Tommie Barfield Leaders Shine

The fifth annual Leadership Day at Tommie Barfield Elementary School (TBE) lived up to its name with the student-led event filled with memorable entertainment, informative presentations, delicious refreshments, and more.

Over 80 business, church, and school leaders from Marco Island and surrounding areas checked in outside of the school and were promptly greeted by a student. Everyone was given a hand-painted goodie bag and itinerary for the day.

Visitors were escorted alongside an ongoing processional of students from every grade level who either sang, waved a flag, gave a lively cheer, or played an instrument throughout the school’s hallways and into the cafeteria.

The cafeteria had been transformed into a marketplace led by third-grade students. A coffee shop and bakery offered a pick-me-up and treats. There were additional pop-ups showcasing different school activities and programs manned by students ready to share.

All visitors were given ‘market money’ to shop with and were not allowed to use real cash. The students made their items for sale, and the wide assortment ranged anywhere from bracelets, soaps, and candles to paintings, shell art, plants, and more. The hard-working and smiling faces made it hard to choose just a few items!

The program itself began with a warm welcome from the three emcees, Morgan, Dasha, and Connor, followed by a pep-filled cheer from TBE’s own Spirit Leaders.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, along with the TBE Mission Statement, with members of the third-grade class signing along in ASL.

The emcees gave an educational overview into the behind-the-scenes processes of Leadership Day. Each year, the school posts applications for the various roles available. Student leaders of all grade levels are encouraged to apply and contribute. Over 1,000 leadership roles were seen in action throughout the day!

A historical “Eras Tour” delighted the audience with a fun take on three stages of Tommie Barfield's life, aka The Queen of Marco. Jane, Lola, and Ruby showed great pride in sharing Tommie’s legacy that continues with the students at TBE.

As important as learning about the past comes planning for the future. Fitting with this year's outer space school theme, Launching Leaders One Star at a Time, ‘Space Expert’ Olek took the stage and presented on Artemis II, NASA’s ongoing human spaceflight program intended to return astronauts to the moon. This will be the first team to travel to the vicinity of the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. If everything goes according to plan, these astronauts will be the furthest humans from Earth ever.

Multiple student leaders took turns with visual metaphors and relatable analogies to touch on the Seven Habits Plus One of the school: Be proactive. Begin with the end in mind. Put first things first. Think Within. First, I seek to understand then to be understood. Synergize. Sharpen the saw. Find your voice.

“We use these habits every day to help us make good choices and solve problems,” said the emcees.

These habits are at the very core of the school, complete with a beautifully painted mural of them in the courtyard. They are written along the halls, taught each day in one way or another, and are encouraged to be practiced by each student. They complement the TBE Mission Statement: Recognize Individual Genius. Build Confidence. Create Leaders.

Paying homage and giving thanks to the many adult leaders within their school, from their teachers to the custodial staff, student leader Emma surprised Principal Kubin with a lighthouse she made in Wood Shop Club.

The lighthouse honored TBE’s Leader in Me Lighthouse School status.

TBE became a Leader in Me School in 2019, with the student body, faculty, and families working collaboratively to build systems that center around Leadership, Culture, and Academics. A Leader in Me school is based on Franklin Covey’s Seven Habits.

In 2023, TBE was named a Leader in Me Lighthouse School, certifying the school’s outstanding success in implementing Covey’s Seven Habits. TBE continues to celebrate and create leadership opportunities for all grade levels of students (including kindergarten!). As one tours the school, a lighthouse can be seen in art pieces, classroom signs, and other forms of pride.

Before the program broke the audience into different tour groups, all the student leaders took to the stage once more for a moving rendition of a school favorite, ‘Count on Me.’ A pulse-pounding performance with coordinated basketball dribbles, tandem and solo tumbling, and ribbons to ‘Dynamite’ closed out the performance portion of the event.

Visitors were divided into eight different tour groups, each led by four student leaders. They visited select classrooms, interacted with a living wax museum, were entertained by the kindergarten’s song and dance number, asked questions on the various clubs offered at TBE, and even saw the butterfly garden!

A highlight of the tour for visitors was being able to see the application board, where not only are all the Leadership Day positions posted, but other jobs available throughout the year that are also available.

The tour circled back to the cafeteria where a leadership panel commenced, allowing for a Q and A exchange between the visitors and the Student Leaders.

“TBE is a kid-empowered school,” said TBE alumnus Leah Rice. She could not be more right as their empowerment was not only felt but seen in the numerous facets of the well-planned day and felt throughout the school campus.