Mountain View Matters

Leader in Me

At Henderson Elementary School we have a vision, and that is to teach our students all the skills they need to become the leaders of the future! We believe that all students have the capacity to be leaders and we want to ensure that we give them that head start through the teachings of The Leader in Me Program - The 7 Habits of Happy Kids and all the knowledge we have acquired over the years!

Last year, we began to reintroduce the 7 Habits to our students through monthly assemblies and classroom lessons, through the implementation of “The Leader Me.” During our assemblies, we acknowledged students who were portraying the 7 Habits values and introduced new concepts that were then taken back into the classroom and playground environment to build upon. The students began to see their role and potential within the school and wanted to work hard to achieve their place in our school as a leader. The students came to understand that anyone can be a leader, from the youngest to oldest members of our school community.

As a staff we are so pleased to see the growth in our students and have noticed significant changes in their demeanor, reflecting the attributes of effective leaders. Students are truly beginning to take ownership of their own attitudes and learning, and the climate and culture of our school reflects this daily.

Not only has our staff noticed how focusing on instilling leadership qualities in our students is making a difference in our school culture, students and school stakeholders also see how a difference is being made. Here are just a few of the comments shared with us:

“I like having the chance to help in the school. It feels good to help with different activities.”

“I think there is less bullying at our school since we started learning about the 7 Habits. I think kids are learning to be kinder to others.”

“I like when we hear on the announcements about the Leader in Me Tickets. It’s nice to acknowledge the good things people are doing for others and then letting everyone know about them.”

“Put First Things First is a good habit. Instead of playing video games or doing other things it reminds you to what you need to do first, and then you have time for the fun stuff.”

“I have been to a lot of schools through my role, and wow what a great feeling at Henderson. I immediately felt welcomed and valued by your students and staff.”

“As a parent, I appreciate that my children are coming home using the language that encourages them to be leaders and that they can apply these skills to their daily life – for example, during times where reactions could easily occur (sibling fight), they are using language such as: how can we make this a win-win?”

It is so exciting to watch HES students take on leadership roles within our school and we look forward to watching our youth take these skills into the community and apply them to their daily lives. We recognize that when students feel valued and are recognized as an integral part of the school community, they begin to shine like never before. We all have our own personal gifts to contribute to the whole, and it is fulfilling to watch our students not only see the greatness in themselves but recognize what those around them have to offer as well.

We look forward to continuing to focus on supporting our students in becoming exceptional leaders, not only at school but in their daily life, through the implementation of “The Leader in Me” at Henderson Elementary School.