Future workers: Justice students show off leadership skills

Published 8:56 am Friday, April 20, 2018

Justice Elementary School students showed off their leadership skills during the third annual Justice Future Workers and Leaders Day Thursday.

Students performed, showed off their Chinese language skills, gave tours and taught community leaders Steve Covey’s seven habits of highly effective people, which the students develop during their time at Justice.

Kimberly White, a guidance counselor at Justice, said the school teaches the students how to be future workers.

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“We have these kids interview for jobs,” White said. “They fill out an application. They go through an interview process. They have to sign a contract.”

Those jobs range from hallway patrol officers to custodian.

“They have jobs, and they have to show up and do their job,” White said.

White said the school also teaches the seven habits and has the students practice them every day. The seven habits are: Be proactive; begin with the end in mind; put first things first; think win-win; seek first to understand, then to be understood; synergize; and sharpen the saw.

“We’ll teach the kids you’re in control of you,” White said. “Things may go on around you, but sometimes you can’t control that.”

White said it is essential to teach these lessons at an early age so students will form productive habits.

“The earlier they learn these lessons, and as they get older it will be second nature to them,” she said. “It’ll just come so natural.”

The annual Leaders Day recognizes the hard work students put into practicing their habits and shows the community leaders what the students are capable of.

Fourth-grader Levi Ross, vice president of the Student Lighthouse Team, said the seven habits have taught him and other students how to be leaders and good workers.

Ross said he likes being a leader in his school.

“People will look up to you, and you get to show them how to be (a leader),” he said.

About Lashana Harney

Lashana Harney is a reporter for The Winchester Sun. Her beats include schools and education, business and commerce, Winchester Municipal Utilities and other news. To contact her, email lashana.harney@winchestersun.com or call 859-759-0015.

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