NEWS RELEASE:
The Bucyrus Education Foundation is pleased to announce they have awarded the $1,000 Bridges Grant to the Bucyrus Elementary School Leader in Me Lighthouse Committee.
The Lighthouse Committee is comprised of staff members and students in the Elementary School. The Committee works to ensure the successful implementation of the Leader in Me program in the building.
“We’ve experienced tremendous growth throughout our building since we started the process to become a certified Leader in Me school four years ago,” said Nancy Lipscomb, Staff Lighthouse Team member. “One example includes the establishment of 34 Leadership Tribes to engage every student and staff member in various leadership activities throughout the building.”
The Leadership Tribes, started during the 2016-2017 school year, meet once a month. The Staff Lighthouse team includes fifteen staff members, a parent representative and representatives from the Parent-Teacher Organization.
“BES was a site visit during the Leader in Me Summit in April this year, which gave us the opportunity to showcase the work that’s taken place since we began implementing the program,” said Lipscomb. “We also invited many community members in to the building for our Leader in Me luncheons, which include building tours, leadership skits and other activities that involve a large number of our Elementary School students.”
The Lighthouse Team plans to utilize the Bridges Grant funds to continue transforming the hallways throughout the building with leadership quotes and scoreboards to track the progress of the various Leader in Me programs and activities engaging staff and students. The grant will also be used to assist in the many school-wide leadership activities taking place at the Elementary School.
“Our goal is to build a school of leaders poised to impact the future of our homes, school and community,” said Timothy Souder, Elementary School principal. “The Bridges Grant will help us further enhance our current initiatives and develop new programs to engage our students and staff in positive leadership development activities that align with our Positive Behavior Supports program and the Leader in Me.”
The Bridges award is given each year in memory of John and Grace Bridges, long-time residents of Bucyrus and strong supporters of the school system in Crawford County. This special award provides grants to local teachers that will enrich the classroom programs and broaden the educational experience of the young minds of students in the Bucyrus City School District.
“I applaud these staff members for exploring different funding avenues to provide their students with additional resourses,” said Kevin Kimmel, Bucyrus Superintendent. “I want to thank the Bridges family for their continued financial support for our students and staff.”