BARBER BULLETIN
Week of November 21-25
The Leader in Me turns students into Highly Effective People
The program, a collaborative effort between the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, the schools and FranklinCovey, aims to show all students they have the ability to become leaders. The goal is to create a higher quality workforce with higher graduation rates and improved skills such as work ethic, leadership, communication and goal-setting.
Students in Kentucky, as well as in more than 1,500 schools nationwide, are learning to “put first things first,” “think win-win” and “be proactive.”
“The Leader in Me” began in 1999 when A.B. Combs Elementary School was told to either reinvent itself or be shut down, according to www.theleaderinme.org.
Principal Muriel Summers asked parents what they would like to see implemented and received answers such as leadership, responsibility, communication, creativity, cross-cultural skills and self-direction.
She found that parents wanted their students to reach their full potential, rather than just the best possible test scores. She turned to Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” and in 2006, A.B. Combs became the top magnet school in the country.
In response to this success, Covey published his book “The Leader in Me,” which documents the program and its outcomes.
In the years since “The Leader in Me’s” inception, school administrators across the United States have seen positive changes in students, reporting increases in student confidence, teamwork, initiative, responsibility and creativity, as well as improved test scores and decreases in disciplinary issues, according to www.theleaderinme.org.
The value of “The Leader in Me” isn’t lost on students. Some said the program changed their lives.
“ ‘The Leader in Me’ made me a better person, and I am thankful for it,” said a Lost River Elementary School student, adding that he is now more responsible, organized and nicer. He said thanks to “The Leader in Me,” he thinks ahead, packing his backpack the night before school to avoid having to worry about it in the morning.
In addition to being more organized, students reported improvements in their behavior, as is the case with one Richardsville Elementary School student.
“At my previous school, I was rebellious and defiant,” she said. “Since practicing the seven habits at Richardsville Elementary, my attitude has become more positive.”
Her favorite habit to practice is “put first things first,” she said. “When I am home, I have to do my chores before I play. Before I started practicing ‘put first things first,’ I did not do my chores, and then my mom and I would argue about me not doing them.”
She said her mother is proud of her new habit, and she plans to continue using each of the seven habits throughout her life.
PONTIAC SCHOOL STORE
LEGO ROBOTICS
This is a perfect opportunity for teachers and staff to learn about robotics as well. I wanted to extend an invitation to all staff to feel free to come by and see how Lego robots are built and programmed. Do not feel like you have to commit to anything specific, but please come and check it out. Ask Tim Swick about times, as they vary each week!
REMINDER ABOUT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
PLEASE HELP!
As you have heard, Pontiac is throwing its first Maker Faire and we want you to be a part of it!
We have over 13 events planned and over 13 Pontiac student projects to be featured.
We are so excited about all of our staff members that have volunteered to help make the Maker Faire a success and are hoping more will join.
If you are interested in volunteering at the Maker Faire, please just send Marissa Young an e-mail confirming that you will join in for all the fun!
Maker Faire will be Friday, Dec. 2 @ 6-7:30!
A Look at Our Week Ahead
Wear JEANS and a Pontiac shirt! We are thankful for our school and our colleagues!
7:30am Coffee and Conversation with 4th and 5th grade in Parent Perch
3:30pm SHARPEN YOUR SAW
6:00pm Montessori Advisory Council meeting
Tuesday:
School Spirit Day! Wear your favorite team! Are you a Clemson fan or a Carolina fan?
7:30am Coffee and Conversation with 2nd and 3rd grade in Parent Perch
Tailgate with us during your lunch time!
12:00pm Montessori feast
Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - NO SCHOOL
Happy Thanksgiving! Sharpen your Saw!
MIDLANDS SUMMIT: A Call for Presenters!
Image the Possibilities! is the theme of the 2017 SC Midlands Summit. Educators from in and out of state are being invited to participate. The SC Midlands Summit is a two day conference focusing on the integration of technology into the school and classroom with a focus on using Google Apps for Education, learning environments, innovation, transformation, 21st century skills and mobile devices for student learning. Over 130 unique sessions will be offered! We have a great lineup of featured speakers and presenters on hand to share their expertise with us.
When and Where: The 6th annual summit will be held at the Richland Two Institute of Innovation in Columbia, SC on June 7-8, 2017. You are invited to submit an application to present a one-hour session on Wednesday, June 7 or Thursday, June 8. The application form is available online at https://goo.gl/bv2p7u As you prepare your proposal to present please check all information for accuracy, completeness, spelling, and grammar. Information associated with accepted applications will be used for conference program, web content, and other publications.
Submission Deadline: February 28, 2017
Notifications of acceptance or regret will be e-mailed on or before April 1. The main presenter will receive a complimentary registration. Co-presenters will need to register and pay the registration fee. Attendees are asked to bring their own device. If your session requires a participant to bring a certain device, be sure to include this request in your presentation description.
Selection Process: All applications to present for 2017 SC Midlands Summit will be selected by the conference selection committee based on the following criteria:
Interest to conference attendees
Content of presentation
Quality of presentation
Completeness and accuracy of application
Qualifications and experience of presenter
Please join us to make this 6th annual summit a memorable experience for participants and to ensure that the conference becomes an event that all teachers in the region look forward to attending every year by filling out the 2017 SC Midlands Summit Proposal Request Form https://goo.gl/bv2p7u .