Fort Stevens celebrates year-round 'Eagle Leader' program that pairs 5th-graders with younger students

Fort Stevens Elementary presented the school’s expanded Eagle Leader program, which assigns leadership and mentoring duties to every 5th-grade student rather than selecting a few leaders.

School board President Denise Hendrickson introduced the spotlight and turned the presentation over to Cindy Larson, a 5th-grade teacher, who described the program’s goals. "We really believe that all of the 5th graders should be Eagle Leaders," Larson said, adding the program is intended to prepare students for middle school.

The program rotates students through duties each quarter, Larson said, including bus duty and classroom mentoring. Teachers request specific skills — for example, a Spanish-speaking 5th-grader to assist a kindergarten or first-grade class or readers to work with struggling students. "By the end of the year, everybody will have had at least 2 or 3 jobs," Larson said.

Transitional kindergarten teacher Dawn Smart described how the 5th-graders facilitate games, help with counting and participate in creative centers. "They also enjoy playing in the kitchen area with the kids and pretending with them," Smart said, and added that younger children often treasure artwork given to them by their older peers.

Multiple teachers and student representatives praised the program during the board meeting, saying it builds relationships across grades and gives older students responsibilities that help with maturity and initiative. Board members and administrators said they had observed 5th-graders escorting younger students to buses and carrying bags, a gesture framed as demonstrating responsibility and empathy.

The district provided a short video showing 5th-graders at work and said the rotation and teacher-survey system is intended to match student helpers with classroom needs. Board members applauded the program as broadly inclusive — emphasizing that all 5th-graders participate rather than a select few.

Larson and Fort Stevens staff did not present any requests for new funding at the meeting; the presentation was informational and intended to showcase the program’s impact.

The board will continue to receive school-spotlight presentations at future meetings and did not take formal action on the Eagle Leader program at this session.