Today, student leaders from across the Putnam County School District gathered for the April meeting of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SSAC), a group of students in grades 8–12 who serve as a direct link between district leadership and the student body. These student representatives meet throughout the school year with Superintendent Rick Surrency to provide valuable feedback on district initiatives and decisions.
Superintendent Surrency began the meeting with a warm welcome. He then led students through a visual leadership lesson using a peacock feather. A student was asked to balance the feather on one finger while looking at the bottom—it wobbled. But when the student shifted their focus to the top of the feather, they were able to balance it with ease. The lesson? When we focus on the big picture, we gain better balance, clarity, and purpose in leadership and in life.
The interactive morning continued with a team-building exercise called “Survival on the Moon,” where students collaborated and problem-solved in small groups.
Following the activity, students engaged in a series of meaningful roundtable discussions:
Tonya Whitehurst, about the upcoming PCSD Career Fair, encouraging upperclassmen who may be interested in staying in Putnam County after graduation to consider joining the PCSD workforce. She shared insight into opportunities available within the district and handed out flyers with event details, along with a fun bag full of PCSD-branded goodies for each student.
Jonathan Hinke led a dialogue on Acceleration and Career & Technical Education (CTE), gathering valuable student feedback and ideas for future program development.
Diana Drew presented about the 7th Judicial Circuit initiative—a partnership between school districts and the State Attorney’s Office to raise awareness about pressing student safety issues, including vaping, written threats, and the importance of speaking up. The group recently put together a Public Service Announcement (PSA) titled “Safety First, Success Always: The Health Impacts of Vaping.”
🎥 Watch the PSA here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2TFLhdYQaE
We’re proud of these student leaders for using their voices and vision to help shape the future of PCSD.
To learn more about the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council and see the list of 2024–2025 SSAC Members, visit: https://www.putnamschools.org/page/ssac
#ProudtobePCSD