Spotlight: Harmony Community K-8 - Harmony, Florida

Planned Harmony community.

Harmony Community School near St. Cloud, Florida is the first K-8 Lighthouse School.  The school is just seven years old and was built in a planned community with lovely housing, a golf course, walking paths and manicured grounds. Jon Davis has been the school's only principal and has supported the value of the Stephen Covey 7 Habits even before the teachers were trained 5 years ago. Assistant Principal Dorota Micale has also worked at the school for the past seven years.

Mural that every student helped create

It is clear that the school staff honors student art work. On one long wall there is mural that every student helped to design and paint. 

Other walls display the art work of a particular student and painted with the assistance of all students from that grade level.

Every 1st grader helped paint.

Student Lighthouse representatives

Designed by a kindergartener.

Proud to display the habits

At the Leadership Day presentation, Alejandra was one of the student speakers and she also conducted the orchestra while her proud mother beamed from the audience.  Alejandra related that she was a third grader from Puerto Rico who spoke no English when she came to Harmony. Now she is an "A" student. She attributes her success to the warmth of the Harmony School Community.

Alejandra

Classroom Misions

The pre-schoolers gave us sweet treats

Leadership Day Wax Museum

Principal: Jon Davis
Harmony School Motto: "Where everyone leads by example through personal responsibility, contribution and hard work."

School Website:  http://www.hrcs.osceola.k12.fl.us/

Spotlight: Mechanics Grove Elementary - Mundelein, Illinois

Mechanics Grove Elementary in Mundelein, Illinois was very excited to hear that they were just named a Lighthouse School. They are the first Lighthouse School in the Chicagoland area.  It has not been easy road for them to become a Leader in Me School.  In 2010, the teachers at K-5 Lincoln Elementary in Mundelein were learning about the 7 Habits from their principal Dr. Kathleen Miller.  The teachers were moving ahead providing their students opportunities to be leaders and teaching the 7 Habits when district fiscal concerns led to the closing of Lincoln School.  The next Fall, Dr. Miller was reassigned as principal at Mechanics Grove Elementary as a 3rd-5th school with some of the Lincoln teachers and the existing Mechanics Grove teachers who had their own traditions which did not include The Leader in Me. The future of The Leader in Me was uncertain, but by the end of the school year, the teachers all agreed to use the The Leader in Me theme to unite and form a new school family with the Mechanics Grove staff, students and parents.  District leadership supported the Mechanics Grove Staff training in Leader in Me and 7 Habits.  Students and parents embraced the leadership theme and the teachers integrated the 7 Habits into their morning meetings with students, all areas of the curriculum, and into their school behavior and culture. Using the 7 Habits and developing leadership across the entire school community transformed the culture and the newly united school with one goal—unleashing the potential inherent in each child! Since the implementation of The Leader in Me behavior referrals to the office have significantly dropped.  Reading and math growth targets have exceeded expectations.

Path of Leadership mural with staff and student sole prints.

After their first formal Leader in Me year, to symbolize their path of leadership, each graduating 5th grader and staff member made a clay tile with the print from the sole of their shoe.  The clay mural hangs in the school lobby.

Mechanics Grove displays their traditions.

Students displayed their Science Projects

One tradition is an annual Mechanics Grove Science Night for students and parents.  On February 26, 2015 Mechanics Grove school was alive with parents, students and staff.  The theme of the night was "Science, It's Your Turn to Change The World." Students displayed their science projects and teachers invited local medical and other experts to teach science concepts. I especially enjoyed meeting Mr. Miller,  Principal Miller's husband who is a pilot and guided the students as they tried landing planes on a simulator.

Students learn about aviation from the principal's husband. 

The medical community provided hands-on science.

Due to their school's leadership, in November 2014, Mechanics Grove Elementary School was chosen to host Sean Covey who spoke at The Leader in Me Book Tour.

Principal:  Dr. Kathleen Miller
Mechanics Grove School Web Site:
http://www.d75.lake.k12.il.us/index.aspx?nid=170

Spotlight: Lakewood Elementary - White Lake, Michigan

Leaders selected by the students. 

I attended Lakewood Elementary's first Leadership Day on January 16, 2015. The students were great hosts.  The children were the primary speakers at the microphone. They sang, took us on a tour of their school and taught us about their data notebooks.  Lakewood is part of the Huron Valley School District which now has four Leader in Me schools.

Students performing on Leadership Day.

Students apply for jobs around the school.

Why would you be on the cover?

Students wear their shirts proudly.

"Everyone Learning, Everyone Growing, Everyone Leading"
Principal: Jill Brower
WebSite: http://www.hvs.org/schools/elementaryschools/lakewood

Spotlight: Beaumont Elementary - Waterford, Michigan

Beaumont Elementary, a K-5 school in Waterford, Michigan has an amazing story. Beaumont earned the status of the first Lighthouse School in Michigan.

I really enjoyed attending their Leadership Day in 2011.  A student was the MC for the entire day. Their staff is very committed and I have watched them present at national conferences. I have attached my notes from Leadership Day I attended:  http://files.ogschool.org/misc/Beaumont_School_Leadership_Day.pdf

A ribbon cutting by Principal Jan McCartan symbolized a new beginning.

I hope that you will see the movie made about Beaumont School dramatizing the school's metamorphosis. The movie shows how the teachers at one time were wearing black shirts and worked only to union contract minutes. The parents, staff and students speak about how The Leader in Me has helped change their school to the engaged happy place it is today.

The staff brightened up the school.

Current students and graduates of Beaumont talk with confidence about The Leader in Me.

Theme: - "Together We Lead"
Principal:  Jan McCartan

Their website is very well organized with photographs of their transformation and ideas to share with other schools.  Website: http://www.beaumonttogetherwelead.com

Leader in Me Symposiums

A great way to learn about The Leader in Me and share ideas is to attend a Leader in Me Symposium.  Check the events section of the website to view the locations of the 2-day symposiums each year and to register  www.theleaderinme.org.

During the symposium, participants will hear from speakers and have a chance to visit multiple Leader in Me schools.  The symposium is a comprehensive introduction to people who are learning about The Leader in Me for the first time as well as educators who would like to learn and share ideas with schools that have been implementing The Leader in Me for several years.

I attended the Michigan Symposium in 2014 and the St. Louis Symposium in February 2015 and found the days educational and invigorating.

The St. Louis Symposium February 2015.

Student leaders take the adults on tours of their schools.

Students teaching about their Leadership Notebooks.