Attention Cardinal Elementary Families and Friends!
We hope this message finds you well. We wanted to take a moment to share information about our Leader in Me program at Cardinal Elementary and the many ways we celebrate and recognize our Cardinal leaders and practice the 8 habits of Leader in Me.
The Leader in Me program focuses on developing essential leadership skills among our students. We believe that every child has the potential to be a leader, and we strive to foster an environment where they can thrive. Throughout the year, we will recognize and celebrate the achievements of our student and staff leaders, highlighting their growth and contributions to our school community.
Every Wednesday we have "Cardinal Clubs" where students meet in mixed groups of TK-2 and build a community of friendship with students outside of their regular classroom in order to practice and learn more about our "focus" habit for the month. These groups are led by a teacher and contain approximately 11-12 students. During the month of September we focus on Habit 1: Be Proactive. At the end of the day we have an all school assembly where a brief reminder of the focus habit is provided and an announcement of those leaders that do a great job of modeling this habit for others. The first Wednesday of the month we highlight our 2nd grade leaders, on the 2nd Wednesday we recognize 1st grade leaders, and on the 3rd we showcase our TK-2 leaders. During the 4th Wednesday we have 2 awards that are delivered. The first is an award call "High Hopes" which is given to one student from each class that shows hard work and perseverance in the area of academics. The second is the "Count On Me" award which goes to a student that models caring and kindness towards others. Every week we also share staff shout outs. Families are welcome to make nominations for these as well. If you know a staff member that deserves a shout-out, please email me (sbennis@maquoketaschools.org) with your suggestion along with a reason for the nomination. Each week we video the awards assembly and share it out with families so you can see your child accepting the award.
At Cardinal, we also have a Student Lighthouse Team that serve as models for others. They perform "jobs" throughout the building for which they apply and interview for. These include things such as lunchroom helpers, flag helpers, hallway monitors, newscasters, Cardinal Cart curriers, and classroom readers, just to name a few. The Staff and Parent Lighthouse teams work to support and plan activities for both the Cardinal and Briggs Elementaries. Please reach out to me as well if you are interested in being a part of this team.
We are currently working to plan for a Fall Family event where you can come and learn more about the Leader in Me program. Stay tuned for more information coming soon! See the attached flyer to better understand the 8 habits and how we use them to strengthen our leadership skills and self-awareness.
Thank you for your continued support in encouraging our students to embrace their leadership qualities. Together, we can inspire them to reach their full potential.
