Sandy Creek Middle School Establishes Student Leadership Group

March 18, 2014 Submitted article

Leadership and learning go hand-in-hand and truly capture the essence of a new student group that was established this school year at the Sandy Creek Middle School.

School Principal Carolyn Shirley introduced the idea of a student leadership group as a way to develop leadership skills and promote multi-grade level collaboration at the school.

Sandy Creek Middle School eighth grade student Tori Jenkins, left, and seventh grade student Carly Lyndaker participate in a ‘getting-to-know-you’ activity during the second meeting of the school’s student leadership group. Looking on is school Principal Carolyn Shirley. Shirley established the group as a way to build the students’ leadership, promote multi-grade level collaboration at the school, and create a movement of student empowerment. Activities such as the one pictured provided the group with an opportunity to share something about themselves and understand the value of embracing and being respectful of the things in life that make each person unique.
Sandy Creek Middle School eighth grade student Tori Jenkins, left, and seventh grade student Carly Lyndaker participate in a ‘getting-to-know-you’ activity during the second meeting of the school’s student leadership group. Looking on is school Principal Carolyn Shirley. Shirley established the group as a way to build the students’ leadership, promote multi-grade level collaboration at the school, and create a movement of student empowerment. Activities such as the one pictured provided the group with an opportunity to share something about themselves and understand the value of embracing and being respectful of the things in life that make each person unique.

She asked her staff to nominate students in the school’s seventh and eighth grade that have demonstrated leadership skills in the classroom or who are a person that other students in the school look up to.

Ten students, five boys and five girls, from each grade level were invited to participate in the voluntary group.

Aptly named the Sandy Creek Middle School Student Leadership Cabinet, the twenty committee members meet once a month during their lunch time with Principal Shirley.

During the first two meetings the students participated in a ‘getting-to-know-you’ sharing and team building exercise and learned more about Principal Shirley’s objectives for the group.

Above just building essential leadership skills, Mrs. Shirley said that she hopes the student representatives involved in the group can create a movement of empowerment and positivity within the entire student body as well as provide an avenue for the student voices to be heard.

“I really want our students to feel like their voice is being heard and I want our students to feel like they can stand up for what is right,” Shirley said.

Print this entry

Discover more from Oswego County Today

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.