North Henderson High, Apple Valley Middle named Leader in Me Lighthouse Schools

Staff reports
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An aerial photo of Apple Valley Middle's celebration of their Lighthouse Certification in May 2022, taken by students in the drone technology class at North Henderson High.
An aerial photo of Apple Valley Middle's celebration of their Lighthouse Certification in May 2022, taken by students in the drone technology class at North Henderson High.

Henderson County Public Schools (HCPS) and the Henderson County Education Foundation (HCEF) recently announced two schools – North Henderson High and Apple Valley Middle – have been certified and named as Leader in Me Lighthouse Schools by FranklinCovey Education, according to a press release.

Not only are North Henderson High and Apple Valley Middle the district’s first high school and middle school to earn this designation, the two schools are among an elite group of Lighthouse schools in the state, nation and even worldwide, the release said. North is the first Lighthouse certified high school in North Carolina, the third in the Southeast United States and only the fifth high school in the world.

A quarter of the 41 Lighthouse certified middle schools in the country are all in North Carolina, with Apple Valley being the 10th in the state. Developed by FranklinCovey in partnership with educators, Leader in Me is an evidence-based PK-12 model, designed to build perseverance and leadership in students, create a high-trust culture of student empowerment and help improve academic achievement, the release said. This model equips students, educators and families with the leadership and life skills needed to thrive, adapt and to contribute in a dynamic world.

Members of North Henderson High's Student LEAD Team were invited to kick off the North Carolina Association of School Administrators' 2022 Conference on Educational Leadership this spring. Sean Covey, president of FranklinCovey Education, was the keynote speaker, and met with North's student leaders.
Members of North Henderson High's Student LEAD Team were invited to kick off the North Carolina Association of School Administrators' 2022 Conference on Educational Leadership this spring. Sean Covey, president of FranklinCovey Education, was the keynote speaker, and met with North's student leaders.

The Lighthouse School recognition is evidence that the schools have produced results in school and student outcomes, by implementing the Leader in Me process with fidelity and excellence. Since 2017, the HCEF and Community Foundation of Henderson County have been co-leading the effort to add more Leader in Me schools in HCPS, providing funding and support for schools implementing the whole-school transformational model.

“The Henderson County Education Foundation is proud to provide continuing support and training to effectively sustain our current Leader in Me schools while also funding the initial implementation costs for additional HCPS schools to join the Leader in Me family,” said Peggy Marshall, Executive Director of HCEF, in the release. “With support from our community, we have the potential to touch the lives of every child in our district and build a thriving community of learners and leaders who are equipped for success in life.”

Students lead their own learning by setting and tracking their "Wildly Important Goals" or WIGS, Henderson County Public Schools said in a release. At Apple Valley Middle, students have accountability buddies in their LEAD classes with whom they share their personal and academic WIGs and celebrate their successes.
Students lead their own learning by setting and tracking their "Wildly Important Goals" or WIGS, Henderson County Public Schools said in a release. At Apple Valley Middle, students have accountability buddies in their LEAD classes with whom they share their personal and academic WIGs and celebrate their successes.

There are 668 Lighthouse schools in the world, 34 of which are in North Carolina.

“There’s a lot of great energy here in the Carolinas,” said David Ansbacher, Leader in Me Director of Lighthouse & Quality Systems.

Of the 34 in the state, HCPS is now home to four Lighthouse schools — Sugarloaf Elementary and Dana Elementary earned Lighthouse status in 2016 and 2019, respectively, and are feeder schools to Apple Valley Middle and North Henderson High.

“That’s exciting when you’ve got the K-12 continuum,” Ansbacher said, adding that it’s the vision of FranklinCovey to see elementary students who learn the 7 Habits continue to build their understanding of “the paradigms of leadership” through Leader in Me as they move through middle and high school. “A student that starts in kindergarten with Leader in Me and has it grow and change with them as they develop will … grow into a high school graduate that has soft skills and the ability to lead,” Ansbacher said.

“Leader in Me has transformed already great students into exceptional leaders who care about their school community and the community in which they live,” said Dr. Katelyn Davis, Apple Valley Middle principal, in the release. “In three years, Leader in Me has opened up leadership roles and opportunities within our school – from Knight Lights who give tours to new and incoming students, to our Student Lighthouse Team that creates school-wide celebrations, to our LEAD service projects that tackle issues and causes that are important to our students."

“Leader in Me empowers staff to place students on a pathway to personal maturity. Students who would not lead in any other traditional high school environment are finding their voice and thriving at North Henderson,” said North Principal Dr. John Shepard. “Lighthouse status provides assurance that the processes we have put into place at North Henderson empower educators to provide all students with leadership and character education. Our students are being equipped with the skills to successfully navigate careers, college, and life.”

For more information on the model that has been implemented in thousands of schools in more than 55 countries, visit www.leaderinme.org.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: North Henderson High, Apple Valley Middle named Leader in Me Lighthouse Schools