Washington Primary School’s student leadership initiative enjoyed a banner year in 2017/18 with third and fourth grade teams comprised of every student on those respective levels.
Teachers Debbie Quiles and Vivian Joseph worked with students on various projects around the school and in the nearby community. Additional faculty members pitched in and helped when needed.
Students spent time learning about the skills and qualities every good leader possesses. The third and fourth graders reported to Ms. Quiles’ room several times a month during their recess periods. They lent a hand at an assortment of school functions, spearheaded the collection of several dozen large boxes of non-perishable food items for distribution throughout the community and spent several hours visiting and playing games with residents of a local nursing home.
Washington fourth graders were proud members
of the student leadership team
Washington’s leadership program has networked with the high school’s Interact Club and the Young Leaders youth development organization on various projects. “We like to collaborate with both of them,” Ms. Quiles said.”
The Washington School third and fourth graders also made trips to nearby Carillon nursing and rehabilitation facility on Park Avenue to visit folks residing there, playing games with them and keeping them company.
The program sent students to help out during several school and PTA events and be able to develop their leadership skills in the process. Fourth graders comprised the building’s safety patrol during arrival and dismissal each day.
The leadership program got underway in October with a series of meetings to introduce students to the initiative and lay out plans for the year. It continued right through the final days of the school year in June.
The year wrapped up with separate “water celebrations” for the third and fourth graders. Each of the students received a leadership team t-shirt, which acknowledged their participation on their respective team and their completion of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Kids book curriculum by Sean Covey. The youngsters were also each given a bookmark and a pencil with the works Leadership Team embossed on it.
“We had another great year and the kids loved it,” Ms. Quiles said.