Lessons in leadership; Winfield Scott kids set example for the rest of the student body

Thursday, October 18, 2012
Four of the 14 student leaders at Winfield Scott Elementary School pose for a photo on Wednesday at the school. Pictured from the left: Kaitlyn Claypool, 7, Ava Witt, 7, Maia Martin, 8 and Kaleb Bailey, 7.(Laurie Sisk/Tribune)

A handful of dedicated second graders at Winfield Scott Elementary are setting the standard for citizenship and serving as examples to their peers by taking part in the Student Leadership Club.

Fourteen students, hand-picked out of the seven second-grade classrooms on campus, perform numerous duties at the school, and in so doing, begin to learn values like responsibility, empathy and concern for others.

One boy and one girl are chosen from each second-grade classroom at the kindergarten through second grade school and are led by sponsor Linda Minor, who said the students meet at least once a month.

Kaleb Bailey, 7, said part of being a student leader is running the school store, which sells school supplies to raise money for various projects at Winfield Scott through the Student Leadership Fund.

Minor said the money has used for a variety of projects, including buying gifts for all the new employees at the school, purchasing presents for teachers, new playground equipment, a marquee and computers.

"We try to help out wherever needed," Minor said. "The store doesn't bring in a lot of money every day, but we do try to do motivational things for teachers. We try to stick little candy bars in their mailboxes during American Education Week. We do something for National Secretaries Day, too. We just try to do nice things throughout the year."

Student Leader Kaitlyn Claypool, 7, said she thinks it's important to do nice things for her teachers, because "they are nice to you," and fellow Student Leader Maia Martin, 8, said she likes to treat her instructors well because they help her learn.

For Student Leader Ava Witt, 7, surprising her teachers is something she likes to do because it makes her feel good and makes the teachers happy.

Martin said she thinks a leader is someone who helps little kids do good things and sets a good example, while realizing that everyone makes mistakes.

During their first meeting, student leaders are taught that being at the top is a privilege and with that privilege comes responsibility and hard work.

Other student leaders at the school are: Daeson Bollinger, Tabitha Schilling, Jaden Loercher, Marquinn Johnson, Weston Marbery, Jescie Comstock, Sean Wells, Jeremy Bower, Tenasia Baugher and Hayden Harris.

Claypool said she can set the example for other students by doing little things like walking quietly in the hallways. Bailey said you can also set the example by "being a leader and not a follower," and Martin said she can set an example by being nice to people and not being a bully.

In addition to opening the school store every morning, Minor said leaders also try to do something special every month, such as the canned food drive planned for November to benefit The Beacon, a local food pantry and community assistance agency.

"For the food drive, there will be a little contest between classrooms and then the Leadership Club will sponsor a snack party for the winning classroom," Minor said.

Minor added that in December, the club usually adopts a family through The Beacon to bring Christmas gifts to. In February, Minor said the club runs a candy estimating contest, where every student gets to guess how much candy is in a jar.

Student leaders on a daily basis also change the marquee that lists lunch items and everyone's birthday for that day.

As for any future political aspirations, none of the four children have made a decision about that yet, but Martin said it would be good to be president because she wouldn't have to do arithmetic.

"Maybe a little writing," Martin said. "But no math!"