One of our goals in the Middle School is to provide every student with opportunities to learn about leadership and to practice leadership skills in real and meaningful leadership positions.
We begin by building a foundation of study skills and knowledge necessary for students to become effective leaders. This foundation builds character, and reinforces self-esteem. For example, in addition to the study skills taught within the context of individual classes, each child takes a Literacy Strategies course designed to fortify reading comprehension skills. Over the course of the year, sixth grade students also take part in a wide variety of advisory activities and workshops on such topics as bullying prevention, nutrition, and goal setting. To become a leader, students must know what good leadership is, and the study of history and history's leaders and literature provides our students with powerful examples of both good and bad leadership. For example, eighth grade students in Holocaust Studies/Ethics and Civics learn about great leaders like Mohandas K. Gandhi, Winston Churchill, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and they learn about other leaders who were ineffective and/or misguided.
In addition to learning about leadership, it is essential that students experience and practice leadership. The Middle School is committed to providing our students with an ever widening array of opportunities to "learn by doing." Depending upon the grade level, some of these opportunities include:
- Elected and appointed leadership positions like class
officers and Student Council representatives
- Athletic team captains
- Community service site leaders
- Middle School play stage managers
- Class trip group leaders
- Volunteer leadership positions such as reading circle
facilitators, peer tutors, and admissions guides.