PEABODY — Mayor Ted Bettencourt visited Welch Elementary School to share his experiences as mayor and discuss the importance of involvement in local politics with the school’s fifth-grade class on Thursday.
Classes are voting for Student Council next week, Principal Michelle Massa said. The fifth-grade Student Council is made up of a president, vice president, secretary, and mayor from each of the grade’s three classrooms.
“The world needs people to think about ways to make the world better. We need good ideas. We don’t know everything. We want good ideas to come from you and from your friends… to come up with good ideas to make the city better,” Bettencourt said.
He said being an elected representative provides the opportunity to improve one’s town, city, school, or even country.
“I really love this job,” he said.
Growing up, Bettencourt said he wanted to play for the Boston Celtics.
“That would have been the first thing, but that didn’t quite work out for me,” he said. “Being mayor was really — funny enough — the job that I wanted.”
The Student Council provided feedback during the renovation process of the Welch school, Massa said. The program serves as a “mentorship” program now that the renovations are done.
She said the students’ “experiences and their growing pains (can) help them help the younger kids grow into great leaders.”
Assistant Principal Kevin McLaughlin, who is a former fifth-grade teacher, said the Student Council had previously been “just a figurehead kind of thing.”
The members of the student council have meetings at school together and most of them also attend School Committee meetings, he said.
McLaughlin said he emphasizes to students that they should vote for who they think is most qualified for each position and not just their closest friend.
He recalled last year’s election, during which one candidate became nervous and was unable to give their speech to the class. A competing candidate joined them in front of their peers and encouraged them to give the speech.
“Our kids are the best — they really are. I am so proud to be here to watch them grow,” Massa said. “They’re learning and growing together, and they are a team, and they help each other out… They really, really want to see each other succeed.”
“I hope all of you think about getting involved and doing something to help your school,” Bettencourt told the students. “What you say and what you think really does matter, and it’s really important, and it can make your school even better.”
