new punishment, the administration must consider that recommendation and must impose a new punishment, although not necessarily the same punishment recommended. After the administration imposes the new punishment, the student has no further appeal to the Judiciary Committee with respect to that punishment. Decisions of the Judiciary Committee, or the administration after a Judiciary Committee recommendation, may be appealed to the superintendent of schools or the superintendent’s designee pursuant to Regulation JCE, entitled “Student Complaints and Grievances.”
3. Composition

   1. Members of the Judiciary Committee will be elected from the general school body. 

      1. Students and staff may run for Council as well as JComm.
      2. Elections will take place during the Council elections in the spring.
      3. Freshmen will vote in the fall during orientation.
      4. There will be two students from each grade as well as two staff members.
      5. Nomination forms are required but other forms of campaign are not required.
      6. Individuals will vote for two members from their grade (or staff).
   2. A chair, which cannot be a staff member, selected by the members of the Judiciary Committee. It will be the responsibility of the Chair to ensure the proper functioning of the Judiciary Committee.
   3. The Council Executive will serve on the Judiciary Committee as a non-voting member and a resource for the chair.
4. Rules of Operation: Appeal
   1. The appeal of a disciplinary action will be made in writing by the appellant by 3:00 pm of the school day following such disciplinary action. Exceptions to this provision are at the discretion of the chair. It must be given directly to the Chair of the Judiciary Committee and should outline the nature of the offense, the administration’s response, the reason why the appeal is being made, and what the appellant would like the committee to do.
   2. Upon receipt of the written appeal, the chair will notify the administration and request a written statement. If the chair deems it necessary, the administration will be responsible for obtaining a statement from the person who reported the offense to the administration, and for delivering this statement to the Judiciary Committee.
   3. If a member of the Judiciary Committee feels that a conflict of interest exists, the committee will determine by a majority vote if the appropriate committee member will participate in the hearing. If the chair is thus disqualified, they will appoint a temporary chair for that hearing.
5. Rules of Operation: Hearing
   1. If the committee decides to hear the case, the chair will then call a meeting of the committee within two school days, or within two school day hours if suspension is involved. The chair will be responsible for notifying the appellant and the administration of the time and location of the hearing.
   2. The appellant will appear at the hearing at the appointed time. The appellant may select an advocate who may assist the appellant in presenting the appeal. This advocate must be a student or staff member at Hanover High School. The appellant forfeits his or her right to appeal if he or she does not appear at the appointed time without a legitimate excuse, as determined by the chair of the Judiciary Committee.
   3. A parent is urged to be in attendance during testimony.
   4. The Council Executive will be responsible for getting the names of potential witnesses from the appellant and the administration and notifying witnesses that they have been called to testify and of the time and location of the hearing.
   5. The hearing will be held in closed session with all matters held in confidence.
   6. The Council Executive will swear in the representative of the administration, the appellant(s), and witness(es) before their testimony. If it is later ascertained that an appellant or a witness lied before the committee, such perjury will be referred to the administration, with recommended strict penalties.
   7. The committee will receive testimony from all parties involved and will then carry out deliberations in a closed session. The chair will have discretion over who is allowed in the hearings and who is not.
   8. A quorum is required for deliberation and will consist of four members, one of whom will be the Staff Representative.
   9. Postponement can occur only by a unanimous vote of the Committee because of conflict or failure to achieve a quorum.
   10. The hearing will be structured as follows:
       1. Chair: Declaration of charge and punishment.
       2. Chair: Statement of agreed-upon facts of the case.
       3. Administration: Opening statement.
       4. Appellant: Opening statement.
       5. Witnesses: Testimony for the administration.
       6. Questioning of witnesses by the appellant.
       7. Testimony of witnesses for the appellant.
       8. Questioning of witnesses by the administration.
       9. Judiciary Committee: Questioning of the witnesses, the administration, and the appellant.
       10. Administration: Closing statement.
       11. Appellant: Closing statement.
6. Rules of Operation: Deliberations
   1. he Committee’s decision will be rendered in writing to the administration and appellant within 24 hours, or in a case involving suspension, immediately following the decision. The decision must be unanimous.
   2. All deliberations of the Committee are confidential and must remain within the Committee.
   3. The Council Executive will serve as record-keeper of the committee’s proceedings. Records of only the testimony will be kept for the remainder of the school year. There will be no records kept of the deliberations other than the question(s) voted on.
   4. Items for discussion:
      1. Policy (handbook, School Board, state rule, national law)
      2. How the violated policy is seen by the: administration, appellant, student body, community
      3. Evidence: Is the evidence hearsay? ; Has the evidence been substantiated beyond a reasonable doubt? ; What is the intent of the violated policy?
      4. Due Process: Has due process been followed? ; Was the student assumed innocent until proven guilty? ; Are rights involved or are they privileges, or traditions? ; How has the process traditionally been applied? 
      5. Notes and Impact: Can the Judiciary Committee justify its verdict to an outsider? ; Will the decision strengthen or weaken the credibility of the Judiciary Committee in the eyes of the school community? ; How has the appellant's behavior in this matter reflected on the school? ; If the rule needs to be changed, how will that be done and how and when will the school community be notified? 
   5. The chair will be responsible for discussing all of the above aspects with the committee before a vote is taken.
   6. The unanimous decision of the Judiciary Committee will be final and binding.
   7. If the Judiciary Committee decides that the student is innocent, or recommends a new punishment to the administration, the committee will meet in conditions of confidentiality with the administrator(s) who made the decision to explain the reason(s) for the committee’s decision.
7. General
   1. Individual Judiciary Committee members can exercise the power and function of their office only in session; otherwise, they can speak and act only as individuals.
   2. While every effort will be made to avoid conflicts with classes, students who serve on the Judiciary Committee will be allowed, within reason, to be excused from classes in order to attend committee meetings. These students will be responsible for notifying teachers and making up any missed work.
   3. In cases of suspension due to administrative action, the appellant will not begin their suspension until the final decision of the Judiciary Committee. In the meantime, the appellant will be scheduled up so as to be accessible to the committee. If the administration deems scheduling up unwise, the administration and the Judiciary Committee chair will meet to determine an alternative arrangement. If the hearing is delayed overnight, the student is not eligible to participate in any school activities that night.
   4. The Executive Committee of the Council will serve to evaluate the work of the Judiciary Committee at least once each year and report its finding to the Council.
   5. The Judiciary Committee will meet before October 1st to elect a chair and discuss operations of the committee.

