About the Student Government Association

Northwood’s Student Government Association (SGA) is designed to ensure positive interaction among students, faculty, and administration, maintain a sense of school spirit, promote the well–being of the school and community, and adequately represent the voice of the students. Not only do students participating in the SGA coordinate and participate in Homecoming activities, SMOB elections, community service projects, and Gladiator spirit events, they also hone their leadership skills by participating in district and state level leadership seminars.

The SGA is composed of elected executive members representing each grade, a student body president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and members at large.

Ways to Participate

• Apply to serve as a member at large- meetings take place on Tuesdays during lunch in E210
• Attend your class meetings
• Sign up for various committees
• Contact one of your elected officers so that your voice can be heard.

Faculty Support

School staff will support your right to participate in student government. The principal will ensure that the student government gives student a voice in school business. Each spring the executive committee of the student government will make suggestions about the faculty advisor to the principal, who will then appoint one to the student government. School staff will help the student government get needed supplies and use of rooms. School staff also will excuse absences for students who miss classes because of student government activities when those activities are approved.

Powers of Student Government

The powers of the student government will be written by students in a constitution, with advice from the school administration. All constitutions must include an article recognizing the final decision-making authority of the principal. The principal will accept the constitution unless it violates law or Board of Education policy of MCPS regulations, or would, in the judgment of the principal, substantially interfere with the effective operation of the school. If the principal changes the constitution, his/her reasons will be stated in writing. The students will be given a chance to change the constitution after the principal makes changes. The principal cannot change the constitution after it has been approved by both the student government and the principal.

The student government may give the school administrator recommendations about issues of student interest. The administration will give the student government a written or oral reply within five days. If the recommendation is not put into effect, the reply will include specific reasons why it was rejected. The principal will meet regularly with the student government faculty advisor and the executive committee to talk about things that concern the students. Each school decides which student government members will be on the executive committee