While most middle schoolers in Weare enjoyed their time off from school during the summer, 12-year-old Lindsey Dutton spent her time trying to make her school a better place.

The seventh-grader worked with school administration to begin a student council at Weare Middle School.

“I saw that our school needed some help, and contacted Mrs. Potter over the summer,” said Dutton. “We, as a bigger group, could work to make things better.”

Potter received the idea with enthusiasm. “I’ve wanted a student council here for years,” she said. “I couldn’t wait for someone to be motivated to do this,” said Dutton.

Over the next several weeks, Potter, the school’s assistant principal, had Dutton do some research, and Dutton met with the assistant principal at Henniker Community School, which already has an established student council. Potter noted that Dutton had to take some risks if she wanted to get the project off the ground.

“She hates being in the spotlight,” Potter laughed.

Plans were in place by the beginning of the school year, and students warmed up to the idea immediately. Twenty-four seventh- and eighth-graders ran for positions, and 12 fifth- and sixth-graders came forward as well.

Elected positions on the council include president, vice president, homeroom representative and social committee chairman.

Those running for election to the council had to first write an essay, detailing why they wanted to run for student council and what they hoped to accomplish. They also had to have a campaign, complete with posters and speeches, and students voted for the candidates during lunches.

“Running made me feel more responsible,” said Garrett Thomas, who ran for vice president.

Eighth-grader Austin Boisvert added that in running, students had to promise to “try to do,” rather than say, “I will do.”

“You have to know that not everything you want to do will be done,” said Boisvert.

Potter hopes the student council will provide middle school students with an organized way to get information, and while the council will be taken seriously, not all policies will change because of council recommendations.

“We can’t change every policy, but students will gain a better understanding of why things are the way they are,” said Potter. Dutton is happy with the results of her labor this summer.

She admitted that she did not expect to have such a large group respond to her idea.

“I just want people to feel good about themselves here,” she said. Fellow student Cam Bonenfant, agreed.

“We want to make school fun, and be a place kids want to go, not just have to go.”