'Leader in Me' focus for families

Richland students shared the ‘Leader in Me’ process at a breakfast event for school families.
Posted on 02/21/2020
Richland students on stage share what the "Leader in Me" process means to them.

By Gary Weckselblatt

Approximately 150 parents and students attended Friday morning’s first Leader in Me breakfast at Richland Elementary School.

“This has been a wonderful event for our students and families,” Richland Principal Nicole Zuerblis said. “I’m so proud of how our students shared the ways everyone can use the ‘7 Habits’ at home.”

Richland students, along with their peers at Neidig, are the Quakertown Community School District’s two Leader in Me schools. Students learn leadership principles through the Leader in Me process, which is based on the work of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The Leader in Me is an elementary version of this work.

It teaches 21st-century leadership and life skills to students, and creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader. That idea is taught within the QCSD curriculum, and students learn about responsibility, creativity, ownership of learning, goal setting, self-awareness, initiative, communication, integrity, and teamwork. These skills represent the heart of QCSD's mission to create College and Career Ready students.

The 7 Habits of successful families are:

  • You’re Proactive-You say, “I can do it.”
  • You Begin With the End in Mind-You identify your values and have a Family Mission Statement.
  • You Put First Things First-You do what’s best for you and your family first.
  • You Think Win-Win-You think everyone can win in your relationships.
  • You Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood-You listen first and talk second.
  • You Synergize-You celebrate differences and work together as a team.
  • You Sharpen the Saw-You make the time to care for yourself and your family.

Mrs. Zuerblis said the goal of the event was to inspire and explain how the 7 Habits can be used at home. Families were given leadership tickets, similar to the ones at school that students receive for displaying the habits. When you accumulate enough tickets, you spin a wheel to determine your recognition. The highlight is lunch with the principal!

Gary Weckselblatt, QCSD Director of Communications, writes about the people and the programs that impact the Quakertown Community School District. He can be reached at 215-529-2028 or [email protected].

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