Building Leaders
At Hunter McGuire Lower School, your child will begin his or her journey to becoming a leader, a person of character, and a good citizen. Our activities in this area, which begin in pre-kindergarten and culminate with a defined leadership program in fifth grade, focus on developing:
- Respect for others
- Individual responsibility
- Personal integrity
- Effective communication
- Community service
At the heart of this part of our program are our bi-weekly assemblies. Every other Friday, students, faculty, staff and parents gather to watch students take the stage in our auditorium. These assemblies, run by fifth graders, provide a unique opportunity for students from kindergarten through fifth grade to share class work, develop self-confidence and poise, and practice public speaking skills in a non-threatening environment.
Children also build character and leadership skills through inter-grade interactions and friendships that allow older students to lead by example. Second graders are paired with kindergartners as reading buddies. Older students serve as Bus Buddies for younger bus riders, helping with homework, playing games, and building camaraderie. Fifth graders participate in a two-day intensive leadership retreat and serve as mentors and role models throughout the school; they are lunch helpers for kindergarteners; they serve as the Safety Patrol, helping students arrive and depart safely each day; and they are responsible for raising and lowering the school’s flags daily.
Beyond these activities, daily routines and lessons focus on the development of good citizenship. As dedicated and responsible citizens, all classes take on community service projects that teach personal and social responsibility, encourage respect, and promote cooperation.
No single event better showcases our students’ personal growth in terms of character and leadership than our fifth grade commencement ceremony. Attended by the entire Hunter McGuire community, the ceremony honors each student and provides an opportunity for each to deliver a personal farewell speech, recognizing faculty, staff, friends and family members who have made a difference for him or her. The poise and self-confidence evident in each fifth grader’s speech is a testimony to the value of our approach.