Wave photo by Tammy Kimberley

The Associated Student Body (ASB) at Liberty Lake Elementary enables students to have a voice about issues they feel are important. Four of the elected ASB officers—Madie Bruno, Riley Gavin, Jaylee Lake and Andrew Monson—are pictured above on the school playground.

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In the September Wave: Leading the way
8/28/2013 1:25:54 PM

The Wave is a special section just for kids, 
geared toward children in kindergarten through fifth grade


By Tammy Kimberley
Wave Staff Writer

Even though it's a month before the first bell will ring to kick off the school year, four incoming fifth-graders willingly met up at Liberty Lake Elementary School on a recent Monday morning. 

Were they that anxious to get back to the books? Not exactly. These elected ASB officers - minus two who were unavailable due to a soccer tournament - took a break from their summer fun to share with The Wave what it means to be a part of ASB, as well as how they intend to make the school year a great one for LLES students.

Based on the chatter and ideas flowing among the group, one might assume that ASB stands for "A Smart Bunch" or "A Sassy Batch" (of kids). It actually stands for Associated Student Body, a leadership crew for which they got elected last spring. 

"You basically represent the school and are a voice for the students," president Andrew Monson said. 

Once the 2013-14 school year is under way, the group will meet weekly with LLES counselor DM Freed, whom sergeant at arms Madie Bruno called an "awesome advisor." While their individual responsibilities vary, the group helps with morning announcements, assemblies and fundraisers. 

Besides empowering students to speak to issues they feel are important, Mr. Freed said ASB is unique in that it is a student-only organization. All students who attend the school are automatically ASB members. Students raise their own budget, which is separate from the PTSA and school budgets.

In order to be elected to their positions, the students had to go through a process that included giving primary speeches, campaigning and general elections. And it was not a challenge they took on alone. The group of 10-year-olds all said their families and friends helped them campaign for their positions by giving feedback on speeches and posters. 

The reasons each decided to run for an ASB position varied. Some heard it was a fun experience, others said they wanted to help students, and one kid mentioned following in the footsteps of an older sibling. 

"My older brother ran and became sergeant at arms," secretary Jaylee Lake said. "It was fun for him, so I thought I should try it."

No student is discouraged from running for an office, Mr. Freed said, and he admires all students who muster the courage to step forward. He is amazed each year at the incredible students who are elected as officers, and this year is no exception.

"I've had the privilege of knowing many of the incoming officers since they were in first grade, and I can assure you that they are going to do an outstanding job!" he said. "They are students who shine in all the necessary areas to be great leaders."

While they did not all know one another well before being elected, the officers said they look forward to working together this year. Besides showing around first-grade students at the start of the year, they are also excited to start planning for the coming year, whether it be brainstorming fundraisers or evaluating how there can be less waste during lunch time. 

Mr. Freed said the incoming officers will take an oath to uphold the ASB mission statement at the first student body assembly in September. The officers will then lead monthly meetings with ASB class reps and stay connected to classroom teachers.  In fact, when asked the best thing about the school, everyone agreed that the LLES staff makes the difference. 

"The staff is so friendly and makes you feel right at home," vice president Riley Gavin said. "They're not just teachers; they're friends."

2013-2014 ASB officers: "How do you hope to 
make LLES a better place?"

I hope to set an example by encouraging everyone and making our school a positive place to come to each day.


Andrew Monson,
 
President
Son of Ryan and Cheryl Monson

I hope to make LLES even better by trying to get even more kids involved in all of our various activities.

Riley Gavin, 
Vice President
Son of Paul Gavin and LeAnna Kennedy Gavin

I plan to do my best to set a positive example for other students by being kind and working hard.

Grace Williams,Treasurer
Daughter of Brian and Eileen Williams 

I want to work to make school lunches better.

Jaylee Lake, 
Secretary
Daughter of James and Jenna Lake


I want to make the school a better place this year by focusing on helping and serving others.

Madie Bruno, 
Sergeant at Arms
Daughter of Mat and Holly Haneke

I hope to make LLES better by just doing my best anytime they want me to do something.

Jenna Engel, 
Sergeant at Arms
Daughter of Dale and Shelly Engel

..........

The scoop on school supplies

Compiled by Tammy Kimberley
Wave Staff Writer

Before the first bell rings to summon kids back to the classroom, brush up a bit on your history-of school supplies, that is. Many of the items on that back-to-school list have a colorful history of how they came to be or evolved over time. 

Backpack
This word was first coined in the U.S. in the 1910s, although the cloth bags were often referred to as moneybag or packsack. Besides storing books, backpacks are used by athletes, soldiers and travelers.

Crayola Crayons
Kids used to get sick from wax crayons, so the Binny & Smith Company developed new, non-toxic pigments in 1903 and called them Crayola (made from the French words, "craie" for chalk and "oleaginous" meaning oily). While the original box only contained eight colors, there are now over 150 different shades.

Lunch Box
Many children in the early 20th century took their lunch to school in an empty cookie or tobacco tin. In 1950, the first successful box and thermos combination featured the popular TV and radio cowboy Hopalong Cassidy and led to a slew of boxes featuring cartoon characters and comic book heroes.

Mechanical Pencil
Patented back in 1822, this writing utensil was first called a "propelling pencil" by its creator Sampson Mordan. Designs and decorations on the cylinder varied over time, and the push-button type is now the most common type of mechanical pencil.

Paper
First invented by the Chinese during the second century A.D., paper is produced by pressing together moist fibers and drying them into sheets. Legend has it that Thomas Holley of Massachusetts first had the idea to collect paper scraps and stitch them together to sell, leading to the invention of the notepad in 1888.

Scissors
Crude versions of scissors from around 1500 B.C. have been discovered in Egypt. Most scissors are best-suited for use with the right hand, but some companies create pairs for left-handed people in order for the users to better see what is being cut.







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