Canastota students attend leadership workshop

Making great strides within the Canastota School District are character education and leadership. Since Otis Jennings has stepped into the district as educational consultant the atmosphere has changed, just ask the students and staff members.

Jennings is a positive motivational speaker who believes in accepting all people. He’s so well liked in the district that the 2008 graduating class asked him to be its speaker.

During an assembly held on Dec. 2 in the auditorium, Jennings talked about the serious effort the district has made since last June when it began its character education initiative. That initiative spawned a leadership initiative where dozens of students and staff members attended leadership training.

“It’s all about how we can make Canastota all that it’s capable of becoming,” Jennings said. “It’s about how we can achieve academic success.” Jennings affectionately calls these initiatives “love fest 2008” and tells the students he can feel the love they have for each other, the school and becoming successful.

High school senior Brianne Quaglia said a school-wide survey took place before attending the training conference, which was facilitated by Jennings. Every grade participated. Students and staff were asked to come up with an active definition of leadership. Quaglia said when a member of Canastota can learn about community, it inspires others.

“Education and leadership are key,” Quaglia said.

Superintendent of Schools Fred Bragan said he was pleased and proud of the things happening amongst the students.

“I see the student body taking control to make a change,” Bragan said. “You are the change. You are the future.”

Jennings also facilitated the Camfel Production of “Trust Me!?” Presented using a multi-media blending of “popular music, feature-film clips, human interest stories and insightful narratives,” Trust Me!? addressed character building strategies. It focused on bullying, drugs and alcohol, honesty, trusting others and yourself. It asked students to consider how they are living their lives.
After the morning presentation, a handful of faculty members and students talked about how the leadership and character education initiatives affected their lives and what they discovered about themselves from the presentation.

Three students who were new to the district this year all experienced the same fears of finding new friends and fitting in when first arriving. All of them said they met knew friends and felt accepted at Canastota. Another student said she entered high school with no direction and was making poor choices. She broke down crying and said during her junior year she turned things around and finally became the person she wanted be. She’s now a senior.

Two male students apologized for any bullying they may have done. And a teacher talked about how he called a fellow student a “scumbag” in seventh grade and just recently called him to say he was sorry for what he had done back then. He now calls him a friend.

A staff member who had been out on maternity leave said she returned to find a different, friendlier, positive atmosphere in the halls and around the campus.

Jennings appeared passionate about accepting one another for whatever differences people have. He said the entire district is planning a community-wide celebration to display student talents. The festival will be held sometime in March.

“We are going to celebrate who we are,” Jennings said. “We all have talent. We all are important.”

CATEGORY: K-12 Education
TAGS: Schools,leadership,workshop,Jennings,facilitator
EDITION: Madison Eagle

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