Student Review Board Brings Young Voices into the Disciplinary Process

Since the early beginnings of Overlake, the notion that students could be responsible for holding one another accountable for their actions as much as the adults in the community, is something that has set the school apart.

The trust that was afforded students to do the right thing has been part of the Overlake fabric for many years. Likewise, when a student made a mistake, the consequences for that mistake were judged not only by the adults at Overlake, but the students as well.

As early as the mid-70’s, Overlake’s Student Court presided over student infractions-doling out recommendations for discipline based on the offense. Today, the Student Review Board (SRB) continues that tradition.

We caught up with a few members of the SRB to talk more about a recent information-sharing session they held during Upper School assembly. Seniors, Phoebe W. (’19) and Meili Z. (’19) both sit on the board and were part of the recent information blitz. “We decided to make a presentation to address questions and rumors within the student body,” explains Phoebe. “Incoming freshman also don’t know what the SRB is, so it was good to introduce the board,” says Meili. “In the past we’d heard from our peers misinformation about the SRB and how we handle situations, so we wanted to clear it up.”

Some of the misinformation centered on myths that students sent to the SRB are likely to be kicked out of Overlake, and that the students on the board acted like police officers. “In reality, we rarely issue harsh punishments. We are not out to police the student body, and we are on the student’s side,” explains Phoebe.

In fact, the punishment issued to students who commit an infraction at school amounts to using restorative justice. “The SRB has been very effective due to our focus on restorative justice,” explains Meili. “We work to create plans for the students who have committed infractions in order to help them learn from their mistakes and repair their relationship with the community. Overlake is lucky to have such a unique approach to the disciplinary body, and the SRB successfully checks the administration by including the student perspective.”

Still at the end of the day, asking students to be judge of other students can’t be an easy job. So why do some students do it? “We want to bring our values of empathy, impartiality, and understanding of the student body to the SRB to provide the checks and balances on the administrations,” says Phoebe. “While the SRB is a difficult job, we complete a lot of restorative justice, which is ultimately fulfilling because it helps the community. The students who join SRB are all passionate about and in touch with the Overlake community.”