North Augusta Elementary School proudly celebrated our January Habit Heroes this morning during a special Leadership Breakfast honoring students who exemplify Leader in Me Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.
Throughout the month of January, students across our school focused on learning what it truly means to be a great listener and a compassionate leader. Habit 5 reminds us that everyone has thoughts, feelings, and ideas that matter — and the first step in leadership is learning to listen with the goal of understanding, not just responding.
💬 What Students Learned About Habit 5
By practicing Habit 5, our Dolphins worked hard to:
Listen carefully when others are speaking
Wait their turn to talk
Try to understand how others feel
Share their own ideas respectfully
These skills may sound simple, but they are powerful tools that help children grow into thoughtful leaders both inside and outside the classroom.
💛 How Habit 5 Helps Our Students Grow
When students practice seeking to understand first, they are able to:
Build stronger, more positive friendships
Solve problems peacefully
Work better in teams and groups
Help others feel heard, valued, and respected
Teachers shared countless examples of students showing empathy, using kind words, making eye contact, and truly listening to classmates and adults. These Habit Heroes are helping create the caring and respectful school community that makes NAUES such a special place.
Great listeners truly do make great leaders — and we are so proud of our Dolphins for leading the way!
🤝 Looking Ahead: February Habit of the Month — Habit 6: Synergize
As we move into February, students will begin focusing on Habit 6: Synergize, which is all about teamwork and cooperation. Habit 6 teaches students that everyone has unique strengths, and when we work together, we can accomplish more than we ever could alone.
Students will learn that:
Different ideas make teams stronger
Listening and sharing respectfully leads to better solutions
Working together helps everyone succeed
By learning to value differences and collaborate, our students continue growing into leaders who understand that together is better.
We can’t wait to see how our Dolphins shine as they practice Habit 6 and continue building a strong, supportive, and student-led school community! 💙🐬