What a great start to the 2009-2010 school year. Classes are going well, athletic teams are competing, and our band will be marching at our home games before long. Great things are happening at the middle school. To better meet the needs of our students, we have implemented a new class this year. Teen Leadership was developed by Flip Flippen, founder of the Flippen Group. The purpose of the program is to teach personal, relational, and leadership skills. In other words how to: “ walk, talk, make a good impression, present your ideas, think for yourself, work with difficult people, and pursue personal excellence in the face of difficulty.” Ten staff members spend their summer in training to be certified to teach this very important class. Most sixth graders and many seventh and eighth grade students are schedule for this class either this semester or next. We had three classes last year and we have noticed great strides from those students thus far this year. We are excited to offer this class so that our students will be prepared for the challenges of leadership.