In September, GESS witnessed a transition in leadership with the election of new Student Council Presidents, Benedikt Müller and Taiyo Mittag. Inara and Marina, both outstanding individuals, were also chosen to step into their roles as the new Primary School Captains. Lastly, we welcome our new Liaison Teachers, Thomas Davies and Mariola Meyer, who will further strengthen the connection between faculty and students. We spoke to them to find out what visions they have for GESS.
We asked them to tell us more about themselves:
Taiyo – I am the student body president of the European section. I am half German and half Japanese and have been in GESS for over 8 years now. My interests are sports, crypto, and spending time with friends.
Ms Meyer – I have been at GESS since 2018. Most of you might know me as the University and Careers Counsellor or teacher of Economics and Ethics. I am in Singapore with my family and my two children who are also at GESS in Primary. Living close to the rainforest and exploring wildlife and nature are things I particularly enjoy. I also love local, spicy food and trying local dishes from any country I travel to.
Mr Davies – I have been working at GESS for over 10 years, this is my third year working with the student council. My wife and twin daughters are also at GESS, although the dog & cat must stay at home.
Benedikt – I was born in Singapore, and am 16 years old. Apart from school and working to represent my fellow students as part of my role as Student President, I like to participate in sports and theatre, where I will also be part of this year’s production of Alice in Wonderland at GESS. I am active across 4 different sports: Basketball, Handball, Running, and Football, representing GESS in all except Handball, where I am active in a local men’s team. I have dedicated most of my time to playing for GESS’ partner for basketball, Proform Basketball Academy. I do all this as I love to be part of a team and the competitiveness inherent to these sports, having also had the honour to have success in them. I consider my greatest achievement in sports to be completing the 2022 SCSM Half-marathon.
Inara – I come from India. I have lived in Dubai and Singapore, and I have been at GESS since Grade 1. My favourite things to do are write and read books, play games, play music, and paint or draw.
Marina – I am 10 years old. I was born and raised in Italy for six years. Then I moved to Denmark for 3 years. After I moved to Singapore, I started GESS in 4th grade. I like to make jewelry and I like to act. I play the guitar as well and in summer I went to Italy and tried sailing, which I really enjoyed.
Taiyo, could you introduce to us the individual subcommittees in the student council?
Taiyo – In GESS we are proud to have numerous subcommittees. In total, we have 5 subcommittees currently, they are Green & Care Committee, Events Committee, Sports Committee, Student Affairs Committee, and Tech Tree Committee. All of them are extremely important to the structure of GESS and anyone can start a new committee.
Taiyo Mittag 
Benedikt Müller
So what motivated you to run for this position?
Taiyo – I was motivated to run for this position to hone my leadership skills, organization skills, and communication skills. Additionally, after being in GESS for 9 years, I was motivated to help improve GESS as a whole, and by being the student body president, I would be able to help GESS as a whole by taking on and creating projects beneficial to GESS and leading and guiding the student council.
Benedikt – I first got interested in volunteering with the Student Council after becoming a Class and Middle School representative in 8th grade. Under the guidance of our long-time Liaison teacher Mr. Teichert, who had held the position for 25 years, I continued my work as a member of the Student Council and the committees, while unsuccessfully running for president twice. For quite some time after that, I believed that I shouldn’t candidate for a third time. Before this year’s election, however, I changed my mind and decided to be a candidate once again. This was because I was of the opinion, and still am, that I could represent my fellow students and improve school life more than anyone else due to my previous experience and work.
Inara – I had tried to be a part of the Student Council in Grade 3 but did not make it. I felt that Grade 5 was my last chance to try for Student Council in Primary School, so I gave my best shot to the Student Representative of my class. When I was successful in getting into the Student Council, I stood for Primary School Captain. What motivated me was that I thought that it doesn’t matter who you are, but if you set your mind on something and give it your best, you can achieve it.
Marina – I wanted to make the school a better place. So, when students wake up, they would not say “Ugh I have to go to school,” instead they would say, “I will go to school, and I will have a good time!”.
Inara Panavelil 
Marina Sopranzetti
Can you describe your role as a Teacher Liaison and the responsibilities it involves?
