Leadership Program: Shaping Strong Character in Seventh & Eighth Grades

By HELENE DEBELAK
Director of Curriculum
Founder-in-Residence

Character development is a vital aspect of our mission and the Leadership Program for seventh and eighth graders is the capstone opportunity for students to showcase the habits they have built over their years at Birchwood School of Hawken.

Each week students practice leadership in a chosen sphere of help within the school. Birchwood Director of Development Tim LaBar oversees the program and provides guidance to the students.

Throughout the year, students are actively engaged in the application of the following principles:

• Students in middle school have the desire to lead and will expend much energy to do so when they feel that their jobs are truly helpful and of service. In turn, this experience enhances their feelings of self-esteem and school pride.

• In each realm some operation or person is depending on them. Through these authentic endeavors, students learn what it means to bear responsibility.

• When given the chance to make mistakes students learn that positions of leadership take measures of patience, sobriety, kindness, and understanding. It is safe to practice and make mistakes so that these characteristics can be habituated through a cycle of practice.

• There is a relationship between responsibility and freedom. With ever more responsibility there is ever more freedom to move about the building and use time flexibly. When mistakes are made, the freedoms are limited and when lessons are relearned, the freedoms can be expanded.

• Given opportunities, ever greater amounts of responsibility can be entrusted to students. Students revolve through a cycle of responsibility for themselves, then for realms affecting things, then for realms affecting other people.

• When opportunities are varied, students discover a type of leadership that fits them. Some students will shine the more they are asked to head up committees. Others will show great skill when asked to organize and manage data or produce programs.

• Students practice the civic idea that they should always put into whatever community of which they are a part and give back to whatever institution has helped them.

• The quality of compassion is a companion trait of responsibility. Students cultivate this trait through many small opportunities for service and by their assistance with school functions. They also participate in social service and relief projects that benefit the local community, veterans, and people in need in the world.

Here is a snapshot of our seventh- and eighth-grade leaders in action in the month of September:

Seventh grader Godwin works alongside Mr. Overbaugh and Mrs. Basmajian to ensure the interactive whiteboards and printers are working properly and well maintained.

The character team … Julie, Mabel, Jenna, and Shriya help Mr. Boyer with our Character Campaigns by posting inspiring quotes and character activities. They are currently inspiring Birchwood students to SMILE and how that smile can impact others. 

The Early Childhood helpers … Rebecca, Julia, Ginny, Pearl, Jana, Gia, and Yousuf are working with Mrs. Owen to prepare and share fun books and puppet shows for the Seedlings and Sprouts students to enjoy during their lunchtime and assist the kindergarten team with repairing used books, prepping class materials, and being a friendly face at recess time.

The marketing team ... Millan, Edward, Luke, and Luis are using their creative eye to showcase our alumni and current students’ achievements in the main hallway.

The office helpers ... Simone, Omar, Aarav, Bea, Haya, Mariyah, and Amaya have been a great help to Mrs. Bixler, organizing school supplies and incoming mail, delivering messages, and answering the phones during the leadership period.

The gardeners … Vincent, Henry Z, Kit, Oliver, Sam, Daniel, and John are working with Mr. LaBar to keep our beautiful plants and flowers watered, weeded, and healthy in the front of the building.

The recycling team ... seventh graders Viyan, Elijah, Jad, Vishu, Aansh, Enoch, and eighth graders Aadhi, Orla, David, Ben, and Gus have rendered valuable help to all by picking up paper recycling in each room and office and taking it all outside to the bins. They are pros at breaking down Amazon boxes!

The Birchwood News Network (BNN) team ... seventh graders Tzurielle, Danah, Niko, Haadi, Noah, and eighth graders Corrado, Nathan, Ethan, Jackson, and Nicholas prepare and present the BNN broadcast with inspiring stories, Birchwood current events, and birthday recognition for the entire community to view. They log an extra day of Leadership every week to edit, and add in new and exciting segments. Check out the newest episode each week!

Finally, Saira and Rana of seventh grade and Vivian and Stella of eighth grade serve as our student ambassadors. They look forward to welcoming all new students to Birchwood, and they hope to see all new families at the many events the school hosts throughout the year.

The program anticipates a year of attaining skills and growth of character from our outstanding seventh and eighth grade leaders.

Helene Debelak is Founder-in-Residence, as is her husband, Charles Debelak. Together, the Debelaks founded Birchwood in 1984. Mrs. Debelak’s writing provides parents with information about sound educational principles and child development issues gleaned from a lifelong career of educating children across a variety of subjects, for which she has earned multiple education honors. This article appeared in the  September 2025 edition of the school's monthly newsletter, "The Clipboard." 


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