Spotlight: Main Street Elementary - Troy, Missouri

Main Street Elementary in Troy, Missouri had been working on leadership for four years before they began their Franklin Covey formal training.  I had dinner with principal, Mrs. Kristi Shinn, and she shared the path their school has traveled. She related me that in their first year the staff did a book study of The Leader in Me. In the second year, the teachers taught their students one habit a month. In the third year, the teachers added classroom jobs, binders, and student led conferences. In their fourth year, students did presentations for their peers. Then in the summer after their fourth year, the teachers began formal 7 Habits and Leader in Me training. Each school has its' own path to becoming a Leader in Me School. I worked with Main Street Elementary on their Lighthouse Team Training where they outlined their plans for the 2014-15 school year.  The Lighthouse Team set goals to involve parents and to organize their first Leadership Day.

Each of the habits are displayed in a hallway. 

Classroom board made with hula hoops.

I thought that this bulletin board made by a Second Grade teacher Christy St. Pierre was great.  She designed this circle of control board using hula hoops. She said that her students would fill in activities relevant to them to indicate areas where they have control or no control.

Leaders are Popping up In Mrs. Jean's Class

2nd Grade Hall

Leaders are Built  (lego blocks on board)

Counselors

Add for Newsletter Leaders

 I was amazed to walk through the Main Street Elementary halls in August and see every bulletin board shout out leadership to the students.
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Principal: Mrs. Kristi Shinn
Website: http://www.troy.k12.mo.us/domain/155

Spotlight: Eureka Elementary - Eureka, Missouri

Eureka Elementary is a K-5 school in the Rockwood School District in Missouri.  The school is beautiful and exhibits numerous symbols of The Leader in Me throughout the hallways and in the classrooms.  Eureka’s staff and students have embraced the leadership theme however, at the end of their first year of implementing The Leader in Me, it was discovered that the parents did not understand the connection between the 7 Habits, leadership, data notebooks and the Lighthouse team. One of the goals identified, for their second year, was to increase parent involvement and understanding.

To increase parent involvement, Eureka School added a parent to their Lighthouse Team who presented at the Leadership Day and Symposium.  The school planned a parent education night with the theme of “Let’s Learn S’More About Leadership!” The evening  was very successful and was totally facilitated by the students.  Students, using trifold displays at tables taught each of the 7 habits.  Trivia games and Bingo symbols used 7 Habits terms.  Even the grandparents day included leadership language. 

Examples of using the habits at home.

Sharing Data Notebooks

Eureka designed another opportunity for parent involvement as home projects. Four times a year, the parents are sent home a paper where they can write down an example of their child displaying one of the seven habits at home.  The students return the papers that are proudly displayed at school.  The winter home projects were in snowflake shapes. 

I attended Eureka's second leadership day on February 3, 2015. My favorite part of the visit was when the students shared their data notebooks.  One of the school’s goals is to transition from primarily data in their notebooks to more of a leadership notebook.  The materials from the Eureka Leadership day can be accessed at  http://bit.ly/154HQ7m



School Web Site:http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/eurekael/aboutus/Pages/default.aspx

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.