End of Year Planning Sessions Prepare Leader in Me Schools For Success

"This is an exciting time of the year for Leader Valley. As schools are wrapping up the year, we are in full force helping them gear up for another successful year ahead with our year-end coaching sessions. This year-end process is unique to Leader Valley and is grounded in both reflection and data, but also in the hope of what is to come! Leadership teams celebrate what was accomplished this year, but also identify how to move forward to further refine their Leader in Me work next year. Shifting toward or enhancing a leadership culture is not for the faint of heart! We are so proud to partner with our school’s leadership teams as they embark on a path of inspirational leadership and continuous improvement."

- Dr. Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Director

Join Vine Valley on July 15th

Join our premier sponsor, Vine Valley Real Estate, at our first Leader Valley Twilight Golf Fundraiser on July 15th. We have room for five more teams. Hope to see you there! 

Leader Up: Creating Your "Not To-Do" List

"The gap between the life you're living and the life you want is called choices." Watch this episode of Leader Up to find out how creating a "not to-do list" can help you choose to prioritize the activities and the people that truly matter to you.

Join us for 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity on June 15th to learn to make more selective, high-impact choices about where to invest your valuable time, attention, and energy.

Southdale Students Present "This is Me"

To close out the school year, Southdale leaders got the opportunity to share their unique talents and interests in their annual "This is Me" showcase. Click the photo above to explore the many gifts our leaders chose to share!

Donor Spotlight

Leader Valley would like to thank GreenState Credit Union for their ongoing support of students and educators in the Cedar Valley.

Check out this thank you message from Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School Leader in Me students.

"Leader in Me is an incredible framework helping children develop not just in the classroom, but anywhere they go. GreenState is proud to be a supporter as we seek to help the future workforce be successful in all aspects of life."

- Tara Wachendorf, GreenState Foundation President

Introducing the Leader Valley Council

One key ingredient to Leader Valley's ability to provide Leader in Me to our Cedar Valley students is our dedicated volunteers. This month, we'd like to feature our Leader Valley Council Treasurer, Gretchen Ogden.

Gretchen Ogden is a Vice President and Senior Trust Officer at US Bank. She is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa where she was on the women's soccer team. Gretchen first learned of Leader Valley when her children started attending St. Patricks' School while they were going through the process of becoming a Leader in Me Lighthouse School.

When asked about the importance of Leader in Me, Gretchen said, "Leader in Me provides students opportunities throughout their school day to practice leadership skills with their peers to develop habits to go beyond the school setting. From individual goal setting to creating mission statements as a class, Leader in Me empowers students to recognize and celebrate leadership habits with themselves. Leader in Me goes beyond only academic achievement to develop individual growth in all areas of life."

Leader Valley prepares Pre-K-12 students for life by providing them with the essential employability or professional skills needed for a life of effectiveness and a competitive advantage in the workforce.