The Student News Site of Marshfield High School

The Marshfield Times

The Student News Site of Marshfield High School

The Marshfield Times

The Student News Site of Marshfield High School

The Marshfield Times

Youth Leadership Class Making Impact on Campus

The eighth and ninth grade leadership class keeps school spirit strong.
Led by math teacher Kevin Guthrie, the leadership class works together to get students excited about Marshfield. Unlike a typical class, the students are encouraged to take the lead.

“I’m trying to put them in charge,” Guthrie said. “I try to drop ideas on them and let them run off of those ideas.”

Guthrie said the purpose of the class is to help teach responsibility and for the students to gain independence. According to freshman Shelby Armistead, Guthrie lets the class control their own assignments.

“He lets us take charge of the projects we’re doing,” Armistead said.

The leadership class educates the students on the work put into making activities happen around school, such as Fun on the Field.

“My thing is helping them understand that when there’s Fun on the Field day or other school events, there is stuff that goes planning that,” Guthrie said. “Things just don’t magically appear.”

Guthrie was handed down the leadership class after science teacher Cathy Danielson taught it during the 2013-14 school year. Eighth grader Kodee Harwood said Guthrie puts more than just effort into the class.

“He works really hard and whenever we are having a bad day he’ll make us feel better,” Harwood said.

During the class period, students are given an agenda and discuss the listed items. Eighth grader Parker Stocker said the class is mostly made up of group work.

“After we’re done with that [discussing the day’s agenda], we split up into groups and talk about whatever it is,” Stocker said.

The students typically work in small, separate groups and discuss the issue they are involved in.

“Once we’re in groups, we talk about what we want to do and how we are going to get it done,” Armistead said.

In the past, the class has been involved in activities such as going to Blossom Gulch and acting out skits regarding responsibility. Along with this, the students also help teachers out in the classroom.

Freshman Peyton Thomas said the leadership class helps out whenever they can.

“We help ASB in the assemblies and we have service days every month where we go to Blossom Gulch and we help the kids in their classes,” Thomas said.

In addition to helping with school-related events, the leadership class has also reached out to the community.

“We made Thanksgiving baskets for the underprivileged people in our community,” Armistead said. “We made four baskets for every grade.”

The students who have shown leadership skills are hoping to eventually be a part of ASB when they become upperclassmen.

“They’ve either been nominated by a teacher or recommended to be in the class,” Guthrie said.
“We try to identify kids that have shown some leadership or have potential for leadership.”

Guthrie did not assign leadership positions, but instead he gave the students leadership in the activities they feel the most passionate about.

“As different things have come up, I see who has a passion for whatever it is and I put them in charge,” Guthrie said.

Guthrie said he wants the students to get excited about school and participating in school-related events. In addition, the leadership class hopes to encourage the young students to become involved with ASB when they are upperclassmen.

“It’s hopefully getting them excited about doing these things and being in ASB when they’re older,” Guthrie said.

According to eighth grader Tess Garrett, the class has helped improve overall teamwork amongst the students.

“It teaches us how to work with our classmates and work in small groups,” Garrett said.

The class helps the underclassmen become more involved at Marshfield. In its second year of running, the class is still pushing to become more involved in activities. The class often helps out with events such as assemblies.

“We got more involved with the school this year than we did last year,” Thomas said.

Leadership allows eighth grade students to be more involved in activities and projects.

“It’s nice to hear the eighth graders input,” Armistead said.

The leadership class and ASB do not typically work together, with a few exceptions.

“It’s pretty separate until we help in the assemblies,” Thomas said.

The class has no set schedule or plans, but instead the students work in a positive environment, according to Thomas.

“Mr. Guthrie isn’t so strict like other teachers and lets us be in our groups and talk about what we want to talk about,” Thomas said.

The students said they enjoy the energy the class provides.

“It’s one of my favorite classes,” Garrett said,

Leadership provides the underclassmen with a sense of individuality, according to Thomas.

“We gain independence in this class,” Thomas said.

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Youth Leadership Class Making Impact on Campus