Leadership Program for 7th & 8th Graders: Tending the Blossoms of Character

By HELENE DEBELAK
Director of Curriculum
Founder-in-Residence

Character development is a vital aspect of our mission and the Leadership Program for seventh and eighth graders is the capstone opportunity for students to showcase the habits they have built over their years at Birchwood School of Hawken.
Each week, students practice leadership in a chosen sphere of help within the school. Tim LaBar oversees the program and provides guidance to the students.

Throughout the year, students are actively engaged in the application of the following principles:
  • Students in middle school have the desire to lead and will expend much energy to do so when they feel that their jobs are truly helpful and of service. In turn, this experience enhances their feelings of self-esteem and school pride.
  • In each realm some operation or person is depending on them. Through these authentic endeavors, students learn what it means to bear responsibility.
  • When given the chance to make mistakes, students learn that positions of leadership take measures of patience, sobriety, kindness, and understanding. It is safe to practice and make mistakes so that these characteristics can be habituated through a cycle of practice.
  • There is a relationship between responsibility and freedom. With ever more responsibility there is ever more freedom to move about the building and use time flexibly. When mistakes are made, the freedoms are limited; when lessons are relearned, the freedoms can be expanded.
  • Given opportunities, ever greater amounts of responsibility can be entrusted to students. Students revolve through a cycle of responsibility for themselves, then for realms affecting things, then for realms affecting other people.
  • When opportunities are varied, students discover a type of leadership that fits them. Some students will shine the more they are asked to head up committees. Others will show great skill when asked to organize and manage data or produce programs.
  • Students practice the civic idea that they should always put into whatever community they are a part of and give back to whatever institution has helped them.
  • The quality of compassion is a companion trait of responsibility. Students cultivate this trait through many small opportunities for service and by their assistance with school functions. They also participate in social service and relief projects that benefit the local community, veterans, and people in need.
Here is a snapshot of our seventh- and eighth-grade leaders in action in the month of September:
 
The character team … Haya and Taiba help Mr. Boyer with our Character Campaign by posting inspiring quotes and character activities. They are currently inspiring Birchwood students to SMILE and realize how that smile can impact others.
 
The read aloud team ... Gia, Yousuf, Lucy, and Nathan are working with Miss Owen to prepare and share fun books and puppet shows for the preschool Seedlings and pre-k Sprouts students to enjoy during their lunch time.
 
The gardeners … Daniel, Gus, Jake, Jerry, and Oscar are working with Mr. LaBar to keep our beautiful plants and flowers in the front of the building watered, weeded, and healthy. These students will also work as a tech team in the winter months to ensure that printers are fully stocked with paper and to address cleaning needs under the direction of Mrs. Basmajian.
 
The marketing team ... Orla, Vincent, Nelson, Joshua, and Danyaal are using their creative eye to showcase our alumni and current student achievements posted on the bulletin boards in the main hallway.


 
The office helpers ... Bea, Mariyah, Shriya, Sogra, Leyla, and Rockam have been a great help to Mrs. Bixler, organizing school supplies and incoming mail, delivering messages, and answering the phones during the leadership period.
 
The recycling team ... seventh graders Ethan, Nick, David, Sam, Ben, and Aadhi and eighth graders Madeline, Mira, Sofia, Zora, Neeraj, and Samuel have rendered valuable help to all by picking up paper recycling in each room and office and taking it all outside to the bins.
 
The Birchwood News Network (BNN) team ... seventh graders John, Corrado, Vivian, Yianni, Nathan, Jackson, and Jana and eighth graders Brian, Kritika, Chrysanthi, Rodrigo, and Caleb prepare and present the BNN broadcasts of inspiring stories, Birchwood current events, and birthday recognition for the entire community to view. Check out the newest episode each week!
 
Finally, Stella and Jenna of seventh grade and Andrew and Nelson of the eighth grade serve as our new student ambassadors. They look forward to welcoming all new students to Birchwood and they hope to see all new families at the many events the school hosts throughout the year.
 
The program anticipates a year of attaining skills and growth of character from our outstanding seventh and eighth grade leaders.
 
We look forward to it!

Helene Debelak is Founder-in-Residence, along with her husband, Charles Debelak. Together, the Debelaks founded Birchwood in 1984. Mrs. Debelak’s writing provides parents with information about sound educational principles and child development issues gleaned from a lifelong career of educating children across a variety of subjects, for which she has earned multiple education honors. This article appeared in the Sepember 2024 edition of the school's monthly newsletter, "The Clipboard." 
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