Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for taking a moment out of your day to allow me to share how the Leader In Me (The LEAD in middle school) is being implemented at West Wilkes Middle School – The Castle.  At the beginning of the school year, I shared with the parents of West Wilkes Middle School “The LEAD” would begin implementation as our staff began the training process with Franklin Covey.  Our entire staff completed three days of training in August and began to set the pace for this school year.

Your child has been introduced to the seven habits this year.

Below is a summary of each of the habits:

Habit 1: Be Proactive (You’re in Charge)

Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind (Have a Plan)

Habit 3: Put First Things First (Work First, Then Play)

Habit 4: Think Win-Win (Everyone Can Win)

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood (Listen Before You Talk)

Habit 6: Synergize (Together Is Better)

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw (Balance Feels Best)

The first three habits are designed to assist students with the planning stages of any task at school, home, work, or at a collegiate level.  Students will experience personal victory while exercising these habits as they begin using them more frequently and become more familiar with the process.  To further assist students with learning these habits, all students were given agendas to use daily. If you would like more information concerning the 7 Habits, I encourage you to purchase or check out The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.  This book will be studied throughout the entire 2017-2018 school year.

Examples of possible uses for the first three habits are listed below.  

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Habit 1 is about initiative and responsibility. Help your child determine what he or she will need for the next day. To start, writing a list may be helpful. Next, have your child gather the non-perishable items and put them in his or her school bag.

Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind

Habit 2 is about visualizing how you would like something to turn out before it happens. If a smooth morning is the goal, brainstorm with your child how that will look and feel like. Your child may actually have time to do something extra in the morning if he or she is organized and you will all have a happy start to the day.

Habit 3: Put First Things

Habit 3 means focusing on the task when there's something else you would rather be doing — the hardest part of all! Help your child learn how to avoid distractions by reminding him or her that, if they stick to it, all the fun things can come right after—with no guilt or nagging!  Once children know these habits, and how to apply them, they can start tackling more difficult tasks independently. They will begin to feel self-confident and proud when they're able to complete homework, chores, and other tasks by themselves. They're also sure to be pleased when they find they have some extra free time to do what they'd like to do.  Remember, it may take time to teach your child these skills. Sometimes, it will seem simpler just to do it for them. But remember, your child won't learn how to be independent and successful if you always do it for them.

Using Habits 1-3 are life skills that will benefit them their entire lives.

Eventually, The LEAD allows students to take on more responsibility through leadership roles. These leadership and life skills are designed to prepare students for high school and beyond. We hope you will take the time to discuss these ideas with your student as they strive to find the leader inside of them.

With Knight Pride,

Pamela Huffman

Principal