BMS’ Stewart finalist for national student council adviser award

Six years ago, Tyler Stewart was wrapping up his first year of teaching at Berg Middle School. The first-year teacher was open to opportunities to become more involved in Newton’s middle school and the community.

“The opening for the student council adviser came to my attention. I applied for the position and got it,” Stewart said. “I didn’t understand how much flexibility I had with the position. Our principal, Lisa Sharp, allowed me that flexibility and helped us build our student council through the my ideas and the students’ ideas.”

Under the direction of Stewart the past five years, the Berg Middle School Student Council grew from 40 students to 140 students on board this year. The student council has become very active at the school and in the community.

Stewart, who is an eighth-grade history teacher, has been named a finalist for the 2020 Warren E. Shull Middle Level Student Council Adviser of the Year Award sponsored by National Student Council and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. He is one of five finalists from which a national middle level winner will be announced on Adviser Appreciation Day on April 22 during National Student Leadership Week, April 19-25.

“It’s a tremendous honor. I was nominated by another schools’ student council adviser for the state award and in October I was named the Iowa Association of Student Council’s Middle School Award winner,” Stewart said. “Then, I had to fill out more paperwork as I was nominated for the Region 5 award.”

Stewart was named the National Student Council Region 5 award winner which put him in the top-five finalist spot for the national award. Region 5 includes schools from Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska and West Virginia.

“That first year I listened to some kids and their ideas and we began building up our program. In the third year, I wanted to reward some of the students for their hard work they had done and take them to a conference. I came across the National Student Council conference and the Iowa Association of Student Council conference,” Stewart said.

Stewart said they took three kids to the national convention that year. He said the experience opened his eyes to all the great things which could be applied to the student council and to Newton’s school in general.

“It has blossomed from there. Every summer we take students and teachers to the national convention. We took seven teachers last year so they know what we are experiencing and buy in to our school’s student council,” Stewart said. “Most of the money from our fundraising projects go back into our school with helping provide something a teacher needs, helping the clothes closet and food pantry and now purchasing items to help personalize our new school building.”

The BMS student council’s biggest fundraiser is the annual Lip Sync Battle, which was Stewart’s brainchild. He said the idea came from a project his middle school in Hampton did when he was growing up.

“I pitched the idea to the students and they really liked the idea. What we did in Hampton was on a much smaller scale but it was fun. Our’s is a big night with acts and sponsors and has grown bigger and better each year,” Stewart said.

The 2020 Lip Sync Battle proceeds were more than $8,000 to be donated to Kids with Cancer Research. The student council had also worked two years in raising funds to bring Inky Johnson, a highly-sought after motivational speaker, to BMS with Johnson presenting a program this past September for students.

Stewart said as the student council grew because BMS made it inclusive so any student may be involved, he knew he needed help from a fellow teacher. He talked to Mindi Bartell, a family and consumer science teacher, and she is now a co-adviser.

“We have two meetings during a week so if a student can’t make it to one they can still come to another meeting. It helps us with organizing that big of a group and the students feel they are still involved in what we’re doing,” Stewart said.

Another annual fundraising project is a bowl-a-thon. The student council also leads the BMS students in participating in the annual Red Pride Service Day and Red Ribbon Week. It sponsors dances, trivia night and dodge ball tournaments.

Stewart, who graduated from Central College, said he finds the work with the student council rewarding. He said they focus on building leadership skills in the students. Before each school year begins, the student council holds a leadership conference for those students interested in the council.

“I was allowed to grow into the role of adviser and I’m proud of our students and their work they do for our students, teachers, school and community,” Stewart said.

The BMS student council was named a 2019 National Gold Council of Excellence from the National Student Council. This was the first year the middle school was awarded the honor. Stewart said they were waiting the possibility the 2020 student council receive the same honor.

The annual National Student Council Conference in June has been canceled because of the coronavirus health crisis.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at 641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com