The rest of the world is starting to realize what Mundelein parents already know: Mechanics Grove Elementary School has an amazing leadership program that is rarely matched.
Mechanics Grove was presented with the coveted Legacy award among FranklinCovey’s Leader In Me Schools, an elite level only reached by 34 other schools worldwide. Since 2011, MG has been one of 8,500 Leader In Me Schools throughout the world and for the past 11 years, the school has held “Lighthouse” status in the program.
The Legacy award acknowledges a school that is a global example of excellence in leadership, culture and academics. It puts the school among the “best of the best,” according to MG Principal Tanya Fergus, who credited her entire staff for reaching this level.
“I’m really proud,” said Lisa Szyska, who has been teaching at the school since they started the Leader In Me program. “We’re building legacies here for kids. We’re creating something special for kids. This award recognizes the work we’ve done here as a whole staff for many years.”
MG, which serves third, fourth and fifth graders in District 75, celebrated on Tuesday with an all-school assembly and special guests including FranklinCovey representatives, former MG Principal Kathleen Miller and student winners of the “Dr. Miller Leadership Award” from the past 11 years.
District 75 Superintendent Corey Tafoya called it the proudest moment in school history and praised the staff for their effort to achieve such an elite level within the program.
“To our amazing MG staff, you also are the visionaries,” he said. “You saw how these habits could transform student lives. You’ve created an environment of synergy and excellence. The MG staff has created one of the finest school climates in the entire Chicagoland area.”
The Leader In Me program is a way of life lived at MG. It embraces practicing good habits, learning life skills and celebrating student success. The school puts student leadership and practicing good habits at the forefront of everything.
Every student has a formal leadership role either in their classrooms or building wide. Students also have impromptu leadership moments. Some students have presented to parent groups about the Leader in Me program.
To be eligible for the Legacy award, a Leader In Me school must hold Lighthouse status for at least eight years, exhibit innovation and sustaining growth in most of the Lighthouse criteria and continue to make a distinctive contribution to the Leader In Me community or education community at large.
There is also an academic growth requirement connected to the award. Over the last several years, students have focused on being independent readers and learning to think like readers. In the past school year, staff embraced the implementation of a new math curriculum. The progress boosted test scores immensely in literacy and put math scores above state averages.
Once invited to apply for the award, the school staff developed an evidence binder highlighting all the programs and activities in place at Mechanics Grove. Work on the evidence binder began late last spring with a team consisting of Principal Tanya Fergus along with veteran teachers Jackie Ewing, Jill Buttita, Kate Baumgaertl, Tina Sheedy and Szyska.
In the fall, the entire staff got involved in the process, with everyone serving on Lighthouse Action Teams in either leadership, culture or academics.
The Legacy award will not change an ounce of what Mechanics Grove does, Fergus said. It will continue in its role as a mentor school to many other schools entering the Leader In Me program and continue to put kids first every day.
“This award doesn’t define who we are,” Fergus said. “It just confirms everything we do.”