Finley Student Council is Strong Voice
One of the strongest voices inside J. Taylor Finley Middle School belongs to the student council. The group works tirelessly with its faculty advisors and building administrators to make the seventh and eighth grade experience a more enjoyable one for nearly 700 Finley students.
This year's student council is led by Joseph Saginaw (president), Elizabeth Corrao (vice president), Hillary Hardardt (secretary) and Darya DeSimone (treasurer). "They have done outstanding work so far," said music teacher Frank Battista who serves as a faculty advisor along with math teacher Matthew Perlongo.
The student council officers are some of our best and brightest students," Finley Principal John Amato said. "They are very good communicators and the rest of the student body looks up to them as leaders."
"Each year four eighth graders are elected to be the student voice of the building," Mr. Battista said. A vote is held in the spring with seventh graders electing students who will lead them the following year.
Student council members assist help with the planning and organization of many student functions, including spirit weeks, pep rallies, Falcon game nights, dances and fundraising. The students make the daily announcements over the school's public address system and often attend meetings to discuss and plan upcoming events.
"These student leaders also take the time to make posters and signs to promote events in the building," Mr. Battista explained. Dubbed Finley's "Fab Four," the officers traditionally tackle the final task of the year, which involves planning the eighth grade dinner-dance, with a remarkable amount of energy and enthusiasm.
As school leaders, the four officers are relied upon to fulfill their responsibilities with a degree of maturity. Since Finley opened in September 1965, the student council has annually been very active in school and community events. Former officers have gone on to careers in all walks of life, including medicine, law, education, business and finance, to name just a few.
"Mr. Perlongo and I are truly impressed with their leadership skills and work ethic," Mr. Battista said about the group. As co-advisors, we could not have asked for a better group of student officers. The Finley student body is in great hands this year and our officers are looking forward to strong participation at all of our dances and student functions."