Stroud, Grimmett named new student council sponsors

Sidekick file photo

Former Coppell High School Student Council sponsor Jonathan Denton discusses plans for the 2018 homecoming dance. With Denton’s recent resignation, pre-calculus teacher Lucy Grimmett and English teacher Benjamin Stroud have replaced him as student council co-sponsors.

Minnie Gazawada, Staff Writer/Designer
November 10, 2021

On Oct. 22, former Coppell High School AP environmental science teacher and student council sponsor Jonathan Denton left CHS for a job with College Board. Pre-calculus teacher Lucy Grimmett and English teacher Benjamin Stroud have been named student council co-sponsors to replace Denton.

Both Grimmett and Stroud have experience as sponsors for student organizations at CHS. Grimmett sponsors the Red Jackets and Stroud sponsors Silver Spurs flag runners for the football team and the junior class.

The Texas Association of Student Councils (TASC) is a subsection of the National Association of Student Councils (NatStuCo) and a nonprofit organization designated to uphold a high standard for middle and high school student councils.

To do this, TASC includes committee reports of pride and patriotism, energy and environment, community services – drug, alcohol, safety and health issues (D.A.S.H.). Stroud aims to achieve the goals outlined in these reports by assigning projects to student council members.

“[We want] to be more cohesive and use [our group of 360 members] to do great things for CHS [and] for our community,” Stroud said.

Former CHS forensics and anatomy teacher Maxx Lazos has assumed Denton’s role of teaching his environmental science classes. With experience of teaching APES behind him, Lazos steps into the classroom with a goal.

“I didn’t dive right in the material or content,” Lazos said. “I didn’t know these kids. I wanted to be able to establish a bit of a rapport. I’ve found that once there is a relationship, and the kids see that you care about not only them, but the subject, they’ll do what you want them to do as long as they trust that you’re [teaching] them with authentic, good intentions.”

Denton’s leave brought bittersweet emotions.

“He was a major force in carrying out certain programs that we have in this school as student council,” CHS senior class vice president Poojitha Diggikar said. “He did a lot to make sure that people were shown appreciation for the things they did. [Student council] hosted a lunch for [teacher chaperones in homecoming as a thank you]. It’s important that he maintained good relationships with other people to make sure that we were working harmoniously at school.”

CHS senior Rohan Palavali, a student in environmental science, feels similarly.

“It was a surprise,” Palavali said. “He told us on the day he was leaving [that he was leaving]. We didn’t really have much time to process [the news].”

Denton’s departure brings the chance for new opportunities through the transition of Grimmett and Stroud in CHS Student Council.

“When any teacher leaves it does affect Coppell High School, especially during the year; but we are resilient, we will get past it, and we will grow because the beauty of Coppell High School is [that there are] awesome teachers, not just one,” Stroud said.

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