Parents, students, faculty and staff of Coosa Elementary School are coming together in an initiative to develop young leaders.

As part of the Coosa Leadership Initiative, Mr. Connley Skeen — former S.C. educator and administrator and now Franklin-Covey consultant and Leader in Me Coach — spent three days at Coosa Elementary

[caption id="attachment_9044" align="alignleft" width="262"]<a href="https://actionclub.site/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/School-Coosa-7-habits-1.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-9044" title="School-Coosa 7 habits" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/School-Coosa-7-habits-262x300.jpg" alt="" width="262" height="300" /></a> Standing are Mrs. Carmen Dillard and Mr. Connley Skeen; the children are Nathan Mashke and Maggie Mashke.[/caption]

School in early November. Mr. Skeen spent this time training a leadership cohort of teachers and staff, known as the “Lighthouse Team,” whose goal is to oversee the school-wide implementation of the leadership initiative.  As Coosa embarks on its first year of implementation, teachers and staff are integrating leadership opportunities daily into instruction and curriculum to build a culture of leadership in classrooms and throughout the school.

On Thursday, Nov. 8, Coosa hosted a spaghetti dinner for families and a Parent Information Night with a presentation from Mr. Skeen.  Approximately 170 attended. Parents learned the benefits of promoting a leadership culture in other elementary schools, the positive impact it has on student learning and preparation for adulthood, and the potential this initiative has for the students at Coosa.

Principal Carmen Dillard has seen a remarkable change in the culture of the school since the beginning of this school year.  “Students are using the 7-Habits to set goals, focus on the steps needed to achieve goals, and proudly modeling leadership.  Disciplinary referrals have decreased substantially, and an atmosphere of community and collaboration among students and adults in the school is very apparent.

For more information on The Leader in Me and the 7-Habits, visit www.theleaderinme.org.
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