Garrettsville – On a recent afternoon, all 700+ students at JAG Elementary School took part in a multitude of afternoon activities aimed to sharpen the saw. Although it sounds like something done with power tools during shop class, the program has more to do with helping shape students into well-rounded individuals.
“Successful leadership requires many traits, including respectful interaction, responsibility, kindness, and communication,” shared JAG Elementary Principal Keri Leindecker. This theory is based on Stephen Covey’s best-selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. For those unfamiliar with the subject, the book focuses on key habits that focus on fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity.
The Habits are (1) Be Proactive, (2) Begin with the End in Mind, (3) Put First Things First, (4) Think Win-Win, (5) Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. Habit number six – Synergize, involves combining people’s strengths through teamwork in order to achieve goals that no one person can accomplish alone. The seventh habit is to Sharpen the Saw, allowing time for self-renewal whether through exercise activities, learning a new skill, spiritual practices or service projects.
With a focus on Habit 7, Sharpen the Saw Day helps teach students the importance of leading a balanced life by caring for their: mind, body heart and soul. Several times throughout the school year, students have the opportunity to choose from 40 – 50 different activities in order to practice this habit each month.
Activities include options like Cooking Club where students learn about nutrition, coding, cheerleading, or drawing. Activity options are varied, and include something for everyone. Whether it’s Wilderness Survival or Running Club, Beekeeping, Yoga, Karaoke, or American Sign Language. “Students get to meet with their Sharpen the Saw group once a month and they always look forward to the experience,” Leinedecker shared.
Walking into the gymnasium, you’ll see Putt Putt Engineers crafting individual putt putt holes for a ginormous miniature golf course. A variety of items like bowling pins, beanbags, plastic cones, blocks of wood, and even plastic dinosaurs are combined in imaginative ways to create challenging play. Down the hall, students take part in a nature scavenger hunt, while in a nearby classroom, students learn cheerleading routines, practice drawing, practice creative writing or learn about the chemistry of food by baking bread in the cafeteria.
“One important way to become a successful leader is by serving the community,” Leindecker added. “JAG Elementary students and staff have accomplished quite a few service projects this year including a ‘pajama-drive’ to benefit the Caring for Kids Adoption and Foster Agency, thank-you cards for veterans’, and a food drive for the Nelson Garrettsville Community Cupboard.” Leindecker concluded, “Our goal is to help our kids become successful leaders who are respectful, kind and responsible. One need look no further than our JAG students and staff to find these traits on display each and every day.”
James A. Garfield Elementary is very proud to be a Leader in Me school, one where students, staff and community members work together hand-in-hand to create a school culture anchored in leadership. Sharpen the Saw Day is part of the Leader in Me® program. For more information, visit leaderinme.org.
