Sylvania’s team of bus drivers was surprised with a table filled with baked goods at their Monday morning meeting. Brownies, cake pops, rice crispy treats, and cookies were just some of the goodies the more than 60 drivers were able to enjoy thanks to a thoughtful and early-rising team of students from Southview’s Leader Academy.
The students in the leader academy have been attending monthly meetings led by Southview’s Mr. Fritz. The training began with vision and values, and includes topics like teamwork, innovation, and communication. About a month ago, the topic was servant leadership, and the students in the academy were charged with developing a creative way to thank someone leading up to the holidays. The challenge is called “Do Good December.” After a round of brainstorming and planning, the students were able to execute the morning surprise for the bus drivers. The students made arrangements to decorate the common area on Sunday, so that everyone in the transportation department was surprised when the work week began. Everyone in their group also sacrificed part of their weekend to help with the baking.
In addition to the decorating and baking, students also contacted the elementary school principals for one final touch. They encouraged elementary students from across the district to write thank-you cards to the bus drivers. Some were general notes of appreciation, but others were heartfelt and personal messages to particular drivers. One student even thanked a driver for intervening when a student was being bullied. In all, over 400 letters were distributed to drivers as a way to brighten their morning, and to let all the drivers know how valuable they are to the district.
Southview Spotlight 