Woodfill Elementary celebrates recognition for leadership program

Students and staff at Woodfill Elementary, a school in the Fort Thomas Independent Schools district, celebrated earning recognition for its school-wide leadership program Thursday.

The celebration took place outside at a school town hall, sort of like a pep rally, where students discussed the certification, called a Lighthouse certification, the program itself and engaged in school spirit-building activities.

“It represents the hard work, dedication and collaborative spirit of our entire Woodfill family, which are all here with us today, and we appreciate that,” said Principal John Gesenhues. “As one of 600 schools worldwide to achieve this designation, we stand proud, shining out as a beacon of light for all schools in this area. This achievement reflects not only a commitment to academic excellence but also our focus on leadership, community and the development of our students as lifelong learners.”

The program is based on the works of famous American businessman and author Stephen Covey, who is most well-known for his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Covey later adapted his seven habits for kids, and the leadership program encourages students to live out the seven habits in their daily lives. Gesenhues said the school had implemented the program about ten years before.

“The lighthouse program is basically a way of being a leader in our school, a way of taking leadership and using our abilities to help others,” said fourth grader Hunter Boescher.

The students said the program was less about specific projects and activities and more about using the seven habits “in your daily life,” said student Brogan Mulraney.

The seven habits are as follows:

• Be proactive
• Begin with the end in mind
• Put first things first
• Think win-win
• Seek first to understand, then to be understood
• Synergize (which refers to playing to each person’s strengths in a team setting)
• Sharpen the saw (which essentially refers to consistently building one’s skills and education over time)

Students spoke during the town hall, describing how they enacted the seven habits in their daily lives: doing their homework without being asked as an example of being proactive, scheduling out time for studying in advance as an example of beginning with the end in mind, and so on.

“I’m good at thinking win-win by making sure before I take action, I think how it will affect everyone in my group or in my class, and make sure everyone is happy at the end of the situation,” a student named Jackson said.

The event also recognized the class that best demonstrated leadership and the class that was the most well-behaved and respectful to the cafeteria staff, for which the class was bequeathed a giant, golden spoon. Mrs. Jones’ class won the golden spoon this month.

Finally, the students and staff played a water balloon toss game at the end of the end of the town hall.

“All of our students – I know just a few shared today – but I am confident that all of them could share experiences that they have had with all of the seven habits during their time here at Woodfill and hopefully at home as well because really, that’s the goal, is to make great humans that live these seven habits out every day,” Gesenhues said.

Check out some more photos of the town hall below: