My name is Danielle. I'm in Grade 9 this year, and I'm president of the student council at my school. Most junior high schools in Canada have a student council. Members of the councils are chosen by students.

Student councils work to make schools better places to learn. In the council, we share our ideas, interests and concerns with teachers and others. Sometimes, we plan school-wide activities. In December, we decided to raise money for an organization that provides food for poor people in our city. How did we get the money? We organized a special basketball game in the school gym. Lots of students and their parents came to watch. We sold tickets and, in the end, we made about $300.

During student council meetings, we have to work together, but it's not always easy for us to reach an agreement. The students are from many different cultures. We have different religions, wear different clothes or speak different languages at home. Sometimes there are serious disputes. Anyway, we are all friends, so we try hard to understand each other.

I think we should work together towards peace in our schools and in the world. We need to learn about different countries and make friends with people from other cultures.