Bellefontaine Intermediate School announced this week that the school has been re-certified as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School by Franklin Covey Co. after initially receiving the status in 2016.
Becoming a Lighthouse School is a recognition schools earn because they have produced outstanding results in school and student outcomes by implementing The Leader in Me. More than 150 schools have achieved this prestigious milestone, according to a release.
Applying for the Lighthouse Milestone typically occurs three to five years after a school begins The Leader in Me.
“We are honored to become be recognized through recertification as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School,” Principal Krista Adelsberger said. “We have seen such amazing results from since implementing The Leader in Me process at our school.
“The Seven Habits framework and principles have been our guiding practice for many years, and have been particularly useful the last several months. Staff and students have focused on strategies for using our circle of control in an atmosphere where it can be tempting to only worry about negative things happening around us which we have no control.”
The Leader in Me is a whole-school transformation model — developed in partnership with educators — that empowers students with the leadership and life skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. It is based on secular principles and practices of personal, interpersonal and organizational effectiveness.
Leader in Me Schools that have implemented the process with fidelity, report increases in the following: student self-confidence, teamwork, initiative, responsibility, creativity, self-direction, leadership, problem solving, and communication for children of all ages, socioeconomic levels, learning capacities, and cultural backgrounds, according to a release.
- The Lighthouse School designation is presented to schools that have demonstrated the following:
• The school campus environment reinforces the leadership model by displaying leadership language that emphasizes individual worth and potential in hallways and classrooms.
• Teachers integrate leadership language into school curriculum and instruction.
• Staff collaborates and works together to effectively build a culture of leadership.
• Students are provided with meaningful student leadership roles and responsibilities, such as mentor, public speaker, school tour guide, and greeter.
• Parents are given opportunities to learn The Leader in Me model and the 7 Habits and are involved in activities that support the leadership model.
• A system is in place for setting and tracking school-wide, classroom, academic, and personal goals.
• Leadership events are hosted to allow students to practice their leadership skills (e.g. public speaking, sharing data, confident greetings, etc.) with community business partners, parents, and other educators.
• The school leadership team meets regularly and oversees school-wide implementation of the leadership model with the help of students, staff, parents, and community members.
• Measureable improvements in teacher engagement, parent satisfaction, student behavior, and academic alignment are shown by comparing baseline data with the tracking of ongoing data.
Bellefontaine Intermediate School Lighthouse team members include, from the left, first row: Jack Wilson, Belle Hughes, Karsyn Newkirk, Trinity Fout, and Landon Rister; and second row: Sloan Stolly, Zalaney Storm, Tylee Williams, Kaiden Yoder, and Beatrice Warren; and third row: Amari Hunsicker, Deacon Lloyd, Lexi McKirahan, Blakely Vollrath and Clara Core. (BELLEFONTAINE SCHOOLS PHOTO)