Klager Leadership Day 2017
Leadership day at Klager was very interactive this year with students leading community leaders and visiting teachers through the school to take part in various activities. Principal Karin Villarreal told the group gathered that the day was "99% [students'] preparation and presentation." The morning started in the media center where the 7 Habits choir sang three songs. The choir is made up of students who choose to use part of their lunch to learn songs provided by the Leader-in-Me curriculum, and they sing during announcements.
After the songs, guests were introduced to the Lighthouse Team, a special group of students who applied and were accepted to fill a leadership role. The team was made up of mostly 4th graders, but two members were from 2nd grade and one was from 1st. After the introduction, visitors were broken up in to 4 groups and lead through 4 activities. Lighthouse students were positioned at points throughout the school to read special essays they had written about their favorite of the 7 habits. Lighthouse member Olivia's favorite habit was "Be Proactive", because it reminded her to "sit crisscross, hands together, without being told."
On the wall, down one of Klager's sloping hallways, guests could hold their phone or a borrowed iPad, over a QR code and listen to essays, written and read by Mrs. Fielder's 2nd grade class, about how the 7 Habits effect their lives. Third graders also showed posters about their favorite habits that they created in groups.
In the cafeteria, students from 1st-4th grade let visitors look through their leadership notebooks. The notebooks held their scores, achievements and creative writings. Most students were especially proud of the writing they had done.
The most active part of the day was in Mrs. Haeussler room, where 1st grade classes played a teamwork game, sinking sheets. Two "life rafts" (sheets) full of students and visitors had to navigate shark infested waters to find land. Life rafts got eaten and wrong directions were taken, but through quick thinking, working together, and making choices for everyone's good, dry land could be found.*
The morning ended back in the media center where the Lighthouse Team took questions from the guests. The guests included Washtenaw County Sheriff Department officers, local business owners & employees, and visiting teachers from Onsted. "We want to be leaders all through out our life," responded Lighthouse member Sara to a question from a guest, "if you aren't a leader your life might not be as fun some times."
Leadership Day is suggested as part of Steven Covey’s 7 Habits Leader in Me program, originally conceived to allow other schools to observe the Leader in Me curriculum. With the area saturated with Leader in Me schools, (there are 2,000+ schools worldwide who implement this holistic program) Klager opened the day to local community leaders. The 7 habits are 1. be proactive, 2.begin with the end in mind. 3. put first things first, 4. think win-win, 5. seek first to understand, then to be understood, 6. synergize and 7. sharpen the saw. These habits create a shared vocabulary of words and actions. Students at Klager are encouraged to incorporate the habits into every part of their school day, and to take what they have learned home.
*This guest had her sheet sink and was eaten by adorable sharks.
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