Valley and Northwest Student Council Exchange

Valley High School Student Council joined the Waukee Northwest Student Council for a day of classes and other activities on Wednesday, February 23rd to learn more about the Student Council activities at Northwest. 

Valley Student Council students were paired up with a Northwest Student Council member for a morning of fun activities. The students from both schools started their day in the seminar room where they met their partner and went through the schedule for the day. The schedule for the first two blocks of the day was up to the Northwest representative. They would attend one of the first blocks and get a tour for the other. After the second block, both Student Councils gathered to learn more about the events that Northwest Student Council has put on, and what their goals are for the rest of the year. They focused on things like Homecoming Week, Northwest Fest, and the recent Crush can scavenger hunt. Valley junior Yatara Martinez is in support of this exchange. Martinez expressed, “I think it’s a good idea to see how we work differently and how we work similarly.”

Northwest sophomore Sadie Maas said, “It’s important [to have a friendship] because we need to learn about different cultures at different schools, and it will help make our school a better place.” Waukee Northwest and Valley are very competitive in the sports field, but Student Council doesn’t want that to be the case in the classroom. Northwest Sophomore Victoria Adams said, “It’s great that [our schools] get to keep connections other than sports.”

“We’re here to see how a newer school functions compared to us since we’ve been around a long time,” said Valley Sophomore Aaliyah Trimble. Valley High School has been around for 57 years, opening in 1965 with only a ninth-grade class. Northwest is a new school, so it’s important to learn some things from an older, more established school. Northwest Sophomore Morgan Gallagher said, “I think it’s definitely important to learn from one another. Sharing our ideas that we come up with implements a better community at our own schools.”

Northwest Sophomore Sadie Maas and Valley Sophomore Aaliyah Trimble pose for a picture. Trimble stated, “Yes, they’re our rivals, but it’s better to have friends.”

Both Student Councils gather for a presentation. Northwest Sophomore Izzy Pierce said, “It’s really cool to see the different cultures of the two schools.”