Student Leadership
Peer Leadership Council Grade 8
Each year teachers select 8-10 seventh graders to represent their class as peer leaders. The selected students meet weekly with the counselor to receive training in interpersonal and communication skills. Once they have received training, they are given a choice of experiences in which they practice their skills.
Peer Leader Community Liaison Program
Grade 8
All eighth grade students are given the opportunity to participate in the Peer Leader Community Liaison Program. They must fill out an application form. They meet weekly with the counselor and school social worker. They provide community outreach to the school and community. Some projects they work on are the Peer Leader Greeter Program, and creating lessons and bulletin board for monthly character traits.
Peer Leaders in Training
Grades 5&6
The fourth and fifth graders are trained by the counselors to serve as Peer Mediators. The Peer Mediators are available during the K-5 lunch periods to help students to resolve conflicts using the Win-Win Guidelines.
Peer Leader Assemblies Grades K-8
The school counselor works with the Peer Leaders, Peer Leader Community Liaisons, Student Council to develop assemblies for K-2, 3-5 and 6-8 students. The assemblies are held in the fall and focus on the school theme, “Respect, Responsible, Ready.” Last year’s assembly was entitled “Conflict Resolution in Oz.” This assembly incorporated principles from the Win-Win Guidelines. This year the student leaders performed a play entitled "Character Matters" which focused on character traits.
Summer Reading for Students in
Grades 6, 7 and 8
As a guidance initiative to encourage leadership, all middle school students will be assigned to read a book during the summer. The assigned books focus on leadership and will be discussed during Advisor/Advisee period beginning in September. Circle of Power and Respect lessons were designed to accompany the themes in each book.(See appendix) Students will be given credit for completing the book and the written assignments therein and asked to self-reflect on the book’s value. (The following summer reading is projected for the Summer of 2015.)
Grade 6 –Building Everyday Leadership in All Teens by Mariam G. MacGregor,
Grade 7 – Combinations: Opening the Door to Student Leadership by Ed Gerety
Grade 8 – If You’re Not the Lead Dog, the View Never Changes by William R McKenzie