Schools

Ardena Welcomes Young Leaders Back For Another Year

Howell schools open across the district

As she walked through the halls of School on Wednesday morning, Principal Deborah Pennell said she felt like a kid on Christmas morning waiting for her students to arrive. 

Meeting with teachers and ensuring everything and everyone was in place she got more excited as the buses got closer. Pennell said one of the reasons she is so excited for another year is the return of a program the school has pioneered in the district. Known as the "Leader in Me," the students learn about themselves and their community on a variety of levels. 

Using many of the same principles and philosophies that are applied in the business world, Pennell said using this strategy can only help the students going forward. "We're teaching those habits to children as young as five," she said. "The philosophy is if you're  leader you're not a bully."

Find out what's happening in Howellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It all started three summers ago when the teachers and administrators in the building read the book by Stephen R. Covey who also wrote "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." Since then it has expanded to the students and their homes. 

For the young leaders, that includes having what Pennell called a "data notebook," where they record their personal and academic goals for the year. Whether that means a goal of writing their name in lower case letters, or tying their own shoes, it also helps them lay out a plan for achieving their goals. "It sets that intrinsic I'm in charge of me," Pennell said. 

Find out what's happening in Howellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She also said one of the most important parts of the school's success is the relationship between the teachers and the students. "Our mission and vision is we're learning to lead with love," she said. "My message to the staff always is if you love them they will perform for you."

The Leader in Me idea is also about more than just improvements for the students, but also their environment as a whole. For Ardena that means sprucing up one of the oldest buildings in the district. "Our buidling is almost 75 years old and it has a beautiful sense about it," Pennell said. Over the summer, volunteers worked to paint the cafeteria to make it more of a restaurant feeling as opposed to the usual institutional look.

With the new look, Pennell said there will hopefully be a new expectation for the students using it. "They're sitting down, they're at a table, we're expecting good manners. They're sitting at a cafe, not a cafeteria." Other plans include painting each of the four stairways in the building for the four seasons. Pennell said they were looking for more volunteers to bring that vision to fruition.

Ardena is also not the only school in the district currently following the Leader philosophy or considering implementing it. Taunton School also has the program while Land O'Pines has started the process of implementation. Pennell said in talks with the principals at the Ramtown and Greenville schools, there is interest in bringing it to those buildings as well. "They already see what's happening here with the how the children behave toward each other," she said. "Once you read the philosophy of how this incorporates in your building it's hard to say I don't want that."

Board of Education president Tim O'Brien, who is also a parent at the Ardena school, said he is a supporter of teaching the philosophy. "The best part about it is the character ethic that it is founded on," he said. "It's a wonderful tool kit for helping people in school as well as in life."

As the students got off their buses the smile on Pennell's face got even wider as she welcomed her returning students back for another year and also met her new future leaders for the first time. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here