Hail to the Chiefs!
Like Mother, Like Daughter — Hillary & Lily
While they are from different generations, this mother-daughter duo is on the same page when it comes to leadership. Both hold the gavels as Madam and Miss President: they are currently taking the lead for both PTA and Student Council.
With a love of the school and a breadth of knowledge about Village, Hillary said it felt like a good fit when she was asked to step into the role as PTA President. Inspired by her mom and ready to try something new, Lily, a graduating 5th grader, knew time was running out; she wanted to seize the opportunity to try her hat at being Student Council President.
In her role as PTA President, Hillary most enjoys getting to talk with so many amazing people, leading the community meetings and brainstorming solutions when there are challenges. She also enjoys the good company of the other board chairs and seeing all the fantastic work they do! Lily says she enjoys being in charge, and like her mom, running the meetings!
Of course, with leadership comes challenges, too. Hillary says it’s difficult when the PTA Board makes a decision that disappoints some members of the community, but she is grateful to Village because we can have respectful conversations around disappointments, and sometimes (but not always) find new solutions. Lily couldn’t think of any specific challenges yet, so we’re assuming the Council must be on the same page when it comes to selecting Spirit Days, at least so far!
Interested in being on the PTA Board, or have a student interested in being on Student Council? Both Hillary and Lily recommend giving it a try! Hillary suggests getting to know the different PTA Board positions, identifying the one(s) you are most interested in, and talking with that specific board member. Hillary notes that, of course, the key ingredient for any role, is having a passion for Village. “We are all volunteers, bringing different perspectives. The most important thing we can do is model the Village Values and complete our jobs (whatever they may be) the best way we can.”
Hillary sees that passion for Village in Lily, and says she enjoys talking with lots of people and being a good role model and doing a good job.“ A good leader needs to listen and make good choices, and I’m so proud watching her exhibit those qualities,” shared Hillary when speaking about the attributes that make Lily a good leader and Student Council president. Lily says she admires her mom’s comfort and ease as a leader, and her lack of fear when speaking in front of people.
Seeing Lily in action as Student Council President, and watching her listen thoughtfully and encourage participation, has left Hillary with little advice for her beyond continuing to do what she’s doing, because she’s doing an amazing job, she says! And for her mom, Lily offers advice well beyond her years — advice that holds true no matter what role you serve: “It’s okay if you make mistakes.”
Hillary and Lily’s synergistic roles are emblematic of the current discussions of finding ways for the PTA to work more closely with the Student Council to help support and foster a kid-driven culture. “The first step will be asking the Student Council what that means to them, listening to what they have to say, and finding ways for increased communication between the student and parent leadership groups,” says Hillary. “It’s something we are working on for the future.”
As for their favorite things about Village, Hillary says her list could go on for awhile, but to name a few: teachers and staff, book browse, buddy reading, cross-grade friendships, community, the camping trip, empowering kids, relationships with some special kids, growth mindset, the Positive Discipline framework, love of learning, math with the 5th graders, classroom reading time, publishing parties, and magical moments when a kid understands something and you can see the understanding light up their eyes! Lily kept her favorites list simple – “Centers.” Like Lily, Centers is a big favorite for many of our Village students, so this is a powerful plug for parents to volunteer for Centers!!
While Hillary has signed on to be our Village PTA President next year, Lily will move on to middle school with a little extra leadership experience in her back pocket, a pocket full of all sorts of Village experiences to build upon! Who knows what the future will bring — Lily for President 2024?!
