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Haller Middle School students present 'We Are the Future' leadership showcase to Arlington School District board
Summary
Students from Haller Middle School outlined leadership projects, service drives and post‑secondary plans for the Arlington School District board, highlighting school assemblies, charity drives and a May 2 talent show with 38 acts.
Brooke Howell, principal of Haller Middle School, and Rachel Harrington, Haller ASB advisor and science teacher, brought six student leaders to the Arlington School District board to present a student‑led leadership program called “We Are the Future.” The students described assemblies, charity drives, hall decorations, athletic promotion and other activities designed to boost school spirit and student engagement.
The presentation emphasized that leadership at Haller is driven by students, who plan and run events. Rachel Harrington told the board: "What's unique about leadership is that it is truly a student generated class." Students described hands‑on projects that included spirit assemblies, a haunted‑house hootenanny, and a talent show scheduled for May 2.
The students reported concrete results from their activities. They said a recent charity drive for a local program called Kids Closet raised more than $300 in cash and collected more than 1,700 donated items. The talent show has 38 acts signed up; students explained that, because assembly time is limited, organizers will audition acts and select roughly 14–15 performances for presentation.
Students also described ongoing efforts to improve the school environment: decorating hallways for holidays, running door‑decoration contests, producing student‑written positives notes placed around campus during testing, and creating athletic posters to boost participation in school sports. Several students said their leadership experiences helped them develop teamwork, public speaking and project‑management skills.
Board members responded with appreciation. Student Advisor Nathan Nichols commented that the students’ presentation was inspirational and asked whether the leadership model could be shared more widely across the district.
Why it matters: The presentation shows the district’s investment in student leadership programming and gives the board a student perspective on retention, school climate and activities that aim to increase belonging and participation among middle‑school students.
Looking ahead, students said many will pursue advanced courses, extracurricular programs such as DECA and running‑start options in high school, and varied post‑secondary goals including internships, college and careers in fields they described during the presentation. The board received the presentation; no formal action was required.
