A new course here at Avon Central Schools is aiming to empower student leaders in the high school, build a more inclusive school culture and create a firm foundation that 5th graders can build on throughout their upcoming middle and high school years. 

The new course, Student Leadership, is the brainchild of Emily Schroeder, a history teacher in our high school, and Callum Pollok, a student support interventionist. 

“The course kind of began last year when staff recognized there were some hiccups in our student culture,” said Schroeder. “Generally, we were having some issues around joking and teasing that was actually hurting feelings, making people not feel welcome, things of that nature.

After polling students and confirming they felt the same way, Schroeder and Pollok came up with the idea of creating a 5th grade academy.

“We decided we needed to start tackling some of these issues in middle school,” Schroeder said. “With all the changes kids go through, the sooner we can help them the better and 5th grade is the first major transition for our students as they leave the elementary school and enter the middle school, so that’s how we kind of zeroed in on the 5th grade.” 

The 5th grade academy will be a series of specialized lessons and workshops throughout the school year that will be taught by high school students enrolled in the new Student Leadership course. It’s intended to be in the vein of the high school’s existing freshman academy for incoming ninth graders, though with a different focus. 

“The hope for the 5th grade academy is that it creates a foundation of community in our school,” said Schroeder. “The 9th grade academy focuses a lot on problem solving, teamwork and communication whereas the 5th grade academy is going to be more about what it looks like to be a community and be a proud member of Avon.”

About 15 high schoolers, identified by staff last year as student leaders in the high school, are enrolled in the Student Leadership course and will take the lead on all the lessons and workshops for 5th graders during the 2025-26 school year. 

They met with Schroeder last week to go over expectations for the course, their responsibilities as student leaders and what the first 5th grade academy session of the school year would look like. To wrap up, students took an implicit bias test as a way of exploring how pre-conceived notions about certain things can influence decision-making. It’s a dynamic that is likely to play a not insignificant role over the coming school year as students explore ways to curtail bullying and strengthen school culture.

The first 5th grade academy session is set for this Thursday, Sept. 18, during students’ half day. High school student leaders will lead four distinct lessons, which 5th graders will rotate through.

“We’re going to have the kids work on a charter, we’re going to talk about what community and integrity and kindness look like and feel like in school,” said Schroeder. “We’re going to talk about locker room and classroom and hallway behaviors, we’re going to have a problem-solving session and then, because it’s 5th grade and it’s the first time they’re doing transitions between classes, we want to talk to them about organization, how to keep a planner and things like that to set them up for success over the next several years.” 

Ultimately, Schroeder’s and Pollok’s goal is to remain as hands off as possible. If a lesson hits a snag or is in danger of going off the rails, she and Pollok will be on hand to facilitate but apart from that, she’s hoping to leave as many decisions to high school student leaders as possible. 

“My hope is the course gives our students the confidence and skills to see themselves as changemakers within the school,” said Pollok. “I want our students to play a greater role in shaping the culture of middle and high schools and walk away knowing they made a lasting, positive impact on our school community.” 

Added Schroeder: “I’m really excited. I’m hoping once a kid joins, they're in it throughout high school and that the group keeps building and growing into the future.”