Mascot Committee Final Report

What is the name of the committee?

New Mascot Selection and Implementation Committee

 

When will subcommittees meet?

• Plan to have quick full committee meetings (~10-15 minutes) at the beginning of lunch

• Rest will be allocated for subcommittee meetings

 

How will meetings be run?

• The student co-chairs will run the meetings

• The secretary will take minutes which will be posted on the linktree

• The meetings will be recorded for record taking purposes

  • These recordings will be destroyed after 60 days

  • These will only be shown to administration members who request them

  • You can change your name to initials, turn camera off, etc. to make you feel comfortable

 

What is the committee's role in the process of changing the mascot?

• We are charged with selecting a new mascot

  • This will be done by introducing a referendum motion to Council which will have a few options

    • The process of the selection and all that will be the Pre-Competition Subcommittee’s responsibility

  • After the referendum, we will help implement the mascot

    • Making sure there are images of it available

    • Making sure school leaders are aware of it

      • Administrators

      • Helping administration

      • Collaborating with Fundraising

    • Making sure community is aware of it

    • Making sure people are using the right terminology/images

 

What will the timeline look like?

• We must introduce the referendum motion by the end of the year

• No, we do not have more time

• We are splitting it into three phases

  • Pre-Competition

  • Competition

  • Implementation

• We have four meetings for phase one

  • Values and Pre-Comp

 

What has to be done by the end of the school year?

• We must have wrapped up the competition and announced the new mascot to the school and community

How will the committee accomplish its work with only four meetings until the end of the school year?

• We must work as efficiently as possible

• Members must be willing to do the work

• It’s up to Pre-Comp to determine the exact timeline

 

What will the phases look like?

• As said earlier

  • One: pre-comp

  • Two: comp

  • Three: implementation

What will be the subcommittees' roles in the process and timeline?

• Pre-comp will be responsible for determining how the competition will run

  • Also responsible for exact timeline

• Values will be responsible for assembling a list of things to give to the community

  • (Like a grading rubric: what is appropriate, expected, etc.)

  • Talking to experts like WISE and the NAACP or BLM

 

How will we communicate to the community what we are doing as this is an important issue?

• We have an Instagram page

• Plan on communicating with VN

• Using Administration for some things

  • (One page write up by Sage)

• Writing in the weekly updates about the committee’s work

 

What will be the role of point people and the secretary in the committee?

• Secretary

  • Taking minutes

  • Taking attendance

  • Voting records

• Point people

  • Taking subcommittee minutes

  • Leading subcommittee meetings

  • Reporting to the committee

  • Collaborating with chairs

 

How will the co-chairs include all in the process? What is the role of the co-chairs?

• We are open to feedback in the anonymous form on the linktree

• We are always thinking of ways to improve

  • Make others feel more comfortable and safer

• We are always open to ideas and suggestions and wish to act more as facilitators

 

How will the co-chair dynamic work with a staff member?

• Mr. Hirschhorn will be responsible for communicating with staff and the administration

• Josh & Kavi are responsible for communicating with the committee and running meetings

  • Working with co-chairs

  • Also communicating with community and administration