Speaker LEADS Middle School Students Towards Acceptance
Thanks to grant funding from the Greensburg Rotary and Greensburg Salem Education Foundation , motivational speaker Mark Weir visited Greensburg Salem Middle School to engage the students in a program focused on diversity , acceptance and leadership . Mr . Weir is the founder of LEADS , which stands for Leadership : Exploring and Developing Success , a program used to positively impact and influence students ’ lives .
Speaker Mark Weir LEADS students at GSMS during a motivational assembly .
The interactive program engaged students in mini group activities to encourage them to learn more about one another . Students gathered in clusters of five or six and shared their birth order and how it affects them . In another activity , students were shown shapes and had to decide which “ geometric identifier ” they were drawn to . Mr . Weir discussed the theory that people who choose the same shape are likely to have similar personality traits . For instance , those who chose a circle were apt to be kind , caring , optimistic and generous , while those who chose a squiggly line tend to be unique , creative , witty and innovative .
Michelle Reynolds , a 7th grade student , reported that the activities gave her a chance to learn more about her peers . “ No matter what color of skin or what our ages are , we can all find similarities despite our differences ,” she said .
Students were challenged to step outside of their comfort zones and sit with someone new at lunch to get to know people they may not usually connect with . “ We are all in the same community space ,” Mr . Weir encouraged . “ The more we act like a family , the more we think like a family !” Eighth-grade student Timaia Lewis thought the LEADS program was inspirational . “ It ’ s important for us to lift each other up instead of bringing one another down ,” stated Timaia . “ Even though we are all different , we should treat each other with respect .”
reensburg Salem GREENSBURG SALEM SCHOOL District News
Career Speaker Series Showcases Local Professionals
Gone are the days of hosting a traditional “ career day ” in which students move from table to table learning a brief snippet of information about specific careers or organizations . Greensburg Salem High School has taken a progressive approach in creating a college and career pathways speaker series , allowing students opportunities to learn more about the skills , behaviors and attitudes needed to succeed in the workforce of an ever-changing economy .
For five weeks this spring , students had the option to choose and attend presentations they had an interest in to learn more about the speakers ’ backgrounds , job options within a variety of career fields , required education and training , and the speakers ’ journeys to career success .
The speaker series targeted professionals from each of the following pathways to expose students to career opportunities they might not otherwise be exposed to :
• Advanced Manufacturing and Technical Sciences
• Energy , Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Information and Communication Technology
• Allied Health and Human Services
• Financial and Business Services , Hospitality , and Pubic Administration
According to Dr . Ken Bissell , Coordinator of Secondary Education , students need more information about the opportunities that exist in our economy . “ Hearing from a variety of speakers from different career fields and professions helps students make the connection of what types of behaviors , mindsets and skills are needed not just to land a job , but build a career ,” stated Dr . Bissell . “ We want students to see the importance of developing skills that will transfer from one job to the next as their careers grow .”
Missy Gibbon , a mathematics teacher at the high school , hosted multiple speakers during the series . “ I really thought the career speakers did a great job explaining what they did for a living and
36 Greensburg Salem
Julie Lovis , Prevention Coordinator for Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission speaks to students about her professional background .
what kinds of skills , courses and degrees were needed in order to obtain their positions ,” Miss Gibbon said . “ Students were engaged and asked a lot of interesting questions .”
The career speaker presentations are part of the high school ’ s Career Awareness Program ( CAP ), a four-year program with components required for graduation , including Freshman Seminar , Career Presentations , Job Shadowing and completion of a Senior Project . While tenth-grade students were required to participate in the speaker series for CAP , all students were invited to attend career presentation that interested them .
Greensburg Salem would like to thank the following speakers for participating in this year ’ s showcase : Chuck Anderson ~ Denise Ardison ~ Mark Barnhart Alison Beeghly ~ Ben Carpenter ~ George Carter ~ Chuck Chappell Amy DeMatt ~ Samantha Gonda ~ Claire Guth ~ Marissa Haynes Kim Houser ~ Chuck Irvin ~ Dan Jacko ~ Mark Kraynick Mike Kuzemchak ~ Roland Laurita ~ Sean Livingston Ken Loughner ~ Julie Lovis ~ Joe Maluchnik ~ Tim Makosky Rich Mazza ~ Terry McCann ~ Chris McCartney ~ Andrea Meyer Diana Neiderhiser ~ Michael Roberts ~ John Schlesman Betsy Spigarelli ~ Jesse Sprajcar ~ Chris Tantlinger ~ Megan Taylor Sue Trout ~ Bernie Wilke