Taking the Lead in the Middle School 

A significant aspect of Dana Hall’s mission is to prepare young women to be leaders. The efforts of the Middle School Student Council this fall demonstrate how our students develop leadership skills through collaboration, problem-solving, and community-building. 

This year, we started our first Student Council meeting by reading aloud our speeches and identifying common themes in our visions and ideas. The representatives had a wide range of qualities and interests—from more outgoing types to quieter listeners, from athletes to equestrians to scholars—but they coalesced around their commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive community, building connections across grade levels, and boosting school spirit. In our second meeting, Director of Community Equity and Inclusion Rachel Nagler led a leadership workshop in which she emphasized that being a leader isn’t only about putting forth bold ideas but is about how you show up in everyday situations to model inclusivity and take a stand against bias. 

With the groundwork and the goals set, Student Council members began to raise issues that they had heard from their “constituents.” For example, with the new daily schedule, snack time is compressed; we brainstormed ways to alleviate the bottleneck—one of the ideas, to add another table, was implemented last week and has already made a big difference. When the teachers brought to me concerns about gum chewing in class, the Student Council had a lively debate over the benefits of chewing gum—focus, good breath!—and the downfalls of poor gum “etiquette.” They collaborated on a presentation to the Middle School outlining the rules, the rationale, and the consequences. When one member subsequently found gum in a classroom, she reported it, and we instituted the consequence. In another instance, representatives pitched a Halloween-themed Conference Period that would include costume contests, trick-or-treating, crafts, and more. I took their ideas to the faculty, who supported the spirit but raised concerns about Halloween itself not being inclusive and students needing to still be able to use Conference Period for extra time and makeup tests. We then settled on a fall-themed activity (pipe cleaner pumpkins, small amounts of allergy-friendly candy to be distributed by advisory) that met the needs for fun bonding time but avoided the other pitfalls.

In these three examples, students experienced what leadership is really like. I told them that, in my role, I need to be both proactive and reactive. Sometimes I have a great idea but when I pitch it to the stakeholders, I realize I need to revise it. And sometimes, my idea totally flops! It’s about listening, planning, revising, and following through. 

Next up is a reprise of our winter-themed door decorating contest, an initiative from last year’s co-presidents that now seems to be a new Dana Hall tradition. Representatives will continue to plan their class meetings and will look forward to other events such as Field Day. 

Student Council is not the only way Middle School students show leadership. We have other structured opportunities—such as Green Action or Blue Key Junior—and, on a daily basis, students advocate for each other and become role models or “big sisters” to younger students. Our overflowing bulletin board of Spirit Slips is a testament to the frequency with which our students show up for each other in ways both big and small.

Leadership is not always easy; it takes hard work, flexibility, patience, resilience and unflagging good cheer. By developing these skills at a young age, our students see themselves as leaders in their community and beyond.