Leaders on the Run

Our thanks to the Law Firm of Coker, Schickel, Sorenson and Posgay for a grant to be used in support of Pathfinders, a 6th grade girls' leadership development and running club which was created and is sponsored by Julia Landon Assistant Principal Sara Bravo.

Mr. Howard Coker, a Landon High School alumni, recently visited his alma mater and presented the grant during a brief ceremony. Pictured along with Mr. Coker is the Julia Landon College Preparatory and Leadership Development School's principal as well as the Pathfinders sponsor and three Julia Landon teachers who assist with the program.

Pathfinders meets every other Monday immediately after school and is open to any 6th grade girl who wants to develop her personal leadership style through interaction with girls her own age under the guidance of strong role models. Running encourages the girls to build a positive self image as they work towards meeting personal goals. Later in the year, Ms. Bravo hopes that many of her girls will participate in the Gate River Run as well as a community service project to be held on our campus in support of the American Cancer Society. Watch for the Pathfinders as they run through San Marco. Not only are they leaders on the run, they are another example of leadership by example.

Leadership in Literacy

During the first quarter, our 7th Grade Service Learning Project benefited the Bright Start! Dyslexia Initiative, a program sponsored by one of our business partners, Nemours Children's Clinic. Our students collected nearly 450 new children's books to be used with dyslexic pre-schoolers in the Bright Start program. Part of our students' total experience included learning about dyslexia. Pictured (from left to right) are Dr. Laura Bailet, Executive Director of Nemours BrightStart! Dyslexia Initiative; Dr. Kelly Coker-Daniel, principal of Julia Landon College Preparatory and Leadership Development School; Mrs. Linda Hubbard, intensive reading teacher at Julia Landon; and Mrs. Sara Bravo, assistant principal for curriculum at Julia Landon. Following Dr. Bailet's presentation, students were given the opportunity to tour the BrightStart mobile classroom unit. The work being done by Dr. Bailet and her staff is just one more example of leadership by example.

Leadership Jax IS Leadership by Example

Each year Leadership Jacksonville trains and sends another group of dedicated business men and women into our community. As a part of their training, each new class visits schools and experiences education in action. The Class of 2009, accompanied by Dr. Judy Poppell who serves Leadership Jacksonville as the Leadership Development Team and Program Chair visited Julia Landon College Preparatory and Leadership Development School on the October 16, Education Day. Approximately 28 Leadership Jax Class of 2009 members heard about the leadership component at Julia Landon and spent time touring the facility and visiting classrooms. We were pleased to host the group and hope for more opportunities to share our leadership mission with Leadership Jacksonville, because Leadership Jax really IS leadership by example.

Leadership in Different Places

The flag in the picture is waving in the afternoon breeze in front of Julia Landon College Prep and looks no different than flags waving in the breeze where ever the American flag is flown. The thing that makes this particular flag special and worthy of note is the story of how it made its way to our school.

The story begins with Ms. Aristian Franklin, health teacher. Ms. Franklin is one of those teachers who loves her students and is loved by them. She is able to take her subject matter and make students want to be in her class. This was all put on hold early last spring when Ms. Franklin and her United States Army Reserve unit were sent to Iraq where she has shifted the focus of her leadership skills from classroom teacher to soldier serving at the 345th Combat Support Hospital. That's really where the story of our flag has its roots.

Our own school flag was torn to pieces during Tropical Storm Fay. A neighbor, who is a military veteran himself, removed the flag and disposed of it in proper military fashion thereby leaving us without a school flag. After hearing about our flag, Ms. Fanklin made arrangements to have the flag which was being flown over her own military installation sent to Jacksonville. It now proudly flies in front of Julia Landon. This particular flag reminds us of Ms. Franklin and her leadership as teacher and soldier. Thank you, Ms. Franklin, for all that you do. It's just leadership in different places.

Leadership by Example in Education

One of the greatest honors is to be recognized by others as being known as one of the best. Congratulations to (left to right) Ms. Shirlee Kastelan, 8th grade science; Mr. John Manias, 6th grade science; Ms. Kathryn Flynn, 6th grade ELA; Mr. Kristopher Beckstrom, director of music; Ms. Amy Sargent-Wells, 6th grade ELA; Ms. Kristie Putnal, 6th grade math; and Ms. Pam Smith, 7th grade science for be nominated to represent Julia Landon College Prep as the 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year. One of these exemplary teachers will be chosen through a vote of their peers as being representative of the best of the best. The lives of our students are enriched every day because these teachers are a part of our Julia Landon faculty. Their dedication to excellence is put into practice as they demonstrate leadership by example in education.

Taking Leadership to new Heights...

Ms. Shirlee Kasztelan, 8th grade science teacher at JL College Prep & Leadership

Develop-ment School, led her students to new

"heights" recently as she took part in the Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery Program. Being selected from a massive group of applicants, Ms. Kasztelan completed online and on site training before taking one of the four zero gravity flights being offered to science and math teachers this year.

Ms. Kasztelan's students partnered with their teacher by completing a series of online zero gravity physics labs and by designing a number of experiments, which were approved by scientists at NASA, for Ms. Kasztelan to perform during her zero gravity flight. Students were also able to track her experience on line the day of the flight, September 30.

When asked how her experience would inspire her students as they develop their leadership process, she quickly replied, "Students will benefit from my experience by witnessing that hard work and taking the time to apply for opportunities may actually pay off. If they believe, they can take the leap of faith and go for it."