OVERVIEW
The TMS Leadership program is an year long elective course which gives students the opportunity to learn to lead themselves and others. Students learn trust, they build confidence, face challenges individually and as a group and help to develop a positive culture on the TMS campus. The 35 7th and 8th grade students in this class serve as mentors for incoming 6th graders, oversee the intramural program, represent their peers with faculty members, help to establish and enforce school rules, represent the school in the community and develop character and spirit on campus. |
WHAT OTHER SAY ABOUT THE CLASS
|
In this class, you feel a sense of security as soon as you walk in the door. You practically gain another family in the Leadership class. -- Sydney Pruitt, student |
From this class, I made a family, and made new friends. I learned that sometimes you need to put your trust in other people and trust them to do well. -- Mitchel Savory - Orton, student
You develop such a sense of trust with all the people in the class. All year, you do activities and skill-building to improve on building trust and friendship with the people in the class. Not only that, but you greatly improve on on being a leader, but also following as a leaders --Nathan Lebens, student The TMS Leadership class TEACHES leadership skills, calls on students to step out of their comfort zones, and challenges them to do more (and do it better). Our daughter has learned to be confident speaking with her peers, with adults, and to large groups (a skill we all wish we had). She has made life-long friends with other students through mentoring incoming 6th graders and working with her fellow leadership students. -- Dr. Kyle Pruitt, parent This year, leadership really helped me with organization, public speaking, and most importantly, how to help people, and be a leader. -- Ashley Hurdle, student What has leadership class done for my daughter...... Many things, my gal is not a typical leader that stands up to announce her self as the top dog, she unknowingly leads by example. This class fertilized her self concept, morals & desire to make a difference in her own way. The assignments, guest speakers, exercises in trust & team work are all so well thought out & purposeful in the goal of making a leader. The guidance given by Mr. Matt MacFarlane is extraordinary! It comes to the student at just the right time as they are starting to shift their focus to outside sources rather than parental words....& we all pray the good words are what they receive & that is exactly what happens in leadership class. I am so thankful for this being a part of my child's school life, it is a privilege to be a leadership student & they emerge better, stronger ready to take on more. The seeds being planted in these young people today will determine their path & I couldn't wish for a better start. Thank you Mr. Mac & all the students of leadership 2014-2015, you make us proud. -- Tara Shorrock, parent In this class, you feel a sense of security as soon as you walk in the door. You practically gain another family in the Leadership class. -- Sydney Pruitt, student Leadership isn't just a class in middle school it is an opportunity for growth that will last a lifetime. Mr. Mac's Leadership class has been an amazing experience for our son. He has learned teamwork, trust in other people, and the importance of organization and follow through. Mr. Mac shows the kids respect and trust and in turn they learn independence, problem solving, creativity, and many more skills. Not only are these kids learning amazing life skills they are having a blast doing it. Being involved in school activities is fun, rewarding, and teaches them the importance of doing their best. The speakers that come to the class are inspirational and speak of perseverance and following your dreams. The students really learn great things and enjoy the speakers. Leadership instills a pride in school that radiates through the class and in the students outside life. Any student lucky enough to have the opportunity to participate in Leadership will definitely look back at it being one of the best parts of their middle school years. -- Team Tachovsky, parents Learning to trust, not being afraid to put myself out there. The ability to be myself and not be judged. -- Rachel Blishak, student I look back on my 3 children's journey through the jungle that is middle school and I feel thankful that all 3 were able to experience the Leadership class under the guidance of Mr Mac (one of my kids had the privilege of taking the class twice). The emphasis of the class can be summed up as the nurturing of your children to become leaders throughout their life. This foundation is fostered through several different intentional strategies that Mr Mac sets up for your children. During the course, the kids are put into situations where they work as a team in order to work through problems in order to succeed. These situations are through games with a specific task and obstacles that the class must over come in order to reach their goal. There isn't a "right" way just a series of trials and errors that the students must work through together. The students also have the opportunity to meet and talk with numerous different leaders in the community that Mr Mac brings into the class. These people articulate qualities, some unique, but often similar that have made them leaders in life. At the end of the course each student has a short presentation in front one of these leaders expressing what they took from the class. In addition to hearing from leaders in our community each student is required to read a book by a leader in some field and present to the class what they learned from the novel. A highlight in all the years our children were involved in the class was the week of affirmations. The students choose several other students to affirm. They pick out qualities that they admire about that person and either verbally or in written form express those affirmations to that other student. It's a powerful experience to see 12 and 13 yr olds pour out their emotions in an unguarded way. There are other practical parts of the class for instance I'll never forget when my son shook my hand with a firm squeeze. When asked where he learned that of course it was "Leadership". I witnessed my children begin to greet adults with confidence greeting and constant eye contact. Again, this was a byproduct of what they were taking from Leadership. These skills are ones that they rely on even today. -- Dr. Mick Lebens, parent I learned how to shine with my strengths and overcome my weaknesses to build self confidence. -- Danielle Nadeau, student 7th grade was a total turning point for our daughter Danielle and being a part of the Leadership class was a major reason. This school year we witnessed a huge jump in her self esteem as well as seeing her finally feel a connection with school, not simply from an academic standpoint, but from actually being an integral part of the student body and school "community". We credit these changes to her initially taking what she saw as a potential "risk of failure" in the interview process, to putting herself out there as a mentor, participating in campus activities and learning the real meaning of leading. We are grateful for her experience and look forward to her participation and growth in the class in 8th grade. Thank you Mr. Mac and TMS. -- Robert and Patrice Nadeau, parents |