Ms Meyer – As a Teacher Liaison, my role involves acting as a bridge between students and school leadership and administration. Ensuring effective communication, addressing concerns, and representing the students’ interests in various matters are the main aspects of the role. Responsibilities include supporting the Student Council in organizing student activities, facilitating meetings with school leaders, and fostering a positive school environment.
Mr Davies – The Student Council is an important part of the community at GESS. It represents the voice of the students but also helps organize a lot of events to enhance school life. The teacher liaison role is to ensure that guidance is given to help the students with school processes, which ideas have potential, and how to organize and manage these projects from inception to completion.
Could you share some of the activities that you and your team have planned or are working on?
Taiyo and Benedikt – Currently, we have several big projects either already ongoing or upcoming: Firstly, we would like to upgrade the Plaza space by renewing broken sections of the flooring. Additionally, our dedicated Green&Care committee is working to not only campaign for more eco-sustainability at GESS, but also show the progress that has already been made. Lastly, we are also working to finish re-writing and translating the Student Representative Body bylaws, which govern the functions, responsibilities, and organization of all students who are class reps, committee members, or members of the Student Council and provide them an insight into how the SRB is supposed to work.
We just had a regional SV meeting where students and teachers from Taipei and Beijing came to Singapore and we created and hosted a workshop at GESS where we shared initiatives we are working on, our student council structure, etc. Additionally, we are working on a multitude of other things such as a Sports tournament, the German Student Conference on Climate Change, 2 new CCAs, and so much more.
Inara and Marina – We organized a successful Halloween party for grades 1 and 2, the kids really enjoyed the event, and it was a great experience in how to plan, organize, and execute. We are in the early stages of planning future events, so stay tuned!
Halloween Party 
Student Council Representatives from Taipei and Beijing
Ms Meyer and Mr Davies, what are the key ways in which you support and collaborate with the Student Council leaders?
Ms Meyer – To support and collaborate with Student Council leaders, I have regular meetings to discuss student initiatives, provide guidance on event planning, and help implement ideas that benefit the student body as a whole. It’s about being a mentor and facilitator for their initiatives.
Mr Davies – Working with the student council and the sub-commitments it is important to remember that these students are full-time students. They must find time for their SC duties and projects. Other parts of the school can forget this.
How do you envision enhancing the overall student experience at GESS as your role?
Taiyo – I envision enhancing the overall student experience at GESS through my role as student body president by creating and hosting events such as Pink Shirt Day and a Sports tournament that students can participate in and enjoy, improving the school infrastructure by working on initiatives such as creating a handball (king) field, working on a vending machine, etc, which will enhance the student experience by enhancing the GESS campus as a whole.
Benedikt – My main goal is just to make school life as easy as possible for students. I have experienced the stressful situations school can create and the pressure stuff like exams and grades can cause more than enough, so I believe that one’s school day outside of the classroom should be without any problems. If, however, these problems form or already exist, we work to identify and eliminate these to the best of our abilities. This is what I think is the first and foremost duty of any good Student President.
Inara – I would like to make student life better by listening to everyone’s ideas and when appropriate, I will share them with the Student Council and see what they say. I will not poke fun at anyone’s idea and I will reason with them. My biggest hope is for everyone to see that it does not matter where you are from, it only matters if you try your best.
Marina – I would like to change the fact that grades 4 and 5 cannot eat Secondary food. I believe they should be granted the same menu choices as secondary students, considering their age and level of responsibility.
Student Council Elections – Benedikt 
Student Council Elections – Taiyo
How do you ensure that the student’s voice is heard and considered when making decisions within the school?
Ms Meyer – Ensuring student voices are heard involves actively seeking feedback through surveys, meetings with different stakeholders within the school community, or suggestion boxes. The Student Council has established weekly meetings for all committees and departments and channels all information to be communicated to the school leadership in order to be heard. We will also be organizing forums where students can express their opinions directly. Regularly reporting these insights to the school administration ensures that decisions consider the perspectives and needs of the students, creating a more inclusive and student-focused school environment.
Mr Davies – The student presidents meet regularly with the principal, and he always reads the agenda for our weekly meetings which he will also join in person if time permits. The principal is a great supporter of the student council and sees the value that they bring.
Congratulations to our new Student Council representatives! We wish you every success and we can’t wait to see what you have in store for us!
