Rainbow District School Board welcomes Student Trustees for 2023-2024

Sawyer Greene of Sudbury Secondary School and Sonya Jacko-Cywink of Manitoulin Secondary school will serve as Student Trustees on Rainbow District School Board for the 2023-2024 School Year. They will also Co-Chair the Student Senate which includes representatives from the Board’s secondary schools in Sudbury, Espanola and Manitoulin Island.

“I would like to welcome Sawyer Greene and Sonya Jacko-Cywink to their new roles,” said Board Chair Bob Clement. “I know they will both make an immense contribution to the Board as they represent the student voice.” He added: “They will have an opportunity to experience the decision-making process and learn more about public education locally and provincially.”

A Grade 12 drama student in the French Immersion Program, Sawyer Greene is enrolled in the Specialist High Skills Major in Arts and Culture at Sudbury Secondary School. Sawyer has appeared in a number of plays and musicals as well as stage-managed and co-hosted performances and concerts.

Sawyer’s extra-curricular involvement in school extends beyond the arts. Sawyer was on the Reach for the Top team that was invited to participate at the provincial level for the first time in decades. Being on Student Parliament gave Sawyer an opportunity to work on many projects, including the Cancer Gala and Dress Drive.

This year, Sawyer will join Sudbury Secondary School’s musical “The Little Mermaid”. They will also continue contributing to the Student Council. Sawyer plans to take a director’s course and assist the drama teacher with the Junior class. They will direct “Dramatically Yours”, Sudbury Secondary School’s annual junior drama performance.

In addition to the arts, Sawyer is passionate about cooking and baking, which they say requires patience and practice, ingredients for resilience.

“Involvement in school is important because young minds are able to bring fresh ideas to the table,” says Sawyer Greene. “Students see new ways that events could be changed for the better.” They added that student voice can bring a new perspective, inform decision-making, and affect change.

Sonya Jacko-Cywink, from the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, is returning to Manitoulin Secondary School. She will continue to be involved in various sports, including volleyball, basketball, badminton and softball.

Sonya is a past member of the Student Council and The Three Fires Council, which she will join again this year. The Council helps to plan the school Pow Wow in which Sonya is the head dancer.

“Students know students best,” she says. “Involvement in school and school life is important because it gives students a chance to have their voice heard.”

Sonya says joining committees, teams and clubs enables students to gain skills that will benefit them in the future, such as time-management. She adds: “Being involved in extracurricular activities gives students a chance to meet new students and connect with their peers on a deeper level.”

Sonya enjoys cooking. Cooking tells a story and connects people. She loves listening to music, travelling, and trying out foods from different cultures. She also enjoys learning about people’s stories.

Sawyer Greene and Sonya Jacko-Cywink were sworn into their roles as Student Trustee during the regular meeting of Rainbow District School Board on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,
Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,
Rainbow District School Board, 705-674-3171 ext. 7217.