According to DeKalb Middle School Student Council President Dulce Maciel, the DMS Student Council is involved in several projects, including the planned construction of an outdoor classroom on the DMS campus.

The 39 student council members, made up of students from sixth to eighth grades, are conducting an aluminum can drive to help finance the structure, which will be made available to all DMS students upon completion. Members of the public who wish to donate cans may simply drop them in the bin placed in front of the school.

Maciel said the drive was the brainchild of the student council's recycling committee. "We wanted to make our community greener and to help with the environment while building the outdoor classroom.” she said. “Our recycling committee brought up the idea of having a recycling bin. We placed it up front so anyone can put their aluminum cans in it. The money will be going to build an outdoor classroom resembling the pavilion at Greenbrook Park.”

DMS Student Council sponsor, seventh grade science teacher Suzette Barnes said the outdoor classroom would be used to keep science projects outside the building, as well as being available for other classes to simply get outdoors. "We want to use it to conduct potentially messy science projects outside, but it will benefit every student in the building,” Barnes said. “We want to have a signup sheet in the office so teachers can sign up to use it on certain days and class periods. When it is completed we would like to have picnic tables, a sink and water so if you are doing a messy science experiment, you could do it outside versus inside. But if a math class wanted to go out there one day, they could sign up for it and have their math class just to get the students out of the building for a day.”

Barnes said the project may take some time, as it will have to be constructed as money is raised, and the school board must approve the plan before it can begin. "Because of the money, we'll have to do this in stages,” she said. “Our goal is to get the concrete slab poured this spring. It's going to be a 20' x 30' platform. If we can get the concrete poured this spring, our goal for next year is to raise the funds to cover the materials. Our plan is to work with the building trades class at the high school, They would actually construct the building for us and we would buy the materials. Of course the school board will need to approve the project before we can start.”

The student council also has other projects cooking, including a school beautification project and a fruit garden, as well as a project to encourage attendance at sporting events and an adopt-a-student program. The students put down mulch and pull weeds at the school, as well as placing plants to help the appearance of the campus, and they plan to grow and sell blueberries to help finance some of their projects.

“Our goal is to sell blueberries, with the money going to the student council account,” Barnes said. “We had five students sign up for the fruit garden. They have called on a local nursery to check the cost of the blueberry bushes. They will research what time of year to plant the bushes, and how to prep the soil for planting. They will do a soil test to see what nutrients need to be added. Once they plant the bushes, the students will tend them, and when they bear fruit, they will pick the berries and sell them. The money will go into the student council account.”

The students also participate in the Correspondence with Soldiers Initiative, and are looking DMS students who have family members serving in the military. "DMS students can submit the names of family who are in the military to the office, and when we start corresponding, we will be doing it with our students families," Barnes shared.

The council supports athletic events at DMS by selling tickets to students at half price for a student section at ball games, and when new students come to the school, members of the student council "adopt” them, introducing them to the school by helping them learn their way around the campus.

The DMS Student council is looking to participate in community projects as well. "We want to be really involved in the community. If any organization in town needs help, such as clothing closets and food pantries, just contact us at school and we will be glad to get a student council group together to help them work their event. We want to serve in a leadership role," Barnes concluded.

Members of the public who wish to help with any of the projects may contact Barnes at DMS.