Imperial Beach Eagle & Times

Week of: Thursday, October 29, 2009

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Fourth, Fifth And Sixth Graders Run For Student Council
by Pete Salisbury

Oneonta Elementary School fifth grade student Juan Aguilar posts his campaign sign as he prepares for the school’s student council elections. Photo by Pete Salisbury

Juan Augilar, 10, moved to the front of the room. He was quiet for a moment, gathering his courage not only to speak to the audience of parents and fellow students but to show his teacher Mrs. Teagle that he could do this.

“My name,” he started, hearing his voice boom from the speakers, “is Juan Augilar and I am running for Oneonta Student Council.”

The story began a week earlier when Oneonta Elementary School sixth grade teachers Mary Connole-Howard, (Mrs. C.H. to the students) and Desiree Million began accepting student applications for the annual student council elections.

They were surprised and excited by the turn out of more than 40 fourth, fifth and sixth grade students wanting to be part of student government.

Juan signed up but immediately started having second thoughts when told he would need to give a speech. “I'm not sure I can do it,” he confessed. “I have stage fright. One Christmas I was the jingle bell dude in the school play. My tongue swelled up in my mouth and I pretty much ruined the whole play.”

Juan's teacher Mrs. Teagle said “Juan's new to the school and I think he really wants to run and it would do him some good. It might help him buckle down in class and get his work done.”

All the candidates made campaign signs and hung them around the campus then spent several days working on their speeches. Speech day arrived and Juan could barely look anyone in the eye. “I can't do it,” he confessed, but his classmates spent the morning encouraging him and by lunch he felt he was ready and spent recess time practicing his speech at the auditorium podium, the only student to do so.

Concluding his speech, Juan promised, “If elected, I will set a good example for my fellow students. I will make Oneonta a safer school, a better school, a funnier school.”

When the votes were counted Juan was one of 23 students elected and with a big smile he admitted “I was excited when I heard.”

2009 Oneonta Student Council members:

Fourth grade: Zachary Rall, Jasmine Riley, Sophia Shepard, Kiana Hatter, Jazmin Nunez, Savanah Evans, David Weiber, Garret Conder and Samantha Olmos.

Fifth grade: Luciano Mendez, Natasha Vassel, Elizabeth Childers, Silvia Saldana, Juan Aguilar and Brianna Bakker.

Sixth grade: Justin Mayuyu, Melissa Carrasco, Zachary Barros, Miralynn Jimenez, Tavian McKinney, Moses Turner, Xavier Sanchez, and Aimee Garcia.

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