Springfield Plains Elementary third-graders marched down the halls to the school cafeteria, Jan. 14, hoping they earned enough medals for promotion from cadet to soldier in General Wolfie’s Challenge.
The challenge was led by juniors and seniors from Clarkston High School’s LEAD program, as part of their annual Elementary Leadership Training Conferences.
“We spent months planning a conference to help them understand six concepts we think are important as they grow up,” said senior Meghna Dhir. “We planned fun activities as a way for them to learn.”
LEAD students focused on diversity and respect, organization and responsibility, physical health and activity, school spirit, conflict resolution, and self-esteem.
The LEAD students planned the theme around Leadership Boot Camp to make it more fun, and worked with the high school’s teacher cadets to put it together.
They began with research and paid attention to every detail of the theme, from breaking down into groups to what activities the students could do.
“We wanted to make boot camp fun but a serious way to learn,” said Dhir. “We do the activities and ask the students questions so the idea gets through to them. It was really easy because a lot of people in LEAD are really passionate about what we do. It was easy, especially from what we saw from last year’s conference and because we all worked together.”
The students were broken into groups, called brigades, during the boot camp, and spent time at each session earning medals. If they received six medals, they graduated from cadet to soldier.
Senior Erica Zentner led the students in the “Fit & Ready” boot camp session, which focused on eating healthy and physical fitness.
Zentner asked the students for different ways they could stay active. Hands shot up as many said ‘playing sports? and ‘playing with their siblings.?
Zentner, a Springfield Plains alum, incorporated the lesson with how to help their community, pointing out the annual Fun Run helps them and the school.
“The more active you are, more laps you can run and more laps is more money for the school,” she said.
Down the third-grade hall, voices could be heard from another group shouting out with pride the Dolphin chant, about the elementary’s mascot.
The activity was the Battle Cry and the students not only learned about team communication but how to demonstrate spirit for their school and community.
At the next session the students moved up the ranks and learned how diverse they are from their eye color to hobbies to pets and how to respect the differences others have.
“The students loved working with the high school students since they were fun and energetic,” said Rachel Raddatz, third-grade teacher. “They learned how to work together, how to be a better friend and ways to be proud of who we are.”
Raddatz’s class also mention how the high schoolers treated them as equals – not as someone younger, and knew when to be serious and when to have fun.
“They see these high schools students taking pride in themselves, their school and our community,” said Raddatz. “When I, as a teacher, need to remind students about these qualities, I can bring up these activities to remind them of the important lessons.”
LEAD held a boot camp at North Sashabaw Elementary and Pine Knob Elementary earlier the same week, and visited Independence Elementary on Thursday afternoon.
Dhir said they received positive responses from not only the students but the teachers and prinicipals as well.
“I am really glad we had an opportunity to come and teach these students,” Dhir said. “It’s really a good reward for us, too – to come in and teach the students and see the reactions on their faces.”
Each elementary had 150 students participating in the bootcamp.
After LEAD visits Bailey Lake Elementary, Andersonville Elementary and Clarkston Elementary at the end of March 1,050 students will have graduated from cadet to soldier.