Leadership at Gravette Upper Elementary was put to the test on March 4 for this semester's breakfast visit from the Gravette School Board, and student leaders from third, fourth, and fifth grade welcomed the moment with excitement as they presented their accomplishments.
The visit served as a follow up to a Wildly Important Goal, or WIG, that the board had written during their previous visit as a challenge for students. The goal asked GUE students to reach 70 percent reading proficiency at grade level by January in pursuit of a long term target of 90 percent. The board also committed to visit the school each month to see the work in person and support learning environments. When they returned in March, the Lighthouse Team had the results ready. Third grade reading rose from 70 percent to 86 percent, fourth grade increased from 57 percent to 70 percent, and fifth grade climbed from 66 percent to 81 percent. Math scores also rose across the building.
In a demonstration of leadership skills, students led the presentation themselves with almost no help from adults. Third and fourth grade ambassadors organized the slides during short work sessions and even took laptops home over the weekend to finish the presentation. When the board arrived, the students spoke largely without notes and handled the entire presentation. Counselor Tina Robinson didn’t even touch the microphone. Several third grade ambassadors were initially worried they would miss the presentation because of a field trip and asked if they could stay so they could take part. Fortunately the trip was scheduled for another time.
Students also shared how the goal created momentum across grade levels. Fourth graders studied the progress made by fifth grade and decided they wanted to push their own numbers higher. They began encouraging classmates and tracking their own growth as the school followed the scoreboard tied to the goal.
The Lighthouse Team also highlighted the February Kindness Challenge. Early in February, Mrs. Robinson introduced the idea of “Bucket Fillers” and “Bucket Dippers” to all students, explaining that kind actions fill an invisible bucket that represents a person’s feelings. Students spent the month completing acts of kindness for classmates, teachers, and family members while earning points toward prizes. Activities included a scavenger hunt with more than ninety prizes, a kindness coloring challenge that required completing kind actions before coloring the page, and a Good News Video Station where students recorded messages recognizing classmates for positive behavior.
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The visit showed the partnership that has formed between the school board and the students they serve. Board members stepped into classrooms, spoke with staff, and observed the students whose effort raised reading performance across the school. Those visits give district leaders a direct look at how instructional strategies are working while helping guide decisions that support learning across the district. Students receive something just as valuable in return. They present their progress to the people responsible for leading the district and see their work recognized at the highest level of leadership. The morning closed with a small gesture that reflected the tone of the visit. Students thanked the board for the challenge, offered them a few extra donuts, and invited them to return again to see what the school accomplishes next.