Lower School Leadership
Lower school provides the foundation for the Gerstell Academy values-based leadership education program by teaching and modeling the Gerstell Mission, Motto, and Leadership Principles and Attributes throughout all disciplines and classes. Students practice leadership in the hallways, at lunch and in all aspects of their daily routines.
Falcon Friends
Lower school leadership begins with our "Falcon Friends" program. Older lower school students are paired with primary students as Falcon Friends and serve as mentors for their younger friends to emulate throughout the year. These meaningful relationships serve to build the confidence, self-awareness, and compassion for both younger and older students.Leadership Circle
Leadership Circles are held twice weekly for lower school students, faculty, and staff. These opportunities provide students in pre-k through 4th grade the stage to model, practice and learn the Gerstell Motto, Leadership Principles and Attributes which are so critical to a Gerstell education, as well as learning about leadership through the lives of the individuals depicted in our leadership portraits.
During Leadership Circle, students, faculty, and staff are invited to formally present on a variety of topics with the purpose of furthering leadership instruction. Frequently, Leadership Circles are a culminating activity to demonstrate mastery in a certain subject area through role-play and skits. Students simultaneously practice their public speaking skills and have the occasion to improve both active listening and comprehension skills.
Recent Leadership Circles have included:
- Black History and Women's History
- Youth Art Month & Student Portraiture
- Presidents & First Ladies
- Leaders in Science
- Shakespeare Monologues
- Upper School Robotics Club Demonstrations
- Native American Tribes & Their Contributions
2500 Old Westminster Pike
Finksburg, MD 21048-1823
410-861-3000
1-866-861-3300
Finksburg, MD 21048-1823
410-861-3000
1-866-861-3300
