TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Westwood Regional High School seniors James Stickel, of the Township of Washington, and Kaley Klapisch, of the Borough of Westwood, were chosen as high school student representatives to the Board of Education following a round of interviews for the 2021-2020 school year.
Both had to write a personal statement and obtain five teacher recommendations for the position.
Their predecessors, recent graduates Isabelle Abou-Daoud and Maximilian Wang, served during the historic 2020-2021 school year.
Klapisch is involved in many activities both in and out of school, such as marching band, the Academic Decathlon team, Student Council, and a book club that she runs with the Westwood Public Library.
She works as a counselor at Westwood Recreation’s summer day camp and interns with DemiDec Resources — which annually publishes unauthorized study materials for the United States Academic Decathlon, hosts the World Scholar’s Cup, and co-operates several study academies around the world — as a student writer. And that’s apt, as she plans to study English education in college.
Stickel, a peer minister at his church, participates in Academic Decathlon, bowling, golf, and marching band. An Eagle Scout from Troop 321 in the Township of Washington, he led the construction of the Township of Washington Veterans Memorial, next to the public library. (See “Eagle Scout Stickel earns praise, plaque over memorial,” Pascack Press, July 23, 2021.)
He plans to major in sports management in college.
We wondered how both were preparing for their senior year and their service on the school board. They won’t have voting power on the board but they’ll be investigating issues and reporting on student life, sports, arts, and academics every month.
They’ll also be following, from the dais, what might well be another turbulent year as public health, curricula, and politics overlap; as new housing projects are in the works in both district towns; and as the Pascack Valley works to recover from the pandemic’s economic fallout.
Rachel Cohen: In addition to what we have from your school bios, what are you involved in at school and in the community?
James Stickel: I participate in marching band and I’m actually going to be the [drum] major this year. I’m on the bowling team, golf team and I do academic decathlon.
Recently, I was appointed by my scoutmaster to be an assistant scoutmaster, which has similar responsibilities to the adult leaders, but as a scout.
I believe the experiences and leadership skills I have also gained as senior patrol leader, and now junior assistant scoutmaster in my scout troop, will help me be successful in this position.
Examples include keeping my fellow scouts informed with weekly communications, planning in-person meetings and outings amidst the pandemic, and reaching out to my fellow scouts to get feedback about their experience in the troop.
Kaley Klapisch: I’ve been on marching band for five years and I’m a section leader, and I’m in the pit orchestra for the spring musicals. I’ve been on our school’s academic decathlon team since freshman year, and I’m a captain now. I’m in the book club and involved in student body council. I was class president freshman year, treasurer in sophomore year, and secretary last year. I would imagine that I’ll have a role on council this year too.
Why was it important for you to join the school board as a high school student representative?
JS: I tried to apply last year but they went with two seniors. I’ve been following the board since November. The one thing I was hoping to do was name the stadium at the high school after Vito Trause. I had gotten involved with watching the meetings and speaking at them. When the time came to apply, I decided to because I had become very interested in following the meetings. I feel like I could bring positive change to the school.
KK: I knew about the position ever since I was at Westwood High. When I came into eighth grade, I joined the marching band and I met a lot of great upperclassmen that I looked up to.
Two [students] that I really looked up to, Eric Kopp and Sydney Lewis, both had [these] seats on the Board of Education. They were seniors, and I was like “Wow, that’s what it’s like to be a member of the community” and I really respected them. That’s what it’s like to be a Westwood Cardinal — it means you’re representative of what it means to be a student at the school.
What do you most look forward to in representing the student body on the board?
JS: Just working with people, if the students have certain concerns or things they would like to see changed. Air conditioning is a hot topic with some parents, but I also know that students say that. I guess working on certain issues and trying to be the liaison between the students and the board.
KK: I’m really looking forward to just seeing how it works. I sat in on one of the meetings at the end of last year, and it was really interesting to observe the way the meetings function. It’s interesting to see how our community comes together and deals with Covid-19 and going back to school next year.
I’m going to have to write a report for every monthly meeting and go to different events in the school, interviewing people and asking for updates. I’m excited for that because I get to be a journalist in that way and see what our school has to offer.
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
JS: I definitely think I can improve my public speaking skills. I have more recently by speaking at the meetings, but also gaining experience with working with government officials and the board members.
KK: I hope to learn more about how this kind of bureaucracy works and to get more experience in writing with these reports and public speaking in presenting in front of people. And also doing some investigating each month.
What do you view as the best aspect of this position?
JS: Some of the positives about this position would be voicing students’ concerns and working to solve them. Obviously, some members will have different ideas than others, so balancing between and coming up with creative solutions to the problems of the school district.
There are definitely going to be many challenges that the school district is facing but my hope is that we will be able to overcome these challenges based on our experiences from last year. My hope is that this school year allows for the opportunity to be as close to normal as possible for me and my classmates.
KK: The best aspect is that everyone knows me all of a sudden. I work at the summer camp in town, and these random people are like, Congrats on the Board of Education position. I’m kind of in the spotlight — like now I’m a representative of the entire student body, and I really like that. I like being part of things and I’m really excited for what’s to come.
Next steps
The Westwood Regional School District serves the Borough of Westwood and the Township of Washington. The district serves approximately 2,800 students and includes four K–5 neighborhood elementary schools, a 6–7 middle school, and an 8–12 Jr./Sr. high school.
School starts on Thursday, Sept. 9, and the next regularly scheduled board meeting is Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at the high school’s Hurley Theater. Pascack Press looks forward to bringing you Klapisch and Stickel’s board reports every month as part of our coverage of the district.
— With John Snyder