Have you ever wanted to write a new school rule for the Upper School? Look no further than the MICDS Congress Winter Term Class! This course provided students with a hands-on simulation of the United States legislative process. «Instead of drafting bills for the state or federal government, our focus was on proposing new policies within the MICDS community,» explains Kristin Roberts, Upper School History Teacher. Students explored the legislative process at a deeper level by writing, collaborating, and debating proposed school policies in the hopes that they could be “signed into law” and take effect here at School.
Roberts had two big goals for the class. «First, I wanted students to learn about the U.S. legislative process, and secondly, I wanted to create an opportunity for students to have their voices heard to make lasting change in our School community.»
To kick off the course, students dove into the workings of real legislators and gained insights into the American legislative process. In a fun twist, students then assumed the roles of «elected representatives» for MICDS and sought the input of their constituents—their Upper School peers and faculty members. «We held a Town Hall for students during an activity block and met with a panel of Upper School faculty members to gather their diverse perspectives on ways our school community could be improved or strengthened,» Roberts said. «We followed up with surveys that garnered over 300 responses full of new ideas and affirmation of support for others. Building on these insights, my class met with Scott Small, Head of Upper School, and Jay Rainey, Head of School, to share their ideas and gain an understanding of the administration’s decision-making process.»
With all of this input, students were then challenged to craft their own bills. «These proposals underwent scrutiny in the committees we had established, followed by lively debates in our own House and Senate chambers—complete with the occasional filibuster threat!» Roberts said. «My class ultimately passed three bills that we sent to Mr. Small and Mr. Rainey for their consideration. While our legislative process only passed three bills for our ‘Presidents’ to review, we did share our other ideas with Mr. Small and Mr. Rainey. Over the course of the two weeks, my students considered legislation on ID cards, breakfast options, designated passing time between classes, winter and spring pep rallies, auxiliary classes, graduation dress, finals week, and even starting school later. Mr. Small and Mr. Rainey are considering the bills we passed and our other ideas, and we’ve been encouraged to have Student Council continue these important conversations in the months ahead.» The three bills sent to Mr. Rainey and Mr. Small were about breakfast options, a designated finals week at the end of each semester, and wearing a graduation cap with graduation attire (to throw in the air!).
Several acting elected representatives shared what this class was like for them. Zach Krivonak ’25 said, «We talked a lot about how the congressional and electoral processes work. For example, we discussed the role of committees and caucuses in the legislature.» He also enjoyed experiencing the mock Town Hall. «I liked the town hall simulation because we got to hear from our friends, classmates, and teachers, which gave us inspiration for the bills that we wrote. One bill that we came up with that I would like to see passed is the creation of a dedicated finals week at the end of each semester. This idea had wide support, both among students and faculty, and would better utilize the final week of each semester.»
Simulating Congress brought a new level of perspective for students that they think others would benefit from as well. «I learned how difficult it is to pass a bill because of all the different groups that have to agree,» said Claire Kaiser ’26. «This was a great course, and I recommend that students sign up for it.» She also wants the bill about formal final days to officially pass. «This would help decrease the stress surrounding the finals.»
Yash Malhotra ’25 got a lot out of this course. «Some of the biggest concepts that I learned from the MICDS Congress course were how legislation is passed, what a bill looks like, and who is involved in the creation and passing of a bill,» he said. «If I could get one bill passed that our class came up with, I think it would be the idea of a winter and spring pep rally instead of just having one in the fall. This would allow for every MICDS sports team to be recognized and participate in a pep rally instead of just the Fall sports.» He also liked the Town Hall simulation. «It gave our class a chance to hear the perspectives of our peers. Our ultimate goal was to create policy changes that our student body wanted, and the Town Hall allowed us to get feedback on our own ideas while also hearing new ideas from other MICDS students.»
Freshman Alexandra Smith ’27 shared her top takeaway from the class. «The biggest concept that I learned from this course was the intricate process of legislating and the significance of compromise in achieving legislative goals.» She also loved the Town Hall experience saying, «I enjoyed the Town Hall simulation because it involved the community and provided a hands-on experience, creating a deeper understanding of the legislative process. I also enjoyed collaborating with all stakeholders, students, teachers, administrators, etc. I feel this is an important skill moving forward in the workforce.»
A highlight for Roberts was watching students become invested in so many thoughtful ideas. «They engaged in collaborative and productive conversations with their peers, faculty, our administrators, and one another to put forward their best ideas in our legislative process,» she shared.
Students really appreciated the opportunity to take this class with such a great teacher. «I would like to thank Ms. Roberts for making our Winter Term class engaging and an overall great learning experience!» says Malhotra.
Stay tuned in the weeks and months ahead to see if any of these MICDS Congress bills passes! Way to go, MICDS Congress representatives!