Conn Area: Leaders enjoy giving back

By Melissa Williams Brown
Contributing Writer

CONNELLSVILLE – Be proactive!

Conn-Area Catholic School students are learning exactly what those two words mean, according to Principal Cecilia Solan. 

As part of the school’s leadership program, each student has a specific job to do. They apply and interview for the job, even 4-year-olds. Students receive instruction and, in some cases, a schedule to follow.

There are many opportunities for students to engage, Solan said. Tasks include holding the flag, feeding fish, setting up for morning prayers and tutoring younger students.

As the top grade level of the school, sixth-graders move into more intense leadership duties, meeting each nine-week period to work on initiatives they identified at the beginning of the school year, according to Solan.

This year’s new initiative is a contest that challenges students to read more books. Sixth-graders designed exactly how the program would operate, including games and prizes for meeting goals, and presented it to the students.

“It is exciting to see the sixth-graders taking control of the schoolwide project and implementing it with enthusiasm,” Solan said. “Students at Conn-Area Catholic School love any opportunity to do leadership tasks. It helps with their self-esteem and puts into motion the gifts of the Holy Spirit.